The Cats find a Pumpkin Patch.
Fall at Palmetto Mansion.
Chapter 1 .
It was a beautiful Fall day at Palmetto Mansion. Yellow leaves were drifting down onto the green grass of the yard. A gentle breeze ruffled my fur. I was just getting comfortable in a patch of sun when Tux blurted out, “We need to go to a pumpkin patch.”
I blinked.
“A pumpkin patch?” I asked.
“I heard the lady talking about it,” said Tux. “She said it isn’t really Fall unless you go to one.”
Herbie lifted his head from his paws. “The season of Fall isn’t dependent upon our personal actions,” he said. “It’s dependent on the movement of our planet around the Sun.”
“He meant metaphorically,” said Tux. “The idea of Fall as a construct.”
I was starting to find this conversation confusing. “All right,” I said, sitting up. “Let’s go find Tux a pumpkin patch.”
“You know where one is?” said Herbie.
“Sure I do. There’s one just the next yard over.”
“Really?” said Tux hopefully, getting up.
“Huh,” said Herbie. “This I want to see.”
It was a beautiful Fall day at Palmetto Mansion. Yellow leaves were drifting down onto the green grass of the yard. A gentle breeze ruffled my fur. I was just getting comfortable in a patch of sun when Tux blurted out, “We need to go to a pumpkin patch.”
I blinked.
“A pumpkin patch?” I asked.
“I heard the lady talking about it,” said Tux. “She said it isn’t really Fall unless you go to one.”
Herbie lifted his head from his paws. “The season of Fall isn’t dependent upon our personal actions,” he said. “It’s dependent on the movement of our planet around the Sun.”
“He meant metaphorically,” said Tux. “The idea of Fall as a construct.”
I was starting to find this conversation confusing. “All right,” I said, sitting up. “Let’s go find Tux a pumpkin patch.”
“You know where one is?” said Herbie.
“Sure I do. There’s one just the next yard over.”
“Really?” said Tux hopefully, getting up.
“Huh,” said Herbie. “This I want to see.”
Not a patch.
Chapter 2.
I led the way through the broken fence board to our neighbor’s garden. It was a collection of wooden frames with different types of vegetables growing in them.
I gestured grandly with my paw. “Behold,” I said.
Herbie and Tux looked at me blankly.
“This is not a pumpkin patch,” said Herbie finally.
“Sure it is,” I said. “Look at all the pumpkins.”
I gestured grandly again.
“These aren’t pumpkins,” said Herbie. “These are tomatoes. Do you even know what a pumpkin is?”
“Of course I know.” Or I thought I did. I never really paid attention. “Aren’t they just round vegetables?”
“Technically they’re fruit,” corrected Herbie.
“Pumpkins are orange. Tomatoes are red,” added Tux.
“What’s the difference?” I said. I tried to think of what the color orange looked like.
“Um,” said Tux. “YOU are orange.”
I looked down at my fur. He was right.
“Well,” I said. “They’re both round.”
“It’s not the same,” said Tux.
“I know who we can ask,” said Herbie.
I led the way through the broken fence board to our neighbor’s garden. It was a collection of wooden frames with different types of vegetables growing in them.
I gestured grandly with my paw. “Behold,” I said.
Herbie and Tux looked at me blankly.
“This is not a pumpkin patch,” said Herbie finally.
“Sure it is,” I said. “Look at all the pumpkins.”
I gestured grandly again.
“These aren’t pumpkins,” said Herbie. “These are tomatoes. Do you even know what a pumpkin is?”
“Of course I know.” Or I thought I did. I never really paid attention. “Aren’t they just round vegetables?”
“Technically they’re fruit,” corrected Herbie.
“Pumpkins are orange. Tomatoes are red,” added Tux.
“What’s the difference?” I said. I tried to think of what the color orange looked like.
“Um,” said Tux. “YOU are orange.”
I looked down at my fur. He was right.
“Well,” I said. “They’re both round.”
“It’s not the same,” said Tux.
“I know who we can ask,” said Herbie.
Grounding.
Chapter 3.
We found Messy in her usual spot, in the shade under the giant Magnolia tree.
In the dirt.
“Why is Messy always in the dirt?” whispered Tux.
“She calls it Grounding,” whispered Herbie back.
“Grounding?”
“Yes,” said Herbie. “She says it’s a therapeutic technique that reconnects her to the earth. Something about electrical charges. She says it lowers her stress.”
We came up to Messy. She was on her side, bits of leaves and soil clinging to her fur.
“Messy,” I said quietly.
She didn’t move.
“Messy,” I said again, a little louder. One eye blinked open.
“What,” she said.
“Do you know where a pumpkin patch is?”
She closed her eye.
We waited.
“Messy,” I said.
She opened her eye again.
“You’re still here,” she said.
“Do you know about any pumpkin patches?” Herbie asked.
“Pumpkins are orange,” I added helpfully.
She hissed and sat up. A spider web was draped across her whiskers. I shuddered.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Tux wants to experience Fall,” I said. “He can’t unless we go to one.”
“Although it’s really due to the angle of the sun,” added Herbie.
“It’s symbolic,” emphasized Tux.
She sighed and turned around. She lay down again, facing the other direction.
“End of the street,” she said.
“Thank you!” said Tux.
“Enjoy your Grounding,” I said.
She did not reply.
We found Messy in her usual spot, in the shade under the giant Magnolia tree.
In the dirt.
“Why is Messy always in the dirt?” whispered Tux.
“She calls it Grounding,” whispered Herbie back.
“Grounding?”
“Yes,” said Herbie. “She says it’s a therapeutic technique that reconnects her to the earth. Something about electrical charges. She says it lowers her stress.”
We came up to Messy. She was on her side, bits of leaves and soil clinging to her fur.
“Messy,” I said quietly.
She didn’t move.
“Messy,” I said again, a little louder. One eye blinked open.
“What,” she said.
“Do you know where a pumpkin patch is?”
She closed her eye.
We waited.
“Messy,” I said.
She opened her eye again.
“You’re still here,” she said.
“Do you know about any pumpkin patches?” Herbie asked.
“Pumpkins are orange,” I added helpfully.
She hissed and sat up. A spider web was draped across her whiskers. I shuddered.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Tux wants to experience Fall,” I said. “He can’t unless we go to one.”
“Although it’s really due to the angle of the sun,” added Herbie.
“It’s symbolic,” emphasized Tux.
She sighed and turned around. She lay down again, facing the other direction.
“End of the street,” she said.
“Thank you!” said Tux.
“Enjoy your Grounding,” I said.
She did not reply.
Tux in the pumpkin patch.
Chapter 4.
We followed Messy’s instructions to the end of the street. I was skeptical. I’d been here before. It was just a big field.
But this time it was different. Now the field had been transformed. It was full of big green leaves and winding vines.
And then we saw them.
Large, round, and very, very orange.
Finally. A true patch of pumpkins.
Tux was right. It did feel symbolic.
“Come on!” Tux shouted. “Let’s go!” He raced off, bounding into the leaves, his black and white fur appearing and disappearing into the green.
I sat down just to take it all in. Herbie sat down next to me.
“Maybe Tux is right,” I said. “It DOES feel more like Fall now.”
Herbie licked his paw. “It definitely has a different feel than the tomatoes,” he added.
We followed Messy’s instructions to the end of the street. I was skeptical. I’d been here before. It was just a big field.
But this time it was different. Now the field had been transformed. It was full of big green leaves and winding vines.
And then we saw them.
Large, round, and very, very orange.
Finally. A true patch of pumpkins.
Tux was right. It did feel symbolic.
“Come on!” Tux shouted. “Let’s go!” He raced off, bounding into the leaves, his black and white fur appearing and disappearing into the green.
I sat down just to take it all in. Herbie sat down next to me.
“Maybe Tux is right,” I said. “It DOES feel more like Fall now.”
Herbie licked his paw. “It definitely has a different feel than the tomatoes,” he added.
Copyright MaryRose Lovgren 2024