Tuesday, August 26, 2014

glowing

Our pumpkin plant produced three pumpkins which I think was amazingly diplomatic of it.
We had grandchildren in mind when we pressed little roots into the soft soil of early summer.
I hadn't been sure our growing season was long enough to grow pumpkins from seed and so I got a little starter plant. I thought a bit of a head start might not be a bad idea so I brought home a flimsy black pot with a healthy, hefty little toddler pumpkin plant.
It loved the spot it was planted in.
It loved the extra sunshine we've had baking down all summer.
It took off like a shot and never looked back.
It wound up and over the hydrangea, and through the corn and around the spirea. It grew and waxed great and green.
Soon there were giant peachy-orange flowers that smelled thickly of squash and pumpkin sweet.
Before long, three pumpkins 'set' and began to swell.
They were as amazing as time lapse photography to watch.
They seemed to inhale water and plumped up ever so nicely.
At first, there was just a hint of orange, but each day the brightness crept down over the pumpkins and soon they could be seen from afar, glowing orbs amongst the leaves.
Now in late August, the plant has clearly passed its Best Before Date. The leaves have yellowed and dropped away.
The pumpkins sit in the slanting afternoon sunshine and glow.
Neon orange.
They look ripe.
They look ready.
It's just that the Season of Pumpkin hasn't arrived yet.
They shouldn't really take center stage for a couple months yet.
Guess we didn't need the head start.
Pumpkin pie anyone?

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