Three days until Halloween and I haven't got my pumpkins yet. We usually get three, and carve 'em up good. I do the design, then John takes his jigsaw to them. Over the years, the neighbourhood has been upping the ante; a lot of artists live around here, and some of their pumpkins belong in an art gallery. Like this one:
Or this one:
Seriously. Who has the time, the talent and the inclination to make a Death Star pumpkin? Not me. I prefer the simple macabre:
Then there’s this dude back in the thirties who came up with a way to grow pumpkins that look just like human faces:
How utterly creepy is that? You had too much time on your hands, Mr. Czeski. And your wife needed to get out more.
Things you may or may not know about pumpkins:
- Pumpkin is a fruit, not a vegetable
- The stem is called a peduncle and it is edible, but only if you’re very very hungry.
- Pumpkins are not just orange. They can be yellow, white, green and even blue, particularly when they’re sad.
- Pumpkins were once recommended for the removal of freckles and to cure snake bites. Sometimes at the same time.
- Your carved pumpkin, or jack o’lantern, will last longer if you spray it with bathroom cleaner and bleach. It will also be very sanitary.
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