The Great Pumpkin

This weekend, I was driving down the interstate and saw what I think may have been the great pumpkin. While I don't condone paparazzo-style photography while driving, I just couldn't resist the chance to snap a picture. I didn't realize the great pumpkin apparently travels with some sort of great watermelon entourage. Who knew? This sighting got me into the Halloween spirit and prompted me to plan my own pumpkin patch adventure for Sunday afternoon. 

The southern beau and I grabbed a thermos of cider, jumped in the car and headed out to a real live pumpkin patch. If you're wondering why I say real live, it's because one year we ended up at a fake pumpkin patch. All the pumpkins had been chopped off their vines and deposited into a neatly mowed field. Not real! Our favorite pumpkin patch near Knoxville has punkins still growing on their vines, which makes it real live in my book.

Apparently this is the year of the non-traditional pumpkin as far as colors go. Mine are the three beauties on the right and the southern beau's is that giant orange one on the left. I took my time looking at lots of different pumpkins before choosing my three. Whereas my pumpkin patch partner found his immediately. When I tried to persuade him to get a different one, he said "Nah, I like to dance with the one that brung me." He's so awesome (and weird). 

Including the small varieties I had already gotten at Lowe's plus a green beauty I picked up at the farmer's market, I now have 19 pumpkins at my house. I might have to restrict myself on getting any more but this is my favorite time of year and I just can't help myself. I hope you are enjoying fall with a pumpkin or twenty ;)