WE WERE OFF AND RUNNING!!

WE HAD SALES PROJECTIONS  FOR EVERY DAY AND THAT IS HOW WE WOULD SCHEDULE OUR EMPLOYEES. ON FRIDAY, WE WERE "PROJECTED" TO SELL 7 TREES, WE SOLD 30. THIS FAMILY CAME IN FRIDAY, FULL OF CHRISTMAS SPIRIT!

ON SATURDAY WE WERE "PROJECTED" TO SELL 10, WE SOLD 31, AND ON SUNDAY "PROJECTED" TO SELL 14, SOLD 30. WE HAD NOT SCHEDULED ENOUGH HELP AND DARRELL WAS LIFTING AND LOADING TREES ALL WEEKEND. WE HEARD ON THE NEWS A STORM WAS COMING........HEAVY RAINS EXPECTED. IT STARTED RAINING DURING THE NIGHT MONDAY AND BY THE TIME WE GOT OUT TO THE TENT EVERYTHING WAS FLOODED!

DARRELL STARTED DIGGING DITCHES TO DIVERT THE WATER.

THIS DITCH THAT SEPARATES US FROM CENTRAL PARK  HAS BEEN DRY EVER SINCE WE GOT HERE, TODAY IT IS A RAGING RIVER!

IT RAINED HARD ALL DAY, WE SOLD THREE TREES, CLOSED AT 6:00.

IT RAINED ALL NIGHT AND MOST OF THE NEXT DAY.  SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WAS HAVING RECORD RAINS! IT WAS A MUCH NEEDED RAIN, THEY HAVE BEEN IN A DROUGHT FOR YEARS!! I HEARD ON THE NEWS SAN FRANCISCO HAD MORE RAIN ON SUNDAY THAN THEY HAD FOR THE WHOLE YEAR IN 2013!

WE HAD JUST SURVIVED WHAT WOULD BE OUR FIRST STORM OF THE SEASON!

OPENING AND THANKSGIVING

SO WE OPENED FOR BUSINESS ON MONDAY,  NOVEMBER 24, FROM 10:00 TO 7:00. WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR FULL CREW HIRED, BUT WE HAD A COUPLE OF THE GUYS COME IN TO SET TREES MONDAY MORNING.

LEWIS WAS A ROOKIE, BUT HE LEARNED FAST, JONATHON HAD WORKED HERE FOR A COUPLE OF SEASONS. DARRELL  HELPED THE GUYS GET THE TREES SET.

HE  WAS ALSO HELPING ME FINISH DECORATING THE CASHIER'S BOX.

 I THOUGHT IT TURNED OUT PRETTY GOOD!

BEFORE LONG, WE HAD A TENT FULL OF TREES!

WE WERE GRATEFUL DOUG'S CREW HAD SET UP THE LARGE TREES OUTSIDE!

WE HAD A FEW "LOOKERS" ON MONDAY, BUT DIDN'T SELL OUR FIRST TREE UNTIL WEDNESDAY.  DOUG HAD PRE-SOLD 170 WREATHS THAT WERE PICKED UP THAT DAY. IT WAS A REALLY GOOD DAY IN SALES! WE ALSO HAD A PASTOR LOOKING FOR ELEVEN TREES TO PURCHASE FOR HIS CHURCH. HE WANTED EIGHT OF THOSE TREES FLOCKED, TWO OF THOSE WERE 13'-14' TREES. HE WAS CHECKING OUT ALL  BENNETT'S LOTS BEFORE HE MADE HIS DECISION. HE ALSO  WANTED THEM DELIVERED SATURDAY MORNING.   HE SAID HE WOULD LET US KNOW IF HE WANTED THE ONES HE HAD TENTATIVELY  PICKED OUT BY CLOSING TIME ON WEDNESDAY. WE NEVER HEARD FROM HIM, WE WERE KIND OF RELIEVED, WE WOULD HAVE  TO  WORK  THANKSGIVING DAY TO GET THOSE TREES FLOCKED FOR HIM.  I COOKED A TURKEY WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS ON THANKSGIVING DAY. DOUG CALLED SAYING THE PASTOR HAD CALLED HIM AND HE WANTED THE TREES AFTER ALL, GUESS  DARRELL WOULD BE FLOCKING TREES AFTER THANKSGIVING DINNER!

SO, AFTER DINNER, DARRELL STARTED IN FLOCKING TREES!

WE HAD A SEPARATE TENT FOR FLOCKING, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE NEVER HAD IN SAN ANTONIO, MADE OUR JOB EASIER! THIS BIG ONE HAD TO BE FLOCKED OUTSIDE, BUT IT DRIED QUICKLY. IT WAS 80 DEGREES THANKSGIVING DAY, WE WERE AIR CONDITIONING. 

WHILE DARRELL WAS OUT FLOCKING, A FAMILY STOPPED AND BOUGHT A CHRISTMAS TREE!

A LITTLE R & R, GETTING READY TO OPEN .................. OPENING

WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO A FEW WEEKS OFF. WE NEEDED TO CATCH UP ON HOUSEWORK, WASHING, SHOPPING  AND  SPENDING TIME WITH MAGGIE AND MARLEE. I HAD SAVED  SOME PUMPKINS FOR MYSELF, SO I COULD HAVE A FALL DISPLAY.

WE SPENT THE WEEK CATCHING UP, I  TOOK MAGGIE OVER TO THE PARK  WHERE WE COULD  PLAY  BALL IN THE BEAUTIFUL GRASS! SHE LOVED ROLLING IN THE GRASS!

   SOME OF THE TREES IN THE PARK WERE CHANGING TO THE COLORS OF FALL.

EVEN THOUGH WE WERE CLOSED, WE STILL HAD FOLKS STOPPING TO BUY PUMPKINS!  AFTER DOUG'S CREW CAME TO CLEAN UP, THESE WERE ALL THE PUMPKINS WE HAD LEFT!

AND THEN WHEN THESE WERE GONE, WE HAD FOLKS STOPPING WANTING TO BUY MY PUMPKIN DISPLAY PUMPKINS!!!
WE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS' FARMERS MARKET HELD ON SUNDAY MORNINGS, SO WE HEADED OVER TO CHECK IT OUT.

IT WAS THE LARGEST FARMERS MARKET WE HAD BEEN TO IN A LONG TIME...AND THEY HAD LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES!

WE BOUGHT STRAWBERRIES, GRAPES, ORANGES, TANGERINES, A POMEGRANITE, AND ASPARAGUS. IT WAS ALL DELICIOUS.....WE KNEW WE WOULD BE COMING BACK HERE! WE STARTED WORKING IN THE CASHIER'S BOX, CLEANING AND GETTING OUT THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. ON THE 19TH OF NOVEMBER,  THEY BROUGHT US 31 CHRISTMAS TREES, 28 SILVERTIPS, AND  THREE 13'- 14'  NOBLE FIR. DARRELL SET UP THE SILVERTIPS.

  LATER ON THAT DAY THEY BROUGHT US 30 MORE NOBLES. ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, THE CHRISTMAS TREE TRAINING  MEETING WAS HELD AT OUR LOCATION, ALL THE MANAGERS ATTENDED. DEIDRA DID REGISTER TRAINING AND THEY GAVE A DEMONSTRATION ON TREE FLOCKING. DURING THE REGISTER TRAINING I NOTICED WHAT WAS PRINTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE  RECEIPT. I WAS PROUD TO BE WORKING FOR A COMPANY THAT KNEW WHAT CHRISTMAS WAS ALL ABOUT AND NOT AFRAID TO PROCLAIM IT!

 THEY SERVED US LUNCH, IT WAS VERY GOOD, AND WE FOUND OUT, WE ARE OPENING TOMORROW, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29.  OUR HOURS WILL BE 10:00 TO 7:00 UNTIL FRIDAY, WHEN WE WILL BE OPEN 9:00 TO 10:00. WE DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING DONE WE HAD PLANNED, BUT WHEN DUTY CALLS.......

PUMPKIN PATCH

WE OPENED WITH 1,412 BEAUTIFUL PUMPKINS! WE HAD A NICE VARIETY OF PUMPKINS, CORN STALKS, ALL KINDS OF MERCHANDISE TO PAINT, CARVE, DECORATE PUMPKINS!

DARRELL AND I WILL BE RUNNING THE LOT BY OURSELVES.

AT FIRST THE WEEKDAYS WERE PRETTY SLOW, WE HAD A FEW KIDS ON THE BOUNCIES DURING THE DAY. IT WAS PRETTY WARM, SOMETIMES THE BOUNCIES AND SLIDES WERE TOO HOT FOR THE KIDS TO GET ON. WE WOULD GET BUSIER IN THE EVENINGS WHEN IT WOULD COOL OFF.

WE HAD PROBLEMS RIGHT AWAY WITH ADULTS WANTING TO GET ON THE BOUNCIES AND BIG SLIDE. WE PUT SIGNS UP EVERYWHERE, BUT WE WOULD LOOK OUT AND THERE WOULD BE AN ADULT GOING UP THE BIG SLIDE WITH A CHILD. DARRELL WAS THE "SLIDE POLICE".  IT WAS VERY STRESSFUL, BECAUSE LAST YEAR AT THIS LOCATION AN ADULT PUT A CHILD BETWEEN HIS LEGS AND WENT DOWN THE SLIDE AND THE CHILD BROKE HER/HIS LEG.
I STARTED DECORATING PUMPKINS RIGHT AWAY....I HAD ALL THESE IDEAS I WANTED TO TRY OUT!

I THOUGHT FOLKS WOULD REALLY LIKE THE ALPHABET PUMPKINS, BUT SALES WERE PRETTY SLOW. SO, THEN  I TRIED THE FOOTBALL PUMPKINS, EVERYONE REALLY LIKED THEM, BUT ONLY SOLD A FEW. THE KIDS KNOCKED MORE OFF THE TABLE THAN I SOLD!

I MADE "BLACK CAT PUMPKINS"! THE KIDS WOULD WALK OVER AND TEAR THE WHISKERS OFF OR KNOCK THEM OFF THE TABLE!

I FINALLY REALIZED THIS PUMPKIN LOT WASN'T  THE RIGHT LOT TO BE MAKING "CRAFTY PUMPKINS". SO, DARRELL STARTED PAINTING THEM......THE KIDS LOVED THEM!! THEIR FAVORITE WERE  THE GOLD ONES!

OF COURSE WE CARVED PUMPKINS TOO!

WE SOLD A LOT OF THE PUMPKIN TEETH!

THIS LOT WAS SO MUCH BUSIER THAN THE LOT WE RAN FOR BENNETTS' LAST YEAR! ON THE WEEKENDS WE WOULD SELL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PUMPKINS!

AS IT GOT CLOSER TO HALLOWEEN OUR CUSTOMERS WOULD COME TO THE PUMPKIN LOT DRESSED IN COSTUME!

HALLOWEEN IS A HUGE EVENT IN SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA! WE HAD CUSTOMERS COMING IN TO BUY PUMPKINS TO  TAKE TO  THEIR  PUMPKIN CARVING PARTIES.  THIS POPCORN MACHINE WAS POPPING FULL BLAST MOST OF THE TIME!

ON HALLOWEEN DAY, DOUG CALLED AND  INVITED US TO A BARBECUE AT HIS HOUSE AT 5:00.  HE SAID WE COULD CLOSE AT 4:00. WE THANKED HIM BUT SAID  WE WERE  TOO TIRED.  WE FINALLY CLOSED AT  6:00 AND WENT TO OLIVE GARDEN AND HAD A NICE DINNER, CAME HOME AND SAT IN OUR RECLINERS AND HELD MAGGIE AND  MARLEE.   WE  WERE OPEN UNTIL SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2,  WE CLOSED  AT 5:00. WE SOLD $32,000 IN PUMPKINS, INSTEAD OF THE 3RD BEST PUMPKIN LOT, THIS YEAR WE WERE THE SECOND BEST PUMPKIN LOT!

27000 BOUQUET CANYON

SAUGUS, CALIFORNIA WAS ONLY A FEW HOURS DRIVE FROM PALM SPRINGS, WE WERE SORRY TO LEAVE EMERALD DESERT RV PARK,  BUT IT WAS TIME TO GET TO WORK. WE  LEFT A LITTLE LATER IN THE MORNING  HOPING TO MISS SOME OF THE LOS ANGELES TRAFFIC. WE DIDN'T MISS IT....IT WAS JUST  AS BAD AS I REMEMBERED!

WE EVEN CAME TO A STANDSTILL FOR A WHILE.

I WAS SO GLAD TO SEE THE TURNOFF FOR NEWHALL  AVENUE!! WE WERE ALMOST THERE!

WE FOUND  RAILROAD STREET THAT TURNED INTO BOUQUET CANYON....

 AND THEN WE SAW THE ORANGE TENT!

WE HAD ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION!

 DOUG AND GREG WERE THERE WORKING, SO WE GOT TO CHECK IN WITH THEM. DOUG SAID THAT THIS WOULD BE A BUSY LOT, IT IS HIS 3RD BEST PUMPKIN LOT.

GREG HELPED DARRELL GET THE RV IN IT'S SPOT.

WE SLEPT GOOD, IT IS QUIET HERE. WE GOT UP AND STARTED WORKING.....SCRUBBED CASH WRAP FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.
THE NEXT DAY GREG AND CREW BROUGHT THE BOUNCIE AND BIG SLIDE.

THESE ARE BOTH BRAND NEW! OF COURSE, WE HAD TO TRY THEM OUT!!

DARRELL WENT DOWN THE BIG SLIDE....

BUT IT WAS TOO HIGH FOR ME....I DID GO  DOWN THE SMALLER SLIDE!!

ON SATURDAY MORNING I WALKED IN CENTRAL PARK, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE PUMPKIN LOT.

I AM STANDING IN CENTRAL PARK TAKING THIS PICTURE.....THIS IS HOW CLOSE IT IS.  WE GOT OUR BIG MACS TODAY!

ON SUNDAY MORNING THEY BROUGHT OUR PUMPKINS AND WE OPENED FOR BUSINESS!