Pumpkin love

It’s a chilly Thursday evening and I finally broke down and turned the thermostat up. I have it set pretty low and am staying warm with a sweater and a toasty throw while I sit in my favorite spot here in the living room. George is nearby waiting for me to toss his toy like I’ve been doing over and over for the past half hour.

We have a system now with George, as I’ve gone back to work and he’s been alone for much of the day. My son gets home from work early in the morning and takes him for his first walk of the day around 8 then has him with him until he goes to bed. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the dog walker comes and she takes him out and then when I get home, I take him out. He’s not quite used to the dog walker yet and when she came on Thursday, he half-heartedly went with her, chased after a couple of frisbees and then looked longingly at the house until she let him back in. She saw him run immediately up the steps to my son’s room.

 

It’s just going to take some getting used-to is all. And he is a little shy to begin with.

I have to mention the squiggles in the photo above. It’s a tiny gourd that I bought last weekend. It was the only one in the entire pile with a stem like this.

 

 

 

I think this one in the front is interesting.

 

 

I used to love carving pumpkins and I’ve made some nice ones over the years. One of my favorites was simple, using a drill to make tiny holes, then pushing white lights through each. I found it in my Martha Stewart magazine way back when.

 

 

Martha Stewart Celestial Pumpkins

 

My favorite was this, however:

Martha Stewart Lace-Patterned Pumpkins

It’s very time consuming, but makes such an impact. So unique.

 

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I read this on Pinterest, and am going to see if it works this year to keep my carved pumpkins lasting longer:

After you scoop out and carve your pumpkin, dip it in a large container of bleach and water (use a 1 tsp:1 gal mix). The bleach will kill bacteria and help your pumpkin stay fresh longer. Once completely dry, (drain upside down), add 2 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to a quart of water. Brush this solution onto your pumpkin to keep it looking fresh for weeks.

 

Groovy.

 

From my 2009 files. This was a volunteer pumpkin that came up among the bushes in the front of the house.

 

 

Taken on October 24, 2009.

 

And on that note, I’ll bid you adieu.

 

Until next time, my friends ~