Word on the Street

They say it's fall but I've needed some convincing. Due to the lack of cooler outdoor temperatures and changing leaf colors, I've had to rely on the calendar to steer me in the right direction. I'm used to fall looking like this:

So when I saw an advertisement for a local pumpkin patch with pick your own pumpkins, I got really excited and thought it would be this:

You know, a "pumpkin patch" where pumpkins grow and you "pick your own".  Instead we got something a little different:

This doesn't show it well but it was literally a field with pumpkins sitting around. To be fair, it was really cute! But pumpkins don't grow well in these parts so they shipped them in from west Texas and plopped them down on the ground. A pumpkin patch. Pick your own. 

Bless.

In true local fashion, there was a sign warning you to watch your step for fire ants.

Fall also means county fair season! Our homeschool group had a tour of the barns for education day. 

Fall also means lots of town festivals and reasons to have parades, car shows, food trucks, and ferris wheels. Zanna and I went to Pittsburg Pioneer Days. It was hotter 'n hades but we put some sunscreen on and checked it out. 

Golden Chick was representing. Will worked there a bit over the summer. Southerns have a special place in their heart for chicken. You can't go far without running into a chicken place (or a donut shop which I just don't understand) Golden Chick is one of the best. 

Upon entering the main street activity and booths set up for various MLA companies, clothing and jewelry racks, and the like, there was also a political presence I found amusing. 

Right away we saw the Libertarian booth manned by a man and a woman with yellow t-shirts that said something about something I didn't get. Which might be why only one person was talking to them and looked confused.

Next there was the blue Democrat booth with two people manning that one and no one talking to them. That could be due to the sign they had posted about "making Texas blue again". Them is fighting words. 

Meanwhile things were happening across the street where the real party was - the Republicans. They took up three booths and were handing out bottled water while calling out to "keep American great in 2020". Six people manned this booth while selling t-shirts and hats. A giant cut out of the orange man himself stood guard and quietly approved.  

But the real entertainment was just starting as we were leaving. They were busy setting up this contraption in the middle of the street - 

                                      


This, dear reader, is the makings of Chicken Bingo. The premise is this: you put five dollars down on the number of your choosing. Once all bets are in, they release a chicken into the fenced square and onto the cardboard game floor marked with small boxes of numbers. If the chicken poops on your number, you keep your five dollars!! If not, you loose your money but you just witnessed possibly the funniest thing ever. 

You couldn't make this stuff up, seriously.

Our last experience we had while we were leaving the festivities was the Elvis impersonator shaking his groove thang on the stage. I'd say he was aiming to be Elvis circa early 70's as the weight was a bit heavier and the hip movement was slowing down a little. But good on the guy! Very entertaining! 

On a larger scale, we're close enough to the big city to also enjoy what Dallas has to offer. Last week we went to the Dallas Arboretum where they were celebrating fall despite the fact that it was over 90 degrees. 

They had shipped in over 90,000 pumpkins and gourds from the panhandle. It was pretty impressive!

Their veggie garden was going strong!

Who knew okra could be purple? 

And that they had such beautiful flowers?

They had the prettiest flowers blooming ...

They also had Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin Patch!!

Word on the street is that it's fall. We're learning it takes a little time  for the weather to catch up to the calendar here. We're still pulling weeds, killing bugs, and watering plants. But we also know the payoff is around the corner and cooler days are coming. And it's really not so bad ... the flowers are still blooming, the sun is still shining, and I'm still wearing sundresses. 

Some day I'll wear pants again. Someday.