October 10: An A-Maize-ing Fall Day

Breathing in the crisp fall air and gazing at the 12-foot corn stalks lining the soft path of wood shavings at my feet, I passed under a welcome banner wishing me good luck as I entered the eight acre Maize at the Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island, thinking it was good I had plenty of water and snacks should it take me longer than I anticipated to emerge from the labyrinth.

With the sun warming my back and a beautiful cloud – dotted blue sky above, I took in the scent of the fresh moist shavings on the path, felt the firm texture of the vibrant green stalks laden with ears of corn arching over me, and listened to the delightful laughter of young children scampering about.

Having just had surgery on my leg nine days ago, I was especially thrilled to be mobile enough to walk the thirty-to-forty-minute course on both feet and in such ideal weather conditions.

Taking the time to read some of the amusing riddles (“cornundrums”) posted along the way, I passed all ten checkpoints on this year’s path, created to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States and featuring a design inspired by George Washington’s historic crossing of the Delaware River.

Passing over two 16-foot bridges with beautiful views of the surrounding farmlands in this agricultural area nestled between the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, I followed the sound of music back to the starting point.

Not wanting to leave without experiencing more of what the farm had to offer, I hopped aboard a hay wagon to be pulled by tractor along a bumpy dirt road to the 25-acre u-pick patch just a few minutes away.

Hopping off the flatbed trailer and wandering across the fields, I wound my way through hundreds of pumpkins in every possible size, shape and color. Still attached to massive thick stems and strewn about in all directions, the orange and green fall fruit beckoned to all. What an a-maize-ing day!