Earlier this month, Hubster and I decided to the take the girls to a fall festival at a local farm.
We were thrilled when we arrived. The animals were gorgeous. The grounds were gorgeous. The weather was perfect.
We delighted in the glorious fall Colorado day.
It was all very pleasant. Until it wasn't.
After buying some baked goods from the farm's owner, Hubster shared some dog treats with one of the farm animals. And it wasn't a malicious move on his part; the animals were curious and he let one have a taste.
When the owner saw what he was doing, she was livid. She made it clear to Hubster that his decision was a bad one.
She then stomped over to me: "Our animals have strict nutritional needs, and I don't appreciate you giving them something like that."
I was stunned by her tone. I felt my cheeks redden and eyes water. I muttered a quick "sorry about that," and walked away from her. Even though the girls were having a blast, we soon left.
Looking back, both Hubster and I know that it was a mistake to share the dog treats with an animal that wasn't a dog. We didn't see any signs warning visitors about the animals' "strict nutritional needs." The foods for sale were right next to the animals; surely we weren't the first to sneak them a bite.
Putting all that aside, Hubster and I were adults. We were both genuinely sorry but the owner's tone was extremely disrespectful.
She wasn't discreet at all; she spoke loudly enough to cause a stir. She did nothing to engender goodwill. Instead of trying to make amends, we left as quickly as we could.
And I know we won't be back again. That is a shame because it is a spectacular place to enjoy this time of year.
One place we will be visiting every year is Broomfield's Rock Creek Farm. Some readers may remember that the Parental Units family visited several local farm stands last year in search of the perfect pumpkin.
I'm pretty sure that great gourd was at Rock Creek all along. In addition to more than 100 acres of pumpkins, the farm has bouncy houses, a corn maze and farm animals to admire. Despite the cooler weather, I advise evening visitors to bring bug spray.
Farm admission is free, but the corn maze and hay rides cost extra. Pumpkins are charged by quantity, not size. Rock Creek Farm, 2005 South 112th St., Broomfield, 303-465-9565; rockcreekfarms.com.
In case some haven't had their fill of Halloween yet, I wanted to highlight a few weekend events in the area. Today is the last day of the 27th annual Boo at the Zoo at the Denver Zoo. While the animal demonstrations and entertainment are free, normal zoo admission rates apply. 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St. (303) 376-4800; denverzoo.org.
Denver's Downtown Aquarium is hosting Halloween Kid's Fest today from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Normal entrance fees apply. Downtown Aquarium, 700 Water St., 303-561-4450; http://aquariumrestaurants.com/downtownaquariumdenver/default.asp.
And on Monday Downtown Boulder hosts the annual Munchkin Masquerade from 2 to 5 p.m. along the Pearl Street Mall. This event is free.
Correction: In my Oct. 16 column, I incorrectly referenced the name of Taylor Swift's 2011 concert tour. It is called "Speak Now."
Contact Katy Sinclair at KatySinclair09@gmail.com.
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