Day Two Hundred Fifty Eight 2013

“Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.”  ~Linus Van Pelt, It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Neil and I went for a stroll around the block today after lunch and discovered that the rogue pumpkin vine that had sprung up months ago at the very back of our yard had spread all the way down the hillside and almost into the street. I had totally forgotten there was a vine growing there.

And happy happy joy joy there is at least one pumpkin growing in this massive patch of pumpkin vines. Woo Hoo! What a pleasant surprise. I’m hoping there might be one or two more hidden in there somewhere. Maybe I’ll have a Great Pumpkin by Halloween. It looks like a sincere pumpkin patch, doesn’t it?

Day Two Hundred Forty One 2013

My accidental pumpkin patch. I didn’t throw out any old pumpkins this year, so I don’t know where this vine is coming from. It made its appearance a little too late in the year to be sprouting anything good, so I’ll keep my expectations low and maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised by October.

Day Two Hundred Thirty Three 2012

I’m so excited (and apparently it doesn’t take much to excite me). The pumpkin vine growing wild just off my deck in the back yard has been blooming for weeks, and now it has produced one little pumpkin. I toss out withered pumpkins in this spot every year, and sometimes the seeds sprout and grow, but rarely do they produce any fruit. So I’m excited and hopeful that it will grow up before the birds or bugs discover it. Maybe I’ll have a homegrown jack o’ lantern this Halloween.

Day Two Hundred Seventy 2011

Several weeks ago, I covered two or three of the mini pumpkins I had left over from last Autumn with some dirt and mulch. They sprouted with lots of vines that grew lots of flowers but no fruit. Today I found this tiny pumpkin growing on one of the vines. I hope it survives. Maybe there will be more. How cool is that?

Day Two Hundred Thirty Four 2011

A few weeks ago, I buried three or four miniature pumpkins left over from last Fall. I just laid them on the ground and piled some dirt and mulch over them. Some of them have sprouted vines. I know they don't look like much, but I'm hoping maybe they'll produce a pumpkin or two. That would be awesome. We'll see.

Day Two Hundred Seventy One

The rogue pumpkin vine was nice while it lasted. I took these pictures Saturday afternoon after it finally stopped raining. I'm glad I did. I guess the rain that made it sprout was the same rain that killed it. It must have drowned. By Sunday afternoon, the vine was totally wilted. It's a goner. But not forgotten. I got a kick out of taking pictures of those cute little tendrils and curls. Maybe next year.

Day Two Hundred Sixty Six

I've been known to toss a rotting pumpkin or two under the bushes surrounding our deck out back. With all the rain we're having lately, I guess it's no surprise a pumpkin vine would be growing out of one of the hundreds of seeds that landed there.

The vine has the cutest little curls and pods and fuzzy stems.

The vine started growing only a couple of weeks ago. It's a shame it couldn't have started earlier. I might have had some home grown pumpkins by now.

And totally unrelated to rogue pumpkin vines, I noticed this huge praying mantis enjoying the day while perched on this pink flower growing in the back yard. I think it may have been a female because it looked like it was about to deliver a bunch of baby mantises. I'm just glad it didn't jump on me while I was taking it's picture.