Pumpkin, pumpkin, who's got the pumpkin? Tracy Carlson does.
"We grew pumpkins last year and had pretty good success so we did it again this year," said Carlson, a Ruhenstroth resident. "At first they were yellow and didn't look like pumpkins at all, so I asked a friend who works at a local nursery. She said the seeds must have been mixed in the package because these were definitely squash and not pumpkins. I decided to let them grow anyway and they grew into the biggest pumpkins we've ever had."
She is not being modest, either. These pumpkins weigh an average of about 100 pounds with the two larger ones measuring 19-inches tall by 18-inches wide and the smaller of the three being 19 inches by 16 inches. While they may not rival the record setting pumpkins that come in at over a half ton, they are without a doubt the biggest in Ruhenstroth and that's all we're interested in.
Tracy wasn't sure what she'd find when she cut into the pumpkins - whether the meat would be good or the seeds or even if they would be carvable - but she was pleasantly surprised when she did. While it took an entire day to carve the three, she got some of the plumpest seeds to toast and dry for next year's planting for themselves as well as a few of their friends who want to try their hand at pumpkin growing. Tracy found the best tool for cleaning out the inside of the pumpkin is the sealing lid section from a two part canning lid - you know the one with the rubber rim for sealing.
"It works great - easy to hold and perfectly shaped to scoop out the strings and seeds," she said.
A great big thank-you to Debbie Quatrochi, a friend of Tracy's, for giving me a call a couple of weeks ago to tell me about these pumpkins. I am always excited to bring these kinds of stories to life for you. If you want to see the "great pumpkins" up close, drive by Scout Circle and enjoy their decorations.
According to Robert Myers in "Celebrations, The Complete Book of American Holidays," Halloween wasn't celebrated very much in the first two centuries of settling in America since it wasn't a Christian- or Protestant-based holiday. It actually is a combination of ancient New Year's festivals mixed over time with traditions from All Saint's Day (All Hallows), Coel Coeth from North Wales and All Souls Day. The influx of Irish immigrants due to the potato famine in the 1840s vastly increased the numbers of people knowledgeable of the celebration.
"The children of America have taken over the holiday," according to Myers and combined several customs from the Druids, Romans, Pagans, Celts and others throughout history to make it all their own. The Irish carved potatoes and other root vegetables such as turnips and placed candles in them for lighting their get-togethers but turned their interest to pumpkins once arriving in the good ol' USA.
While we may have the Irish to thank for bringing the celebration to America, we are also thankful for our freedoms to celebrate in the way we choose. A special thank-you to our men and women around the world that are defending this privilege and also to their families for their unfailing support.
Have a ramblin' Halloween and hope to see you at Trick-or Treat Safety Street at the CVIC Hall in Minden.
n To reach Gail Davis, e-mail hilltopranch97@charter.net or call 265-1947.
