Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 57897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
The community needed to know I was part of the same family that had run it when they knew and loved it and that I was going to do everything I could to make it just as wonderful and even better than it had ever been. I used the interviews to talk about Maisie and her sisters and the incredible legacy they left me, then to tell everybody everything Jason and I had planned for the future of the farm. They published the articles with pictures of the farm the way it was years ago and then me in front of the gates now.
After those interviews, we moved into radio and then finally the TV commercials. It was a whirlwind, and there were times when I felt like maybe it was too much, but I couldn’t deny people were getting excited. We’d planned a big celebration for the opening day, and I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to turn out. As much as I heard people talking about it and saying they were really looking forward to the farm being open again, there was still a little voice in the back of my mind saying it might not work, that people might not come.
I tried not to let my nerves get the best of me and instead focused on all the preparations that needed to be done before the gates opened. Having Jason around made everything better. He comforted me when I was getting anxious and found ways every day to make me laugh. He helped me make decisions and encouraged my ideas. At the end of the long days, we ate together and sank into bed, happy in each other’s arms.
When opening day finally came along, he and I rode in a little cart down to the front gates from the house, ready to see everything we’d put into the farm come to fruition. As we got closer, I immediately saw I had nothing to worry about. Any concerns I had about people not wanting to come to the farm were totally dissolved by the long line of cars starting at the gate and meandering down the road. I looked over at Jason, and he grinned at me.
“Are you ready for a busy day?” he asked.
I nodded, letting out a sound of disbelief because I couldn’t find any words. This was beyond incredible.
We parked the cart off to the side so it wouldn’t be in the way and walked up to the gate. Jason gestured at the lock, inviting me to unlock it and get the season officially underway.
“Here we go,” I said.
I released the lock on the gate and opened them. A few of the cars honked their horns, and I heard people cheering. Laughing, I waved and stepped aside, gesturing for them to come in. We watched the stream of cars come through the gate and make their way to the gravel parking lot the guys had built off to the side.
As we watched, a few of the cars turned and started coming the wrong way up one of the aisles. Others started battling when one tried to pull through into a parking space someone was already trying to get into.
Jason stepped up beside me and wrapped his arm around my waist.
“I think maybe we should consider parking attendants,” he said.
I nodded. “That would probably be a good idea.”
We looked at each other and headed toward the lot to try to make sense of the chaos as more cars filed in. Finally, we got everyone parked without incident and started greeting the families as they got out. We directed them toward the fields and let them know there would be people down there to help them as well as saws for them to use. There was a wagon that would bring them down to the field if they didn’t want to walk and sleds to drag their trees back when they’d picked the perfect one.
As people headed for the stop where they would wait for the wagon and onto the path that led to the trees, I made my way over to the snack booth to check on the preparations for the day. We wanted to offer something special because it was opening day but also have things families could enjoy throughout the season. My hope was that even after people had chosen their tree and brought it home, they might come back just to spend some time enjoying the festive atmosphere of the farm.
All around the little wooden house that we’d painted and decorated to look like a gingerbread house, the air smelled rich and sweet like hot cocoa. I could also smell something baking and knew that Helen and Finn were inside churning out trays of homemade cookies.
In addition to those, we were offering homemade candy canes, fruit cake, and kits to make s’mores at the fire pit. There was already a fire burning, adding to the wonderful fragrance in the air. It would get bigger throughout the day until it was blazing in the evening.