PUMPKINS AND GOURDS

And all things orange make it Autumn to me. But if that pumpkin or punkin' as we used to say, doesn't have a good stem, then it's just not the right pumpkin. I'd sacrifice a smooth, unscathed rind or outer shell for just the right stem. Most need a curl of some kind, but if long enough, even a straight stem will do.

I've never figured out why some want the extra large ones. Not stems--I've moved on from them. But the $79 ones in the stores, which is by the way the worst place to buy them. I mean, c'mon. Go to a pumpkin patch or buy from the roadside or farmers' markets. Somewhat like a fresh cut Christmas tree, the pumpkin is an important investment.

But back to the big 'uns. Don't buy them. Just buy several different sizes and make a nice Fall display. Even if you decide to Jack O' Lantern him, you'll need a machete to do the carving. Plus, emptying him out will be a chore.

At our son's house where he normally places his pumpkins near an outside light and pole, some seeds buried into the ground and started growing attaching their vines to the pole. He may not have to buy any this season. Or they may have fallen to the lawnmower this past Summer. I'll have to check when I talk to him.

Fall, Autumn. Aaaahhh. It's a great time. Even in AZ where our 100 degree temperatures are a thing of the past. But we still can't purchase our pumpkins too early or they'll never make it to All Hallows. But my Jack O made of terra cotta, or clay pottery is smiling and ready for front yard display.