Arms Up Photography: Apples, Pigs and Pumpkins (and a bit of fellow photographer stuff)

Yesterday I blogged prior to heading out to Eckerts Farm, and I gotta tell you, the trip was not disappointing at all. I had a blast and I think 2 out of 3 boys did too (it's not really Jeremy's thing, but I think he had fun anyway).

We rode all the rides, Max rode the ponies - he LOVES horses - and both boys rode the camel. I always feel terrible for those poor animals but hope upon hope that they can somehow understand the joy that they bring to the people that get to ride them, that would otherwise maybe never get an opportunity to see such animals, and that it somehow makes their life happy and satisfying.

We also enjoyed the pig races and Kadin, me and Max all had the opportunity to participate. There were three races in the show, four pigs per race. During each race, they called volunteers down from the audience to root for one of the pigs. Kadin got picked for the first race, and Max and I were chosen for the third race. Our pig was Team USA and the adorable little thing WON! So we all won pooping pig keychains. This is not a joke. We seriously did. Here they are - click me.

The boys weren't really into the corn maze, even though Kadin talked about going through one all day. They both really liked the 'fun house', though, which was all about crazy Uncle Aubrey's farm equipment modifications. Cheese, I tell you. At first they were both scared, but we ended up going through the thing 3 times, so I chalked it up as a hit. We also picked gold rush apples, which was high on Max's 'favorite activity' list I'd say. Kadin ....well, I think he *sort of* enjoyed the apple picking. Mostly I think he was freaked out by all the smooshed and rotting apples on the ground, the bugs, the bees...you know, nature. That's his personality. He would have rather been doing other things but he trooped along with us and tried. You gotta love the boy for that.

We skipped the pumpkin patch because they had been kicked in or otherwise damaged for the most part. Max told me that was sad and I agreed, and he decided we could get nice pumpkins at the store. Kadin made me take a picture of him taking a huge bite of an apple and thought that was just the funniest thing ever.

One thing that we encountered on the wagon ride down to pick apples was a couple of other wedding photographers sitting to my right. One was talking about what a drama queen her bride was, and how the party was so huge and the lighting was so bad because the wedding was outdoors during the afternoon, and how the pictures wouldn't turn out because the wedding party was so huge and blah blah blah...she used the Bride's name and the location of the wedding, and I just kept wondering - what if I had been a family member or a friend? She didn't know who was on that wagon ride. Jeremy and I couldn't believe her behavior and how she was speaking about one of her clients, and it made me really sad. That Bride put trust in her - what if she actually had been sitting next to one of the Bride's friends or relatives, and that banter made it's way back to the Bride? I can only imagine how I would feel if it were me.

A good reminder to us photographers to watch our thoughts, because they become our words; and to watch our words, because they become our actions and behaviors.

Now - check out how freaking cute my boys are!