Have you all started getting your pumpkins yet?

[C.Ann]

This coming weekend will be the last time my DGD is up here until I head back to their place for the winter.. I'm assuming that if the weather holds out, I'll be here beyond Halloween..

I don't get any TOT's, but like to have a pumpkin out front.. I was going to get one tomorrow so my DGD could decorate it for me on Saturday.. (She decorates it every year with markers and such and then usually writes me a "note" on the other side)..)

We don't "cut" into it though - too tempting for the critters to come and drag it away..

With temps being in the 30's at night up here now, will that help to maintain it longer - or will it shrivel it up sooner?

 

[LuvOrlando]

You might want to bring it in or cover it with a towel to protect it a little bit over night if the temperatures will reach freezing. The cold does make it last longer but freezing ruins everything & makes them collapse. Your Grand-daughter's pumpkin sounds wonderful, I love notes from kids, they are always so genuine.

We picked out our pumpkins from a real pumpkin patch at Grims Greenhouse in Breinigsville yesterday. The pumpkins were beautiful and we took pictures of the kids next to the height measuring cutout they've been getting pictures next to since they were toddlers. This past weekend we decorated my centerpiece chocolate Halloween Houses and we're planning on doing the pumpkins this Sunday

 

[bballmom56]

We grow pumpkins on our farm and had a great year, although they ripened early (by the end of August). We picked them in early September and just yesterday I sold many of them at a local charity event and donated all the money back to the charity. It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun. We also offered coloring of the pumpkins - we had some done already (my friend does that as she is the artistic one) or the kids could do it themselves. We used permanent markers and it was a big hit. We got a lot of compliments on the pumpkins as they were really quite nice in shape and color.

I brought a few home to give to friends and decorate my own porch. It was a good year!

 

[pixiewings71]

I don't think we will get any this year, normally we do at least 4 (one each) and sometimes we've done twice that, we love carving pumpkins but with $$ so tight it's just something we can skip. Besides, we have some of those plug in "sparkly" pumpkins, no carving needed and no candles to worry about, we may just use those.

I think getting a pumpkin for you and DGD to decorate is a great tradition, have fun with her this weekend.

 

[C.Ann]

Your Grand-daughter's pumpkin sounds wonderful, I love notes from kids, they are always so genuine.

I always make sure to take photos of both the front and the back of the pumpkin each year with my digital camera and you can actually "read" the notes.. So - those photos go right in with my lake "volumes" scrapbooks..

We have so many grandmother/granddaughter traditions - both here and at their house - and it's nice to see that at 12 years old now, she's still not ready to let go of any of them..

Actually she always writes some kind of notes - or draws pictures for me - or even writes a story for me - when they're up here on the weekends and I save every single one of them for my scrapbooks..

Can you tell that I love her to pieces? LOL.....

 

[cybrkitn]

We went yesterday and got ours. We left around 9 am and didn't get home until around 4 pm. We all had such a great time.

 

[kimmar067]

...my autumn decorations on my front lawn have been done for more than a week already - hmmm, I should take a pic and post it...

 

[Rora]

We've had 6 pumpkins since the first weekend of October!

 

[kimmar067]

We've had 6 pumpkins since the first weekend of October!

...we grew ours this year, so we've got lots of them - all different kinds too...

 

[daughtersrus]

This coming weekend will be the last time my DGD is up here until I head back to their place for the winter.. I'm assuming that if the weather holds out, I'll be here beyond Halloween..

I don't get any TOT's, but like to have a pumpkin out front.. I was going to get one tomorrow so my DGD could decorate it for me on Saturday.. (She decorates it every year with markers and such and then usually writes me a "note" on the other side)..)

We don't "cut" into it though - too tempting for the critters to come and drag it away..

With temps being in the 30's at night up here now, will that help to maintain it longer - or will it shrivel it up sooner?

I got ours this weekend at Aldi for $1.99 each. What a great buy!

The problem here is that it's been unusually warm, in the high 70's low 80's. DH brought it in and put it in the basement to keep it cool. We won't carve them until the week before Halloween.

I'm going to try and save one to carve with a turkey for Thanksgiving since we will be having everyone over this year.

 

[kimmar067]

...some pix of mah pun-kins:

 

[worm761]

My dad bought a pumpkin. I seeded it and roasted the seeds. Then I canned the rest. I keep looking for a good recipe to use it in. We have some foam pumpkins that we decorated and we use those. I live in Florida so no carved pumpkins. They tend to draw bugs.

 

[DVC-Don]

We purchased plastic pumpkins a few years ago. Some of them are all carved up permanent.

 

[C.Ann]

...some pix of mah pun-kins:

Very nice!! Great job decorating..

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I made the mistake of telling my DS8 that he could pick out whichever pumpkin he wanted. It was so big that I could hardly carry it to the front porch.

 

[pyrxtc]

we plan on carving ours tomorrow. I haven't decided what pictures I'm doing this year, but I may do a Coke one for my mother.

 

[kimmar067]

Very nice!! Great job decorating..

...aw shucks - thanks!

 

[kimmar067]

we plan on carving ours tomorrow. I haven't decided what pictures I'm doing this year, but I may do a Coke one for my mother.

...huh?

 

[C.Ann]

DGD did my pumpkin today - before they left.. Love my "message" on the back..

I'm thinking I might keep it inside this year.. Since it's not "carved", I don't think it will draw any fruit flies or anything - right?

She was pretty bummed out when they left.. Sad that the season is over - but decided that she's going to write me a letter once a week and mail it to me until I come home so I can include the letters in my lake scrapbooks..

I miss them already.. Seems like they only arrived up here a couple of months ago.. The time sure does fly!!

 

[Angelhalo]

I actually thought about getting some real pumpkins this year but they're just too expensive. I don't have any desire to carve one. I would just set it on the porch for looks and $8-$10 is too much for something that will just sit around until it rots and then be thrown away.