Page 16 of Love and Pumpkins
“Let’s eat!” Chloe exclaims.
We stroll past the three food trucks on the property. I get a whiff of BBQ, burgers, and pizza at the same time.
Everyone decides on BBQ, and we make our selections and head towards a large area which is dotted with hay bales for seating.
As we sit, my eyes scan the crowd, looking for family. I spot cousin Whitney and Aunt Dana. They approach us and ask how the ride out was. Aunt Dana worries that the hayracks will eventually lose their luster and everyone will want to drive out here and park in a field. She’s a firm advocate of keeping the tractor and hayrack system.
“It was great,” Chloe enthuses. “Phoebe almost fell off, but Hunter caught her!”
Aunt Dana’s eyebrows rise so far up, they’re hidden behind her light brown bangs; hereyes widen. “What? Gracious. Good thing you were there, Hunter. What happened?”
“A bump, a hill, and a bounce that caught me off guard. I’m fine. It was fine.” I hope my words are reassuring.
Whitney throws an arm around her mom. “She’s fine, Momma! Don’t worry. Plenty of other things to worry about.”
Whitney is two years older than me. She’s hardworking, responsible for all the special events at the farm. You would think Jackson or Glenn would take over the farm when their parents retire, but my money is on Whitney. Besides the fall festival, they have a tulip festival in the spring, a German-style Christmas market in December, and a strawberry festival during the summer. I love these events because they remind us of how integral our existence is with the land. Seasonal thanks and gratitude to Mother Nature.
Someone yells for Whitney, and they hurry away.
We finish our food, and I want to move around before buying a caramel apple.
“Want to visit the animals in the barn?” I ask.
“Sure,” Hunter says, standing and offering to take everyone’s plates to throw away.
Chloe groans. “No, if we go in there, Phoebe, someone will make us work.”
I laugh. “I don’t mind.”
“Well, I do,” Chloe says. “Ray, want to visit the pumpkin patch?”
He nods.
“Meet us at the maze entrance in an hour?” I ask.
Everyone agrees, and Hunter and I make our way to the barn.
This is my favorite part of every visit to the farm. I love seeing the sheep, baby cows, piglets, and bunnies.
Inside the barn, my cousin Glenn is holding a white rabbit and talking to a small group that has formed around him and the adorable bunny. I give a slight wave and keep moving. If I stand still for a minute, someone will ask me to work; Chloe wasn’t wrong.
“Do you come out here a lot?” Hunter asks.
“At least once a month,” I reply. “We have a large family dinner on the first Sunday of every month. But there’s always a birthday, or graduation, or some other excuse to visit.”
“It’s nice to have a large family close by.”
“It is! Do you have any family near you?”
“No. Just me.”
“Does it get lonely?” I ask.
He probably has plenty of friends and doesn't miss family. I can’t imagine life without my family close by.
“Of course.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I mean, I have an excellent group of friends. I live with two college buddies, but it’s a lifestyle that’s growing old. Going out all the time. Ball games, concerts, bars. Fun, but I feel like something’s missing.”
“No girlfriend?”
