Is Outdoor Furniture in Your Future?

Spring calls all of us outdoors, and nothing is better than a beautiful, calm evening in the presence of Mother Nature. If you find yourself pondering a new look or additions to your outdoor environment, maybe Papa's timber furniture is worth a look.

You might remember it under the porch of the big red barn last fall at Papa's Pumpkin Patch. Many a guest "sat a spell" while the family romped through the pumpkins or bounded on the bale mazes. We also placed some pieces out in the yard for families to catch up with friends in the peaceful country setting.

Whatever your need, rest assured the various pieces are built to endure North Dakota seasons and heavy use. Ours still look great after several thousand "sittings."

If you're interested in learning more, post a comment for Cory (our resident builder) or send a direct message to him on this page.

Enjoy the Spring,

Papa

Join Papa's in Cooking Up New Ideas for 2010

Papa's Pumpkin Patch has been closed four months now, and Papa's Polar Patch ended its third successful season two weeks ago on President's Day. Technically, we'd be in the "off season" for both attractions, except this is when the ideas really start to cook. This year, we invite you into the kitchen to "cook" up new ideas for the future with us!

Through March 31, we're looking for your best ideas in 2 areas:

1. New attractions or activities that focus on families, education or fun at Papa's Pumpkin Patch; or
2. New services or additions that would improve your experience at Papa's Pumpkin Patch.

Post your idea(s) for new attractions or new services to the Papa's Facebook fan page. At the end of the month, we'll review all of the suggestions and choose those we see with the greatest potential for success given our current operations. (We might contact you to better understand your idea.) Then, we'll post our favorites and ask fans of Papa's to comment on the final list of ideas. Now here's the good part:

If we include your idea in the 2010 Papa's Pumpkin Patch season, you receive a FREE season pass to the pumpkin patch and the polar patch!

So start cookin' up your ideas. Post them to the Papa's fan page, and we'll comment along the way so you have a sense for the values we use when we cook up ideas for the future.

Bon Appetit!

Papa

Happy Holidays from Papa!

Hello! During this holiday season, the family at Papa's Pumpkin Patch is truly grateful for the friends we've made over the years. Please click on the link to our Holiday Message to you.

We look forward to seeing you at Papa's Polar Patch. We open Saturday, Dec. 26, at noon!

My best to you,

Papa

3 Weeks and Counting...

Three weeks from today, Papa's Polar Patch plans to open for its third season on Dec. 26. I say "plans" because, of course, it's North Dakota and everything is subject to weather. As a matter of fact, you might want to keep your eye on Papa's web site (www.papaspolarpatch.com) -- if the weather is in our favor, we might even do a sneak preview and open early!

What can you expect in 2009? Well, fun for families for sure! It's what we do best at Papa's and this year will be no different. The tarps for the ice skating rink arrived yesterday, so we plan to start filling it this week. The Snow Caves are under construction. Until this past week, we were calling them Hay Caves - it seemed more appropriate without snow. We'll have horse-drawn sleigh rides and Mrs. P has made up some really warm-looking blankets to snuggle under for the ride.

Yes, there will be bale mazes and slides and the gi-normous snowmen (and women), and uh huh, we're planning "fast and furious" or "extended play" routes for you thrill seekers on the old-fashioned sled rides!

Three weeks and counting. Don't know about you, but I'm getting excited.

See you soon,

Papa

It's nearly 60 degrees on Nov. 21

It's November 21st. I'm sitting on my porch looking over a lawn that is more green than brown. There are still birds singing, and I left the door to the house open because it's nearly 60 degrees. In November! In North Dakota!

Now I grew up in North Dakota and I know as well as the next guy that 60 degrees today can easily be followed by a blizzard this week. We plan to open Papa's Polar Patch five weeks from today. We're not worried about how to host a polar patch without snow, but we have had conversations about how fast sleds will move over grass and stubble compared to a couple of feet of the white stuff

Talk about ironies. We wore snow boots and insulated pants one weekend during Papa's Pumpkin Patch in October, and with the way things look today, we won't need a warming house -- we'll need t-shirts and cold beverages for Papa's Polar Patch next month.

When it starts getting dark at 5 pm, my body says the air is supposed to be crisp and clear, and I should see my breath when I'm outside. Hot chocolate should sound way better than iced tea, and getting ready to go out should be a five-minute process involving several layers, instead of opening the door and well, going out.

Yep, I'm confused. It's November 21st at 4:31 pm. The sun is setting and we're about to go out for a walk without a coat, hat or gloves. Well, all right then.

See you soon,

Papa

Nothing Is Ever Lost When It's Given Away

A wise friend and faithful Papa's volunteer said something simple and profound to me this week. "Nothing is ever lost when it's given away."

We were talking about the end of the pumpkin season and the few hundred pumpkins still sitting at Papa's Pumpkin Patch. He'd stopped by to pick up a few more pumpkins for his grandkids to carve this weekend when they were over for a visit.

By the time he was ready to leave, we'd loaded his truck with squash, gourds AND pumpkins. You see, he was going to have a few more pumpkins for his grandkids, as well as harvest displays for his community, and pumpkins for the nursing home, school and maybe even a few neighbors.

We'd talked it through and it was important to me that Papa's say "thanks" for the countless hours he and his wife had given during the pumpkin season. It was meaningful to him that he be able to share "his harvest" with those most special -- his family and his community (he lives in a small town outside Bismarck).

Getting ready to leave, he made his simple, yet profound statement: "Nothing is ever lost when it's given away." I'd been down on myself about mis-calculating the number of pumpkins we needed this year. My friend reminded me the number of pumpkins was accurate; I'd just mis-calculated the way in which they'd be used.

Thank you for another wonderful season at Papa's Pumpkin Patch! If you were unable to get your annual visit in due to the weather, or if you know someone special you'd like to gift with a pumpkin from Papa's, stop by this Thursday or Friday, Oct. 29-30, from 4-6 pm, or on Halloween from 10 am- 2 pm. And remember: nothing is ever lost when it's given away.

See you soon,

Papa

Rain, rain go away...

It's been a strange fall. September weather was more like July, and October seems more like November. Personally, I'd go for a few weeks of fall before we jump into preparations for Papa's Polar Patch!

On behalf of the patch family, I'd like to say thank you for your patience with the weather and with us these past two weeks. Part of the beauty of living in the country is gravel roads for driveways and mowed hay fields for parking lots. The balance to that is when it rains, it gets sloppy.

We know we disappoint your little people when their excitement builds on the drive to Papa's Pumpkin Patch, only to have a "Sorry We're Closed" sign at the end of the driveway. If we hadn't pulled so many once-clean vehicles out of knee-deep ruts over the years, we'd gladly welcome you in our rain slickers.

Time has taught us to think better of this and so we ask for your patience. The weekend forecast sounds like two, back-to-back beautiful fall days, and if the clouds hold back tomorrow, we should all be ready to celebrate the season.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Papa