Witches, goblins, and elves are not what makes Halloween exciting. For me, it’s the pumpkin harvest. For about six years now I’ve been trying to grow a pumpkin in my backyard. I’ve tried fertilizers, all types of seeds, and different soils but nothing ever seems to work. The furthest I’ve ever gotten is a vibrant yellow flower that eventually shrivels and dies. It’s upsetting when you put so much work into something and then it fails, but year after I year I keep on trying to grow a pumpkin.
That’s why when I see pumpkin growing competitions around Halloween I stare in awe at the television, wondering how the farmer grew such a heavy, beautiful pumpkin. What I find even more fascinating is how carvers can take these orange wonders and create three dimensional sculptures from them. So long jack-o-lanterns, meet puss in boots with life-like whiskers.
