It’s Aug. 24, and it’s the last weekend before we are full-tilt pumpkin-ing. We were privileged to provide the location for a 10-mile run to benefit the Wounded Warriors this morning, and we’ll welcome the St. Mary’s Parish family on Sunday for a potluck picnic and mass. Still our all-out preparations don’t begin until Labor Day weekend.

There are few fun things happening this week. Here’s a sneak peak: on Tuesday, Papa expects the first loads of large square straw bales to arrive. These are the necessary building blocks for the Infamous Bale Mazes everyone loves at Papa’s! The family hasn’t seen the jenga blocks lying around, so it’s hard to say what kind of structures Papa has in mind this season.

Also on Tuesday one of our local Boy Scout troops will be out to start decorating the Touchstone Nature Trail. They intend to add some different kinds of bird houses and signage for the trees, shrubs and grasses throughout the trail.

And here’s a secret about a new addition to Papa’s this year: do you remember Scarecrow Cove from year’s past? Well this year, we’ve partnered with the Bismarck Downtown Artist’s Cooperative and they are painting a marvelous scarecrow mural for us! It will be gi-normous — 8′ x 16′ — and we are so excited to see the finished product. It will be a perfect addition to the many great photo opportunities at Papa’s. We are grateful to Melissa Gordon for coordinating this effort.

Take Good Care,

Papa