Nuturing Nature ▌Cochise County Photographer, Arizona

Autumn in the great state of Arizona is, well, different from my upbringing in the North Eastern United States. I LOVE the smell of damp leaves, the changing colors of maple trees, frequent rains, soccer cleats caked with mud, crisp and cold Halloweens that require the use of long-underwear with one's costume. I love fall so much I will go to great lengths to replicate the experiences for my little Boy and Babe. And so began our journey out to Apple Annie's, a family run farm in Wilcox, Arizona, an hour and a half from our home. We visited this farm in the end of August for our first try at peach picking, an experience that left us sunburned and sweaty and slightly worse for wear. After hearing from dozens of parents at pre-school about how great the pumpkin patch was, we decided to give it another go. We were sure to leave early this morning in attempt to beat the heat,the forecast said low 90's. To our relief, the heat was non-existent; it was extinguished by the 20mph winds tearing across the dust bowl that hosts Apple Annie's! The hay ride was fun and the pumpkins were actually still in the field, just like back east! I just wish the blowing dirt hadn't made it the 100yard dash it turned out to be. The kiddos were smitten with the abundant crop, but soured by the constant dust blowing in their faces, so back to the barn we went, quickly! To my relief, the morning had more in store- an over sized galvanized tub filled with corn in which to crawl, bury, and romp. Mommy got a few minutes of peace among the most beautiful field of sunflowers too. We left with: two happily exhausted children, a half gallon of apple cider, fresh from the press, and a homemade pecan pie (one dessert I never bake myself... the "pumpkin" in-utero insisted we get one!) Not too many pictures from the day, too much dust and the severely blinding Arizona sunshine, but a day well spent. (If you consider going yourself, they do have the largest corn maze the state has to offer. But if you've ever tried to navigate a corn maze with children under age 3 you know exactly why we skipped that part...) Here are my favorites from the day, including a Praying Mantis we found in my mums while we did some afternoon yard work.