Pumpkins are everywhere, so it seems.

It’s that time of year, certainly, but the round orange squash variety is more prevalent. They’re big business.

A greenhouse planted corn fields to pumpkins with semi-loads’ prolific production sold throughout the Midwest.

Another horsewoman acquaintance told about pumpkin growing being so profitable, it’s one family’s sufficient annual income.

Apparently pumpkins are easy to grow on not even the best soil without added nutritive.

Uncertain, if it was seasonal art display, or they were for sale, but one yard passed Saturday had plenty. Hundreds of pumpkins were lined up evenly, spaced 10-feet-apart each direction, on the acre.

Yep, pumpkins are main ingredient for making Halloween jack-o-lanterns. That’s all many kids today really know.

More importantly, in opinion, greatest worth is for pie ingredient. What’s better for Thanksgiving Day dessert than pumpkin pie with a big scoop of whipped cream?

Pumpkins are really a fruit, and have many other uses. Of course, there’s pumpkin bread, numerous deserts they say, and the specialty drinks being prominently advertised and talked about.

The horse friend, who rides ranch production beating wannabe in races, brought pumpkin bars to share when getting her new prospect last week.

Always excited to hear about the state fair’s giant pumpkins, and one local stand has several that’d sure be competitive.

Aunt Lu typically brought a good-sized pumpkin back from deer hunting. That made childhood anticipation. It would then be carved into “Jack” on the grocery store butcher block.

Tightwad thinking newlyweds decided a real pumpkin would be more economical for making pie than out of a can. Supposed to be simple to cook pumpkin, but it didn’t work for some reason.

So haven’t tried that since, but the roasted seeds with salt added sure tasted good.  Should have saved them for planting in the orchard come spring.

Neighbor farm lady’s garden overflowed with pumpkins, and she’s freezing, cooking and making all kinds of delicacies.

Latest news, goat growers have informed pumpkins make the best food for their critters, and supposedly defeat internal parasites, too.

Of course, jack-o-lantern must be lighted with a wax candle. Thus, reminded of Second Corinthians 4:6: “Let light shine out of darkness.”

Then, Second Kings 4:39: “He found a vine, gathered pumpkins, cut them into a stew pot, soon realizing how valuable they were.”

+++ALLELUIA++

XI–44–10-22-17

“Quitting and stopping aren’t really the same thing.”

There are legitimate arguments to that comment. Dan Webster even uses a number of the same definitions for the words. Continue reading →