Despite the fact that Jamie didn’t “grow big” this year, we are still in the throes of pumpkin season. In case you missed that tragic announcement, Jamie lost both his plants to yellow vine disease in August. He chopped up “Bo” but for some reason, he cut “Lucille” off the vine and let her sit there for a month and a half, hoping she’d last ’til the weigh-off.
And wonder of wonders, she did make it (despite the fact that she hasn’t grown and has been essentially rotting for a month and a half).
Lovely Lucille. Photo credit: Denver Post’s Seth McConnell
Because we didn’t have “large” pumpkins, we opted not to throw a pumpkin party but that posed a big problem: we usually have several people on-hand to help us move the pumpkins.
For the giants, we need a backhoe and lifting straps but for the “smaller” pumpkins like Lucille and the kids’ pumpkins, we have a lifting tarp but needed able-bodies.
Enter: our good friends and neighbors the Haymonds who, much to their misfortune, were home at the time we came knocking.
Hadley cutting her pumpkin off the vine
Sadie is smiling because she didn’t have to lift after Uncle Chris arrived
Pumpkin Man photobomb.
Despite the fact that Bode’s pumpkin got taken out by hail (twice) and didn’t pollinate until two weeks after Hadley’s, his pumpkin weighed a whopping 325 lbs while Hadley’s weighed 401 lbs, a personal best.
Don’t get me started how the lazy organizers at Jared’s Nursery in Littleton didn’t even bother to give them ribbons or any acknowledgment for all their hard work. Dear Jared’s Nursery: we will not be wasting out time at your weigh-off next year.
Despite their lack of prizes, I was so proud that they dominated the children’s division.
Of course, it helped they were the only two who entered.
Stay tuned for details on the Arvada Scarecrow Festival.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 