The rain is back!!! My favorite fall season is well in motion as the colorful spreads of leaves are coated with harvest air. Rainy Oregonian fall is perfect for cuddling up with a blanket, hot chocolate and a big stack of homework, or more realistically a movie.
The most recent rain fun I had was just this past weekend. As an RA we get to plan events for our halls therefore my Co-RA and I decided to take our girls to a pumpkin patch. We visited Farmer John’s which included a corn maze and delicious smoothies. As we gathered to leave I looked around and saw my residents had only one layer of clothes on, lacking some serious rain gear. We assumed we would just dodge the rain I suppose; however, when we walked outside we were met with some major drizzle. After a frantic retreat for rain boots and an extra coat, we were on our way to the patch.
When we got there, the first things we ran to were the face cut outs and decorated hay barrels for some pictures. We took many and by the end of the “intensive photo shoot” I had been a horse, cow and bee. After our pictures we decided to take a hay ride around the farm and then tackle the corn maze. We went in with no map like real explorers and quickly found ourselves traveling in circles. Later one resident suggested we split up and as much as that went against my horror movie logic, we all agreed to bake off into two smaller groups. We slipped and slid on the muddy ground passing rows upon rows of corn that all seemed to look the same. The corn stalks were a tall fusion of green and yellow that hurt when you ran into them with your face. This may or may not have happened to me a couple of times. However with the brave and precise navigation skills of one of my residents, our group finally made it out.
After the long adventure in the maze we retreated to get smoothies, ice cream and other sweets. About 20 min into my smoothie, however, I received a phone call from my residents in the other group. Since we had split up they had been looking for an exit. Their call was one for aid as they were stuck in the maze with no exit and didn’t know how to get out. The situation was one of mixed humor as I fought a basic instinct to ask “ok where are you exactly?” Imagine explaining your position in a corn maze where everything looks the same. Where is a GPS when you need one? Eventually they were able to walk to the edge of the maze and cut through. We reunited soon thereafter. The day ended with a search for the perfect pumpkins. My expertise was in the naming pumpkins department. After a long, muddy, cold, absolutely amazing day with my fabulous residents, I can now say I got my weekend’s fill of harvest fun.