Pumpkin patch psychology 101

We took a lovely trip to Smith Family Farm this past weekend. It's about an hour east of San Francisco, and while this time of year is obviously all about pumpkins, they also have a variety of farm animals to look at (fluffy chickens or bouffant ducks, anyone?), fruits to harvest, and barn shows to enjoy. The admission does not only buy you a hayride, but also includes your pick of any pumpkin in the field. Which inevitably compels everybody to maximize their Jack-O'-Lantern ROI by hunting for the absolute largest pumpkin they can find. Luckily, said hayride drops you and your pumpkin off at the parking lot, so you can stow that orange monster in your car before you return to the farm to conquer the corn maze.