Place: Allure of Tanaka farm...........

In my view, Tanaka Farm, Irvine is a must-visit pace for Orange county denizens.......why?
It has strawberry patch, watermelons patch, pumpkin patch, maize mazes, hayrides, scarecrows, petting zoo, vegetable and fruits.....among may other fun stuffs......

STRAWBERRY FIELD........

Walking through a strawberry field, sniffing the luscious aroma and feasting eyes and tongue on the red, succulent fruits makes the stuff of a cherished dream, isn't it?  Today, a visit to the Tanaka farm for strawberry tour materialized the desire. The rows of  dark green strawberry bushes heavy with bloodshot red fruits stretched all around us. As I navigated through the field without any restraint, enjoying the delicate white flowers, plucking the sweet-tart fruits, occasionally popping in mouth, savoring the yummy juicy pulp, clicking photographs of the bounty, watching people in  picnic mood hanging around, it was sheer delight, may be ecstasy...

Strawberry harvest season is here again....memories of year gone by...pleasant walk along the rows of bountiful plants..

PUMPKIN PATCH.......

Visiting pumpkin patch may be annual ritual during the Halloween-Thanksgiving time, for the US denizens, but for an Indian recently moved in to this country, it was the maiden experience. Naturally, I was awed with pleasant surprise, when I visited the Tanaka's pumpkin patch in Orange County. The rows of ripe, brilliant orange sugar pumpkins harvested and laid on the field,  filled me with immense joy. 

I clicked pictures and went clicking further, not being satisfied with what I captured. It was a fun day in this beautiful farm, amidst the vibrant colors and cheerful folks. At any cost, I am not going to miss the next annual exhibit.

Thousands of orange-hued sugar pumpkins of myriad shape and size are displayed in ..

Piles of ornamental gourds with fall colors... incredible shapes, hues, textures and patterns.....

Labyrinth of corns...

A walk through the corn maze ...A treasured memory of  fabulous autumn.

For two consecutive years......

Scarecrows........

Irrespective of any season, a visit to Tanaka farm means getting to see a lots of scrawny and stylish scarecrows, funny cardboard cutouts, stacks of hay bales and wagon rides. That translates to an exciting, fun-overloaded, mirthful day in a pastoral setting...

It was a date with scrawny scarecrows in the pumpkin field .. I have no idea, whether these life-size guys in tattered clothes were effective in  driving away birds or not, but they certainly did amuse the visitors, I am no exception. In fact, it was my  first interaction with any scarecrow, otherwise, I had seen them only from far. It was fun day with these funny straw-men. I learned that stitching a scarecrow is not difficult for someone with little bit of craft-hand and innovative mind. Some burlap bags, discarded tee shirt and  a pair faded jeans, old hat, some hay for filler are the only materials required. Now that I have reasonable craftsmanship in me...if only, I had a crop field to put guards in!!! Check out the shabby, unkempt yet comical, adorable guys..........

Wagon ride.....

Straw bales for kids to climb..who cares if you fall?

Hayride giving a tour of vegetable patch..........

A visitor's delight..isn't it??