Pumpkin Chasing in Niagara

This is Pumpkin Patch weekend for Canadians:   all things pumpkin for Thanksgiving. Yesterday, I went on the pumpkin trail - to places where Thanksgiving is in full swing. I started at Hildreth's,  This farm has a large farm market stand close to my home.   It is much bigger than just a 'stand'  - it is a large parking area in front of the house with large canopies covering tables and shelves of local fruit and vegetables.  In fact, it is a mini-store with all kinds of local produce besides their own. One of the biggest attractions is the home-made pies - home-made by Hildreth's.  The fruit is typically is from their orchards or fields, and the pies taste like a home-made pie because they are. I wanted to catch the pumpkin display before it got bought out.  People were parked everywhere and it wasn't 10:00 on a Saturday morning.  I drove past later in the day on my way back home and there were more cars. I expect there were a lot fewer pumpkins. This year I bought a bushel of squash.  A bushel seemed too large last year, but this year, I bet that when it is available easily, the squash are used up quickly.  I started yesterday - one down. After a visit to the St. Catharines market and Lakeland Meats where Dezi and I checked out the chickens in their chicken run, I drove along St. Paul Street and made a stop at Calamus Winery in Vineland.  At the winery, I found a piece of the Rusty Shed on the ground, and they let me take it home.  They are close to Balls Falls and the Vineland Art Festival - such a large festival that there is $5.00 parking in the middle of orchards. Next I dropped into Beamsville's bakery 'The Post' and saw the pumpkin pies moving quickly.  I wondered if there is a busier day of the year, but didn't want to hold up the line to ask. Finally, I checked out my favourite garden centre, Cole's.  Harry, the owner, celebrated 30 years of ownership this past week. He showed me the slide show of the garden centre - including pictures when it was owned by the Cole's 125 years ago.  Lex sent this link of Benchscape - which is for sale.  This is the residence where I garden the raised beds of herbs and edible flowers, along with the decorative pots.  You can see them right at the beginning.