I’ve used photography as a way to try and entice people out onto their bikes before, and I’m going to do it again.
We have a week of fantastic sunshine forecast for Richmond, so what better time to get out than this coming week and weekend?
The biggest reason to get your camera out has to be pumpkins. Along with Christmas lights, I’d say pumpkins are on of the most recognizable things any time of year in North America, and just as photogenic as the aforementioned lights.
This past weekend, every time I rode by the pumpkin patch on Finn Road I saw people with their bikes there. I doubt they were there to actually buy pumpkins since that could be pretty difficult with a bike, but still, they had the right idea. The sunshine, along with the slight chill in the air is perfect. You won’t get too hot, and you won’t get too cold.
Growing up in Richmond I can remember all the pumpkin patches, the ones where you could actually walk through the field after parking on the road or an easily accessible gravel or dirt parking lot and purchase them from a person at a table, or just standing around helping people.
And not too many years ago, I would take my daughter, every year to the pumpkin patches. We would take lots of photos of her out there, pick up a pumpkin and get ready for Halloween.
Getting a pumpkin always makes Halloween feel official to me. And that brings me to the next part. You see, if you haven’t noticed, the amount of pumpkin patches in Richmond that you can actually ride or walk right into has dwindled considerably.
Even last year’s big one, again on Finn road, is smaller this time.
I remember riding by it every day last Fall, and after Halloween the amount of pumpkins left was staggering. Then, for a couple days after that you would see workers with machetes out there, destroying the pumpkins (I hope they keep the seeds!)
We need to get out there, and get some memories with our cameras while we can. Ride your bike, make an afternoon of it in the sun and visit one of the local shops for a hot drink while you’re at it.
Then, make sure you go back and get yourself a pumpkin from that field if you haven’t already. My absolute favourite photos of my daughter are all the yearly pumpkin patch photos we have over the years. Only one of those locations is left.
I’d hate to one day ride my bike around Richmond and have nowhere to get photos of pumpkins to share with friends and family.
