“When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock, And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock,
And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens,
And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best,
With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.” – Excerpt from “When the Frost is on the Punkin” by James Whitcomb Riley
My father used to read this poem to my brothers and me on the first cool mornings of Fall, so it always comes to mind when the season starts to change. The vivid imagery and onomatopoeias really capture this time of year.
On these crisp mornings, Little Lovely enjoys visiting with the pumpkins on our front stoop before nursery school. 
And now that she can toddle around she wants nothing more than to explore the yard and collect acorns and leaves.
Thankfully, the chaos of Hurricane Matthew drifted away this week and was replaced with beautiful, autumn weather. It provided the perfect backdrop for Little Lovely and I to make a visit to our local pumpkin patch.
{Eloise found a pumpkin just her size. Her dress is by Cecil and Lou.}
We met some of our friends there for a late afternoon playdate, and Eloise had a grand time meandering through the pumpkins.
Today we picked up some little white pumpkins from Trader Joe’s for a special craft. Using washable paints they were transformed into lovely shades of pink and gold. {Eloise mainly supervised.}
Hope that you and your little pumpkins have a wonderful weekend!
