Harvest Fest

So, after an intense and stressful time leading up to the drywaller's arrival, we totally played hooky this weekend and took a whole day off from the house!  I know, I know, we're supposed to be grounded for the whole month of October.  But we go to the Harvest Fest in my hometown every year and we reeeeeally needed a little break.  So Saturday night after the drywaller was done, we set off for exotic Hood River, Oregon. 

Harvest Fest is great.  There's a tent with craft vendors selling everything you'd never need, a food court so you can get an elephant ear and eat it overlooking the Columbia River, and of course, tons of fruit and cider grown locally.

We made our annual pilgrimage to Rasmussen's Farm, which is more harvest fun than you can shake a stick at.  Every year they present "Pumpkin Funland", which is a sort of large diorama populated with decorated pumpkins that is always completely hilarious.  This year's theme was "Mysteries".

 Fred hanging out with Snoopy's Great Pumpkin.

 The Lochness Monstergourd. 

Not even quite sure what these ones are supposed to be doing, but love the expression on the pig's face.

After appreciating the myriad ways one can use a gourd as sculpture, we did a little pumpkin picking of our own.

 (He's so wholesome!)

The weather was gorgeous and it felt so good to get out of the cloud of drywall dust and run around in the sunshine for a little bit. 

We stayed Sunday night and drove home Monday morning.  We unpacked our loot into the house and we brought home quite the bounty!

 Pears are my favorite, we got Comice, Bartlett and some pink-fleshed apples.

A visit with my surrogate family yielded homemade pickles and jam, we stopped at our favorite used book store and stocked up on some awesome used books, the senior center was making pies again (and how can you say no to huckleberry), the little containers are from a salt-by-the-pound bar that they installed in the local grocery store, the white bag is fudge and the orange things are the most delicious shortbread cookies on earth, courtesy of Rosauers.  What a haul!

The pumpkins made it safely home and are snuggled up on the front porch with their friend, Monsieur Brussel Sprouts. 

So there's the fun (albeit less productive) half of our weekend.  A million thanks to my new father-in-law who made this possible by hanging out with the mudder-and-taper guy on Sunday.  It felt awesome to get away and now we're back, ready to attack the next project.  Onward to painting and windows!