Great Pumpkins

I was snapping a few pumpkin pictures out in front of a local grocer when an older fellow waiting to board the happy bus asked me why I was taking pumpkin pictures? I replied that I wanted to take pictures of something orange. That seemed simpler than explaining to him I would probably include these pumpkin pictures on my next blogspot post celebrating the onset of October.

These great pumpkins were just waiting to be photoed for free or purchased for $4 each. These colorful gourd-like squash are so versatile. Besides their carvability as Jacko Lanterns, they can be pureed into pie to host a dollop (or two) of whipped cream. The seeds are a popular autumn snack and pumpkin seed oil can be used in cooking.

Their size, color, and design make them a popular folklore vegetable. Cinderella made clever use of a pumpkin as a limousine. Linus believed the Great Pumpkin was capable of great things. Harry Potter and gang enjoyed drinking pumpkin juice at Hogwarts. Pumpkin Chucking has also become a fun (and funny) sport, making use of catapults and air cannons.

I personally like pumpkins to carve into yard greeters for Trick or Treaters. Perhaps once it gets a bit closer to Halloween, we might have to go back to that grocer and actually buy a great pumpkin instead of just standing there snapping pumpkin pictures.