Lil' Pumpkin

 

This adorable little 2-year-old is Cecilia.  She was having a great time at the pumpkin patch at United Method Church in downtown Ft. Myers along with her mom and big brother, Gabriel.  Flitting from one pumpkin to the next…then the next...Cecilia was like a little butterfly landing just long enough to inspect a pumpkin before taking off again.  Some of the pumpkins were small enough for her to hold --- and dash off to the next potential perfect pumpkin for comparison, consideration and contemplation.  What a bundle of energy!  I'm not sure which pumpkin Cecilia ended up taking home.  But, she and her family looked like they were having a fun time.  Ah…to be so carefree and only concerned about selecting the perfect pumpkin!  Happy Halloween!  

Pumpkin Lot

I don't see many good old fashioned pumpkin patches in the Sunshine State. Instead, this time of year, pumpkins are usually for sale in a parking lot or yard.  That was the case with this brilliant bunch that I encountered over the weekend at First United Methodist Church in downtown Ft. Myers. The pumpkin patch volunteers did a great job of transforming the church yard, complete with straw scattered on the ground and bales of hay stacked around the area.  A tip of the hat goes to my blogger friend Kay at Sequim Daily Photo who inspired me a few days ago with a similar pumpkin post.  So nice to photograph some fall color!

Festive Fall

What a great way to get into the fall season!  This is what you see nowadays when you walk inside Whole Foods in downtown Sarasota.   In past years, the pumpkins, corn stalks and bales of hay have always been on display outside.  This year, they were moved inside, where the grocery carts are usually stored.  It's funny how to see how people are creatures of habit.  While I was taking this pic, more than one customer seemed a bit bewildered as to where the carts disappeared.  (They're temporarily stored outside the entrance.) The weather is starting to cool off just a bit. In another week or so, the humidity should disappear and that perfect Florida fall weather pattern will be here.  Hope everyone's having a nice weekend!

This One, Mom!

Marion's son, Griffin, spotted the perfect pumpkin at Whole Foods in downtown Sarasota, and couldn't resist scaling to the top of the stack to pick it out. Then, he found another one, which was even larger. Having captured this photo, and seeing that Griffin was attempting to lift a sizeable orange squash nearly his own weight, SDP staff set aside their camera long enough to help Griffin and his mom hoist Perfect Pumpkin #2 from the 'patch'. For the record...Griffin can pick big pumpkins. Happy carving!

Pumpkin'd

Whoever the prankster is, they made me laugh.  I spotted this pumpkin-head version of Dionysus heading into St. Armands Circle.  Actually, several statues along the circle were sporting pumpkins.  Now that's getting into the Halloween spirit in a unique way!  You know you want to smile...

Red Shoes, Orange Squash

Who doesn't wear red glittery shoes to pick out that perfect pumpkin?!  I was preparing to take a picture of the festive display outside Whole Foods in downtown Sarasota when this mother and daughter walked right into my shot.  What's a photographer to do?!  On a different note, the entire staff at SDP will be on hiatus for awhile.  The chairman of the board has ordered mandatory furloughs -- but with the same pay we always receive at SDP.  Happy blogging!