A few weeks ago, j & i celebrated my birthday with family and a few friends. We had a little get together at my parents' house and spent the weekend playing games, visiting, and sightseeing. I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with Weston, but we love that town. On Saturday, we went to the Red Barn Farm with my family and took a fun hayride in a horse-drawn wagon, stopped by the petting zoo, and browsed the quaint little store. The weather was beautiful! I love the store because it is completely packed with all sorts of fun things like jams, preservatives, candles, cute gifts, and a variety of other whimsical items. I love that the Red Barn Farm has so many things to do...the petting zoo, the maze, hayrides, the pumpkin patch, not to mention the orchard when in season! I met Farmer Steve as we were leaving, and he is just delightful! If you have not yet visited, or perhaps haven't been recently, I really recommend that you do so at once. It is such a fun, family-oriented place, and I would much rather be investing in a local business rather than a large chain. Wouldn't you? Make sure you tell Farmer Steve how much you enjoyed your visit-he's the charming gentleman that thanks you for visiting them as you leave. :o) 
After our tour of the Red Barn Farm, j, my cousins and i headed on into Weston to walk around and visit the shops and winery. It just so happened to be the annual street organ festival that day! Imagine our delight to see old-fashioned street organs and their operators on every corner! Apparently, people come from all over the world to participate! Weston was teeming with families and street organ enthusiasts, and the warm autumn air was filled with tinkly tunes and excited chatter. We walked all around the main drag and i, of course, took dozens of pics. How could i not? It's not every day that you see so many unusual and unique sights! We stopped for lunch at the Weston Cafe, my new FAV! The food was delicious, and we all loved the down-home feel. We will definitely be going back in the near future! We decided to visit the Pirtle Winery, which is a lovely little winery that is located in an old church built in 1867. The winery was established in 1978, and they specialize in fruit wines and meads. I really love that it is family-owned and operated-this is apparent from the moment you walk through the front door. When you visit, make sure to take time to have a glass of wine in the wine garden located just outside the winery. It is a lovely little escape from the ordinary.
After visiting Pirtle, we decided to check out another winery just north of Weston, the Riverwood Winery. We were so impressed by the knowledge and friendliness of the staff & owners that they became an instant favorite of ours. David, one of the owners, is down to earth and as congenial as they come. He and Ginah opened the winery in 2007, and have been developing some truly wonderful wines ever since. My favorite is the Cayuga White...it is rather wonderful. They offer tastings and a wide variety of wine-related gift items and gourmet food items. I really recommend that you take a day trip to the area and spend some time with these sweet people. You will not regret it! :o)
I leave you with this one slightly scary street organ monkey...it IS the season to be scary, right? :o)
