Last weekend, in anticipation of today’s holiday, my husband and I enjoyed both some kid-friendly fun and an event strictly for the 0ver-21 crowd. Both showed me that, with a little planning and ingenuity, we don’t really have to give up all our fun because of COVID-19.

We’ve been having some really spectacular fall weather here in Southern Oregon over the past few weeks, with chilly, not-quite-frosty nights and clear, sunny, warm (upper 60s to low 80s) days. Last Friday afternoon was such a day, and it offered the perfect opportunity to visit a nearby organic farm for some seasonal activities. We brought along our 6-year-old grandson, Sean, to make sure we got the most fun out of the day. Of course, at the farmstand there were pumpkins and gourds of all shapes, sizes and colors for sale, along with the last of the summer squash, assorted other veggies and apples and pears. We passed on all that, for this visit was all about the activities spread across the surrounding acreage.

Our goal was the corn maze, but we had to venture into the spooky orchard in order to get there. In the bright light of day it wasn’t too frightening, even with all the spiders, ghosts and witches hanging from the branches, but I wouldn’t want to venture in there at night! We made it to the corn maze, quite a large plot but thankfully one that was just complex enough to keep Sean entertained but not too difficult to get us seriously lost for long.

Last, but I think the activity my husband was most looking forward to, we got ourselves a bucket of not-quite-edible apples and headed over to the slingshot field.   There were multiple targets to aim for, and we each made a valiant effort to hit something, dropping each apple in the rubber pocket, pulling back with all our might and flinging it into the air. It’s tougher than you’d think — every apple is different, so it’s hard to be consistent — but we had fun in the effort.

The next day Harry and I headed out to the Applegate Valley to one of our favorite wineries, the biodynamic Cowhorn Vineyard and Gardens, for their first wine club event since the start of the pandemic. They were as excited to be hosting it as we were to be participating. Held in the wine library and limited to just three couples safely spaced apart at their own table, in honor of Halloween it was appropriately dimly lit, with some eerie sound effects and décor.   Charlsie Lane, the winery’s director of hospitality, poured four older vintages from the library — a certifiable treat, for sure. The first was the 2012 Viognier, crisp and light but with plenty of fruit and a soft, smooth finish. Next came a 2015 Marsanne Roussanne, also lovely but a wine we thought should probably be drunk in the next year or so, as it’s not likely to improve with further age. Next came a lovely Syrah, the 2011 Sentience, elegant, smooth and still with so much fruit. We finished with a luscious reserve Syrah from 2013, pleased to know that the two bottles we already had at home would be drinkable for a good while yet and imagining what we’d serve with it. We spent a little time ogling the bottles in owners Bill and Barbara Steele’s library before making our way back out into the beautiful fall afternoon and driving home past vineyards turning red and gold.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor