Finley Family Features Fun!

I was recently invited by Ken and Jeff Finley to attend a birthday party for Jeff and Lynette Finley's oldest grandchild who turned ten. The father-son team described the event as "our first trial run with real customers." They were referring to the upgrades Ken has added to his pumpkin patch down by the Milk River and Jeff's new Aisle 8 arcade gallery at the grocery store, featuring "16 vintage full-sized arcade games." The birthday party started at the pumpkin patch, finished up at the arcade in Finley's Food Farm grocery store in Chinook.

Both Jeff and Ken derive obvious pleasure by providing fun experiences, especially for kids. Ken has used his garden spot down by the water treatment plant to provide Halloween pumpkins to local families for the last few years. Jeff got in to the 'fun business' again (he had the golf simulator for several years) when he modified part of the grocery story to accommodate a collection of arcade games. The father-son combo is truly an example of the old saying "The acorns don't fall far from the tree" as both are avid providers of fun for others.

First, the pumpkin patch

On my regular walks down to the river I often encounter Ken working in his garden plot. Most recently he's been engaged with some additions to the pumpkin patch-a "new to him" swing ride he imported from Iowa, an improved shooting range for using large sling shots to launch pumpkins at targets and his obviously favorite new feature, a homemade "pumpkin cannon."

The recent birthday party was Ken's first experience with the swing fully loaded with riders and it worked well. After several months of negotiating, first for a Ferris wheel, he finally acquired the trailer mounted swing ride. The kids at the birthday party for his great granddaughter seemed to enjoy it. Ken laughingly observed, "These long legged kids are just about the limit for the swing. It's really for littler kids."

Ken's had sling shots for shooting small pumpkins for a year or so. This year he ramped up the shooting range with targets that bounce back in place after being hit by a pumpkin. The new targets seemed to work well.

The coup de grace was the new "pumpkin cannon." It's a Ken Finley original, much in the vein of a Rube Goldberg contraption that uses air pressure and packing to hurl objects (sometimes pumpkins) skyward. With his typical showman's enthusiasm Ken added confetti and other objects that enhanced the visual aspects of a launch. He's asked me to keep some of the aspects of the new pumpkin cannon secret for the upcoming Halloween season. All I can say is "It is spectacular."

On to Aisle 8 and the arcade games at the grocery store

I had also been privy to some of Jeff's plans for his arcade gallery as he first modified a display/gaming area in the store, acquired 16 working arcade games and pulled it all together. The setup is for groups to rent for parties and get togethers. His granddaughter's birthday party was the first full blown trial run for the arcade games.

Jeff, who obviously spent many an hour mastering arcade games back in the day, did a quick demo for me of Pac Man. He was quite skilled at playing the game. Pac Man was one of the earlier games (introduced in 1980) that hooked children and adults alike on arcade games. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Space Invaders...I recall that was the first video game I ever saw and one my kids got back in the late 1970's. I can't wait to rent the arcade to let my own adult kids try their hand at one of their favorite childhood games, and show their kids what it was like "back in the early days" of video games.

Jeff said of the first real party group to play the games, "They are just a little too young (ten year-olds) to really get serious about these arcade games. They get 'killed' once and they lose interest." Funny he should say that about the kids. As I was leaving the arcade game a father came in holding the hand of a little boy about four or five years old. The father's eyes lit up when he saw the old games while the little boy seemed a bit perplexed with all the pinging sounds and flashing lights. Likely the real appeal of the arcades at Aisle 8 will be with the "old-timers" who grew up with these arcade games.

To reserve Aisle 8 and play the vintage arcade games, contact Jeff Finley at the grocery store. He said you could also message him through Facebook (facebook.com/FinleysFoodFarm/). As for using the swing or doing "pumpkin chunkin" at the pumpkin patch, contact Kenny. He's old school, so you won't find him on social media. He's usually at the garden down by the water treatment plant on the Milk River or around town in his side by side, the one with the tools sticking up in the air.