Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Happy pumpkin day


When one tends a compost pile (or two), on occasion it yields some rather tangible human benefits.

Every year since I have lived here, I seem to have "allowed" a squash seed or two to do its thing and grow in or around the compost area. The first year, it was cantaloupe: the most delicious, tiny netted fruits you can imagine. The second year, it was birdhouse gourds. This year? Pumpkins from our daughter's discarded seeds from last year's jack-o-lanterns.

I mistook them for something else earlier in the season, and actually ate a few of the tiny squash. Quite tasty!

But they've found a good use as future pies. And then again, there's an even better use: here, art by the 3.5 year old, carving and candles by dad. Spoooky!

6 comments:

MommyMommy said...

Great pumpkin!!! I love the originallity and spookyness of them.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Don't you just love compost any way it comes out! Happy Halloween

cookiecrumb said...

Excellent jack-o'-lanterns. Your daughter is a budding Gahan Wilson.

frugalmom said...

We have gotten melons on our compost pile, too. They are the best.

Moonbear said...

Happy Pumpkin day indeed! Your jack-o-lanterns are great. We had a wonderful time here in Oakland. There is a "haunted house" across the street from us that draws hundreds so we have a steady parade of kids from 7 to 9 p.m. I loved seeing all the cuties in their costumes. I tolerated the 6 foot teenagers with pillow cases and no costumes, because I understand the need to feed on sugar, and I would rather have them on my porch than selling crack.
My compost has yielded a stunning crop of inedible mushrooms, but no squash, alas.

El said...

MM: She sure had fun making it with her dad. (I had fun eating the seeds.)

Lisa: Absolutely! Love it, dream about it...

CC: hilarious! Well, I'm not quite sure if she was really trying to scare people...

FM: Yay. I really do just "let" them happen, figuring the plants are so big they'll hide the decomposition process from the uninitiated.

Moonbear: I LOVE seeing tykes (big and small) as they all get so excited about the whole thing. Can't argue that sugar (or HFCS in most instances) is a huge draw...but really the whole night is just fun. We of course live in the boonies so we have to go to Grandma's town north of us to get our fix...