Down on the Farm

Last weekend we headed to Carleton Farm in Snohomish with Brian, Darcy and some of their friends to do the corn maze and pick out some perfect pumpkins. We ended up going a little later in the day than expected and for a while I was concerned that we’d have to be in the corn maze while it transitioned to Haunted Corn Maze!!!! Scary!

Even before we had Maggie, I always longingly talked about corn mazes and farms and we didn’t always pull the trigger on hunting one down. We’ve had Halloween parties in the past and even pumpkin carving contests, but there is something special about picking your own pumpkin or getting lost with friends in a maze of corn.

As we were given our maps to the maze, it became crystal clear that the advice of the sales lady wasn’t too far fetched when she mentioned that the map didn’t ‘exactly’ match with the real twists and turns in the maze. Luckily Brian was with us and he is a MASTER map reader. Not really, but he sure does laugh a lot, which makes Barry laugh a lot too.  Any time you’ve got two Miller brothers laughing, is a good time. At one point Bri mentioned the time he saw my pregnant butt and I had to put a halt on that story, which only made him laugh more.

As much as I’ve been singing praises for this blustery weather, which I love, I’ve been mourning the loss of nice natural light for my photos. All summer long I fought the glare of the sun and now the cloud cover is here to stay and I’m having to pull out a few tricks to make sure I still get the pictures I desire. I suppose you could say I enjoy a challenge because I still refuse to use my flash. Perhaps I’m stubborn? Nah.

So, the corn maze. It was really fun and Maggie loved it. She also loved all the attention from Darcy and her friends. Lauren, Darcy’s best friend, had black boots that Maggie absolutely fell in love with and they were boot buds, with Maggie pointing endlessly at both their boots, as if wanting to confirm that they both had boots on. Mags also enjoyed being leader of the pack, sometimes deciding for everyone if we were going to take a right or a left. The power of her index finger is still in full throttle.

As we roamed from one end of the maze to another trying to solve the mystery of the secret code, I kept whispering to myself “If you build it, he will come” and waiting for Shoeless Joe to pop out of the corn. Of course, he never did. As it was getting darker and we’d solved the puzzle, it was time to exit the maze. Barry and Maggie somehow got detached from the rest of the group and we were headed to the exit. I was a bit worried (but not REALLY worried) and Brian went back in to find Barry and Maggie. Of course not a minute after Brian turned around did Barry and Maggie appear pleased as little kittens that they’d found the exit. So, there we all were at the exit of the corn maze without Brian, the one who is really good at reading maps, remember?  I don’t think anybody really wanted to go back in to find him, for fear of getting lost, but thankfully he ambled out laughing. So we all laughed too.