Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 54 Entries. Friday, January 18 View Page Growers, welcomee to 2013!!!! As a new (3rd season) grower of Giants, I have loved and grown pumpkins my whole life. I want to start my first diary and also share some pictures of my first "Giant" that goes back farther than some of your first birthdays do!!!! In the early 80's, channel 9 had a pumpkin growing contest here in Denver. My "Giant" qualified, and I debuted on TV! So, let the cameras roll, and take a walk back in time! Enjoy! Friday, January 18 View Page My husband, Terry, actually putting it on a scale....no tape measuring back then!!! It came in around 100 pounds, somewhat unheard of in 1981....as records were between 300-400 pounds, according to who you ask!!! Friday, January 18 View Page Growers, welcome to 2013...I am new to this and am trying to figure out how to post....if you see duplicates, have patience. Being "Giants' growers, we all know what that is!!!! Thanks. Friday, January 18 View Page Channel 9 News filming...nothing digital back then. Bill Custer was the anchor who could not pronounce my name. (The follow season, I grew a perfect pumpkin the size of a quarter. It made it to TV as well!!! Bill Custer once again!) Friday, January 18 View Page Love those teeth, Terry!!!!! Friday, January 18 View Page It all started here!!!! Friday, January 18 View Page Easier said than done!! Friday, January 18 View Page Up on the roof!!!!! Friday, January 18 View Page Sometime in the 80's...not my "Giant", but a handsome guy!!! Friday, January 18 View Page Our 6th place winner at Nick's 2012...369 pounds. We've come along way baby!!!!! Friday, January 18 View Page My 3 big guys, with some beauties we bought!!! 2012. Tuesday, January 22 View Page And here it is, the 22nd of Jan., a GORGEOUS Co. day....to be 60-ish degrees today and tomorrow. (We DO need the moisture, though.) A picture of future pumpkin-growing areas, with Rocky Mountains in background! Tuesday, January 22 View Page And a big choice to be made soon....just WHAT seeds to plant from all the choices available!!! The Wiz (creator of RMGVG) got out great seed paks last week for members, and now the fun begins!! When I started this, I wasn't planning on putting a good 10 months into it yearly, although I'm sure you heavy hitters commit to basically 24/7 12 months a year!!!! Poor pumpkin widows and widowers!!!! Monday, January 28 View Page Another walk down memory lane....this teeny tiny guy made it as "Denver's tiniest pumpkin" in Bill Custer's channel 9 contest sometime in the 80's!!! Perfect, huh? Monday, January 28 View Page What started as a pumpkin festival back in 1971, Half Moon Bay, Ca. has become somewhat of the "Grand-daddy" of pumpkin weigh offs today. This is Half Moon Bay back in 1992....they had only just begun!!!! Monday, January 28 View Page Farmer Mike Valladao appeared on stage for the first time in Half Moon Bay displaying his carving talent in 1986. He has since been on many television shows and has been featured in the Old Farmer's Almanac. He is still doing his art work and is known as "The Picasso of Pumpkin Carvers". These were his creations at Half Moon Bay in 1992. Wednesday, February 6 View Page Anyone grow these beauties??? Bhut Jolokias.....ghost peppers!!!! An absolutely gorgeous plant....I got about 100 off my first plant/attempt last summer. Doing again this summer. Mine were this beautiful green-to orange-to red/orange when mature....Aug-Sept!!!!! I understand they come in many colors, but these are just so incredibly perfect in their changing colors, I won't be trying a different one!! Wednesday, February 6 View Page And my pepper mash, made from my ghost peppers. Consistency of Tabasco, with a fresher taste and much hotter....but it will "kick your bhut"!!!!! Have gone through a smaller bottle, and this one is disappearing fast! Yum-ooo!!!!! Thursday, February 14 View Page Happy Valentine's Day, Growers!!! What a surprise this morning....a delivery of this cute book from an old high school friend. Just got it so have not read it, but it was written by Susan Warren who followed Ron & Dick Wallace in 2006-2007 as they race for the BIG one...1500 pounds!!! MY OH MY how things have changed in a few short years!!! It sounds cute, however reading some critics' descriptions of "us" growers, it is obvious they just don't "get" it!!!! We are whack-brained, as we protect our virgin flowers with z-lock baggies, and lie awake at night listening for the sounds of growth gone mad.....They also refer to most growers as men!!!! WHAT!!! WAIT ONE MINUTE HERE!!!!! Should be a cute read!!!! Monday, March 18 View Page Happy Day-after-St.Paddy's-Day!!!! Slow cooker corned beef & cabbage and green beer!!! Was a might fine day!!!! )PLUS...Rod Proctor of channel 2 news here in Denver says I can plant my peas!!!! Whoooo Hooooo!!!! Only 2 things I grow from seeds, peas and pumpkins!!!! Sunday, March 31 View Page Happy Easter, Growers!! Gorgeous weather here in Co. for those egg hunts...AND planting peas!!! Whooo Hooo!! I got some soil enhancer from The Wiz, so off to the races with peas!!!! Monday, April 1 View Page And the owl is real.....APRIL FOOLS!!!! (Hope my pea pic comes through...with that owl...could not get it to populate yesterday.) Sunday, April 21 View Page Being nukid, my 3rd growing season, I do not have a fancy schmancy heating/lighting set up, relying on good ol' mother nature to provide that.....and she "ain't doin'" a very good job at this point! So am very excited to see 7-8 of my 9 planted seeds are germinated, with 2 popped up. We DO need some good sun and heat. (My peas actually froze, although they were covered up....so much for listening to Rod Proctor at channel 2 here in Denver!!!) So, "kins" are on their way!!!! Sunday, April 21 View Page Being nukid, my 3rd growing season, I do not have a fancy schmancy heating/lighting set up, relying on good ol' mother nature to provide that.....and she "ain't doin'" a very good job at this point! So am very excited to see 7-8 of my 9 planted seeds are germinated, with 2 popped up. We DO need some good sun and heat. (My peas actually froze, although they were covered up....so much for listening to Rod Proctor at channel 2 here in Denver!!!) So, "kins" are on their way!!!! Sunday, April 21 View Page Schenfish roots in all their glory....funny how such small accomplishments provoke such happiness!!!! Monday, April 29 View Page MONSTER cottels!!!!!! Think that is any indication of what is to come???? Hope so. Even though there is more da-- snow in forecast!!! Got to get these guys in the ground!!!! Thursday, May 2 View Page And this is MAY 2ND!!!!! What the h...?? My growing area is behind trees on far left and on far right. SNOW SNOW SNOW!!! Probably melted by now...taken this morning. But, challenging for planting this week-end. Wish me luck....with the hoop houses, as well. Another first. Monday, May 6 View Page How we spent Cinco de Mayo!!!! (AND some celebratory beers later in day, of course!!) Monday, May 6 View Page First attempt at hoop houses. Not real professional, but think they will work. Rolled up sides this morning to let sunshine in!!!! Sunday, June 2 View Page A friend's plant...what do any of you think? BAD!!!! Sunday, June 2 View Page Another pic...seems too early in season for this kind of thing....but don't know. Thanks. Tuesday, June 11 View Page Whoa!!! This is way to hot this early for Co.....99 yesterday and same today!!! Got the misters on & will add more as plants expand. Here is my Clementz...about 4 feet out, a bit more. Buried some vine over week-end and anxiously waiting for a "real" kin!!!! Growing about 6-ish inches daily. Tuesday, July 2 View Page Everything was better than ever, THEN, surprise surprise surprise!!!! Squirrels!!! Lost about a foot off main vine, along with the first potential pumpkin. I cried. WiZ told me to continue with the secondary, which I did. Next couple days, IT was eaten, also.....sooo....on to next pic.... Tuesday, July 2 View Page After 3 birds, 3 squirrels and a partridge-in-a-pear-tree, we may be getting a handle on the problem....But it IS heartbreaking. Lost a good 3 weeks, I think. So, probably about where we were last year at this time. Oh well, to get any good sized one will make me happy!!!! Wednesday, July 10 View Page 4th of July...lookin' good, however lost a couple/three weeks to squirrels. Wednesday, July 10 View Page July 5th...warming males for pollination. Female blossom end rotted a few days later....this year is off to a bad start!!!! Tuesday, July 23 View Page I know there is one in here somewhere!!!! Tuesday, July 23 View Page An incredible read!!!! A must for all growers! Tuesday, July 23 View Page My 1209 Hoffman as of 7-21-13...last seed to pollinate, started very slowly and did not thrive, so decided to let it go on its own and perhaps end up with a few good Halloween carvers. As Mon. morning, I saw the first 2 females....it took that long to devlop them. Checked out the lobes, and on one it was deformed and looked to have a growth of some sort on it. The other one looked odd, lobes not compacted, but spread out. I then checked out the males and found no pollen what-so-ever. This was about noon. I assumed this was a sterile plant, given its growth pattern and its overall abnormal development. Then I read in forum that bees can deplete pollen by late in morning. Hmmmm. Interesting. Maybe the bees came & went, giving me a shot at those Halloween guys!!!! We shall see. Wednesday, July 24 View Page Just cut him off this morning. I HATE doing that!!! And then you just hope the one you stayed with will "stay with you" for the season!!!!! Monday, August 19 View Page Some accommodating, pumpkin-seed-eating critter graciously deposited a seed in our front yard mound. Here is my surprise "poop-kin" plant!!! Tuesday, August 20 View Page Having trouble submitting pics....Internet Explorer!!! Anyway, my poop-kin plant!!!!! Tuesday, August 20 View Page Here's my poop-kin!!!! Cute little thing. AND saw the first squirrel have seen in few weeks...we relocated all we could catch, but there he was this morning, headed to my poop-kin. I do have a towel covering kin, so we will see just how smart this guy is. (AND out comes that cage tonight when I get home!!) Wednesday, August 28 View Page Well, my ghost peppers are living up to their name....invisible!!! Not one pepper this year. I harvested my first pepper a year ago today, and total crop was about 100 off plant this size. This year...nada!!!! All flowers just falling off! Other chili peppers growing like crazy. Pickled 7 jars already off of a very small plant. Crazy. Tuesday, September 3 View Page My "baby Giant"...identical to my first attempt 2 summers ago, except larger. Soooo pretty!!! Thursday, October 10 View Page Last week...our make-shift lifter. It worked!! And thanks Rafael Gomez for the lifting ring (& thanks to his good friend who helped him make it)....using it again tonight or tomorrow!!!! Thursday, October 10 View Page Our 444.5 Clementz. At Nick's...Aurora, Co. Thursday, October 10 View Page Getting Shenfish out of patch tonight or tomorrow for our final weigh off at Flower Bin in Longmont, Co. She is a very pretty pink-ish girl!!!!! Wednesday, October 30 View Page My Clementz 444...tough getting up a few steps to front porch!!! Wednesday, October 30 View Page 404 Shenfish...disqualified...soft spot in bottom. Would've taken 4th place at Flower Bin. Wednesday, October 30 View Page All "the kids" on porch. We grew all the large ones, and bought the smaller ones. (Don't most normal folks do it just the opposite way??? So who said we are normal??) Wednesday, October 30 View Page My little guy taking center stage with his "vine" arms and legs! Handsome, don't you think??? Wednesday, October 30 View Page Soooo Happy Howl-O-Ween tomorrow!!!! Taken about 30-some years ago!!!! Thursday, December 5 View Page At 7:30 this morning....speedometer read MINUS 15 degrees!!! Whoa!!!! And at one point, it was down to minus 17!!!! I'd rather be digging in dirt!!!!