In the arts based early education program, seasons are marked by spontaneous encounters with nature as well as highly anticipated organized outings. Our annual trip to Pendleton’s Country Market is a little bit of both! In the past, littles, families and teachers enjoyed picking pumpkins, diving in corn, as well as the occasional unexpected delight like a butterfly landing on one’s nose. This autumn was a little different and extra meaningful as the Pendleton farm was devastated by last spring’s tornado, and they still welcomed the community with open arms. Despite the damage to this year’s patch, they strategically placed pie pumpkins (in a green bean field) for little hands to ‘pick.’ The young explorers enjoyed finding just the right gourd to bring home for the season, going on an extra tractor ride and eating snacks at the farm. We are so appreciative of the special effort made by our friends and can’t wait to see what exciting experiences await us next year!
