Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 68 Entries. Monday, January 21 View Page Feels like -27F with the wind chill which is expected to get colder today...Ahhh Shorts weather Tuesday, January 22 View Page -27F with the windchill its fricking colder than the balls on a brass monkey and a witches tit together Sunday, February 10 View Page As many of you know we opened a bakery last spring. I am very pleased how it is progressing. It is a special order bakery meaning it is not made until you place the order. We specialize in Wedding Cake. When I say we I mean my wife Jodi:) so if you live in Wisconsin or Eastern Minnesota and know anyone who needs a wedding cake please consider us. www.bakingmemories.net or Check Us out on FaceBook http://www.facebook.com/#!/bakingmemories.net Thursday, March 21 View Page 2 feet of snow on the patch...deeper along the fence...This time last year I had it tilled and ready Wednesday, March 27 View Page Started (11) Rogers Giant Cabbage, (4) Walking Stick Kale, and (3) 75.2 Swedes. Swedes must be cluster seeds as I have all kinds of starts. Going to have to find a home for a couple cabbages Sunday, April 14 View Page Guess What it is snowing again....and again...and again...wait I think it is now raining and sleeting...Ground is still frozen solid with 2-6 inches of snow cover Monday, April 15 View Page We got through the 1st door and have been requested to submit a video for Cupcake Wars.....woooot woooot... https://www.facebook.com/#!/bakingmemories.net Guess you might get to see me in my pink apron...anything to sell cupcakes Friday, April 19 View Page Stupid F$%&^%^@ Snowed out again....Still frozen solid Sunday, April 21 View Page Still Snowing Tuesday, April 23 View Page I am stuck in a rut like on that movie "Ground Hog's Day" Every morning I wake up there is more snow on the ground...3 more inches Tuesday, April 23 View Page https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=4961799359674 Here is our audition video for Cupcake Wars..Enjoy Monday, April 29 View Page I fired up Angello my Ferrari 16HP Diesel Tiller. Still runs like a charm. Still have some frost chunks left in the patch. Plan on tilling before it rains. Starting seeds on the 30th no matter what. Tuesday, April 30 View Page The Patch is tilled...added 60lbs of 10-10-10 and 80lbs of gypsum,,, Soaking: 1048 Engel 2012 (777 Young 2011 x self) 668.9 Kruger 2012(1059 Vincent/Mcgill x 1634 Werner) Going Orange or staying home Wednesday, May 1 View Page It is snowing again....Got to love this weather yesterday almost had to turn the AC on today the furnace is running,,,and there is one inch of the fluffy white crap on the ground Thursday, May 2 View Page 5 inches and still falling....Happy February 82nd Day... Thursday, May 2 View Page And the snow just keep coming.... Thursday, May 2 View Page Still snowing I think we are at about 12" hard to tell with the wind blowing Saturday, May 4 View Page still have 3" of snow...atleast it is warming up Wednesday, May 8 View Page Plants are in the ground...Both the 1048 Engel and 668.9 Kruger are sharing the greenhouse this year, Running opposite directions. 1048 got the soil heating cables. Soil temp at 6 inches was 65 degrees Saturday, May 11 View Page Guess What it is snowing again... Tuesday, May 14 View Page 90 degrees today...that is a 60 degree difference from yesterday morning..1048 Engel and 668.9 Kruger are loving it. Friday, May 24 View Page brrrrr 32 this morning...All the plants are tucked in Saturday, June 8 View Page The sun has finally come out...it has been a snowy, cold and wet spring. I have moved the greenhouse so the 1048 Engel is the only one covered. The plants are just laying down and starting to run Saturday, June 15 View Page What do we have here? This little cutie is on the 1048 Engel. Most likely it will not be a keeper as there is not enough plant yet. I will pollinate it anyhow if I have males. Notice how yellow the vine is :) The Howard Dill Award is mine...all mine...muuuhhaaahaahaaa Saturday, June 15 View Page This little turd is the 668.9 Kruger. The plant is a two headed monster that I can't seem to force out of it ways. I will be performing surgery as soon as I get it to split. Which has been the issue for about the last 3 leaf nodes. Wednesday, June 19 View Page Killed two chipmunks in one trap today...my luck is changing...now if I can just avoid the little sob woodchuck Saturday, June 22 View Page Here is a Pupa stage of a Squash Vine Borer. Sunday, June 23 View Page The striped cucumber beetles have arrived...Even though the plants have been drenched with Imidacloprid. I sprayed with Triazicide to take care of them Sunday, June 23 View Page Pollinated 1048 Engel x self this morning... Pumpkin is about 10 feet out on the main vine. I wish the plant was a little bigger, I will use this one as a back up in case the next one out does not set Saturday, June 29 View Page Pollinated a 1048 Engel x 668.9 Krueger at about 12 feet and a 668.9 Krueger x 1048 Engel at 12 feet. Wednesday, July 3 View Page argghhhh looks like the 1048 pumpkin is growing to fast and is about to blow up... Wednesday, July 3 View Page ohh ohh the split turned it to splat on the 1048. Rest in Piece Maude...Glad I had Ethel as a runner up. Saturday, July 13 View Page Here is "ETHEL" She is two weeks old today. She is a 1048 Engel x 668.9 Kruger pollinated on 6/29/13. I am afraid to measure her as she is growing that fast. Saturday, July 13 View Page Here is "GERTIE" She is also two weeks old today. She is a 668.9 Kruger x 1048 Engel...Watch this pumpkin Wisconsin growers as she is already showing her color and has perfect symmetry...She is just screaming Howard Dill Award. I had to do some major pruning on this plant and will be growing it in a spider pattern as the Main reverted back to a ribbon. Saturday, July 13 View Page Here is the Picture for the Previous Post Monday, July 15 View Page It is Pumpkin Growing Weather...Mid 90's during the day and low 70's at night....They are close enough to the bedroom I can hear them grow..Now if the Field Pumpkins would just catch up Thursday, July 18 View Page Hot and Dry again...water ...water...water Saturday, July 20 View Page 1048 Engel Day 20 Measurements C 82 s-s 56 e-e 54 OTT 192 for an estimated 166lbs... :) I hope this pumpkin keeps putting on this kind of weight Saturday, July 20 View Page 668.9 Kruger is a little slow in the take off. The plant is super healthy so I am hoping things kick in soon Monday, July 22 View Page Ethel is rolling back on her shoulders and becoming a bird bath...I don't like bird baths Saturday, July 27 View Page Christmas in July...49degrees this morning...Here is ETHEL on the 1048 still growing good. I am sure she is going to slow down with this cold snap. She has this lovely birdbath thing going on... Saturday, July 27 View Page Here is GERTIE on 668.9 Kruger...she wants to grow over on her blossom end..Not growing as fast as I would like. Not sure why...89" Circ Saturday, July 27 View Page Forgot to post ETHEL'S Circ 106 on Day 27 Sunday, August 4 View Page 43 degrees this morning...we have not had rain in a month..hard to grow a big one under these conditions Thursday, August 8 View Page Ohhh Ohhh something is wrong with the 1048 plant...secondaries and main vine have stopped growing, along with older crown leaves dying...I may have caught the dreaded yellow vine disease...Damn You Squash Bugs..will water and monitor for a few more days Friday, August 9 View Page Going to hold off on pulling the 1048 Plant. We had a do not drink water alert and the city pumped a lot of chlorine in the water..This might be the issue..but I am not hopeful. Friday, August 9 View Page Well guess what I found hatching tonight....SQUASH BUGS...Everyone got a nice shower of triazicide shortly after Tuesday, August 13 View Page The 1048 x 668.9 has gone down... The pumpkins surface has that leathery look and has stopped growing. I will cut her up tonight...and compost it. Wednesday, August 14 View Page Pulled the 1048 plant tonight and chopped the pumpkin up into little pieces. Going to plant a Winter Bulb Cover Crop on that side of the patch. No sign of split into the cavity and the vine was dry as a bone. Tap roots had started to turn a ivory yellow color..Some sort of disease Tuesday, August 27 View Page Heat Wave....Still 84 degrees at 6:00 in the morning...hope this heat wave doesn't cause growth spurts Wednesday, August 28 View Page Well I am done for the season "Gertie" on the 668.9 Kruger has stopped growning and gotten a soft spot..140" 600lbs estimated weight and just starting to show her HDA color....this sucks I am 0 for 2 and have an empty patch Saturday, August 31 View Page Well the official autopsy report is in on the 668.9 Kruger x 1048 Engel. Now known as the 600est Engel 2013. Blossom end split. She was a solid pumpkin with thick walls and very little cavity. When I opened it up I was just about overcome with that hot fermented smell of rotten pumpkin guts. May she rest in pieces Saturday, September 14 View Page 1st pumpkin carving of the season..just a simple etch so the pumpkin will lass the rest of the season Saturday, September 21 View Page With no pumpkins to weigh this season, that means after the Wedding Cakes are delivered we have more time for Pumpkin Carving. Jodi is going to kick my butt this year, I should have never shown her how to sculpt. Friday, October 11 View Page Well I am harvesting the big one.. out of the patch tonight...it will surely turn some heads and people will be asking all kinds of questions.. I am sure it will be heavy as it is solid as a rock.. No Howard Dill Award for me this year but could be a state record. Friday, October 11 View Page Well I am harvesting the big one.. out of the patch tonight...it will surely turn some heads and people will be asking all kinds of questions.. I am sure it will be heavy as it is solid as a rock.. No Howard Dill Award for me this year but could be a state record. Saturday, October 12 View Page Here is my entry at Stillwater...I told you it would turn heads and people would ask lots of questions..19.2 lb Rutabaga...Possible State Record unless someone knows a bigger one in Wisconsin. I am going to get serious next year and go for 50 lbs. Just have to get them to make a GPC category..Rutabaga for 2014 GPC Vegetable :) Saturday, October 12 View Page 780 Foslid 2013 grown from the 1048 Engel 2012. Looked just like its Mom...1st year grower. Howard Dill Award Winner Saturday, October 12 View Page After we got the pumpkins unloaded. I went to work :) carving this pumpkin. A lot of people took a lot of pictures and asked a ton of questions keeping the carving interesting. Sign me up to do this again Joe.. Saturday, October 12 View Page After I got done carving the big pumpkin...I fell back on my favorite easy crowd pleasing Minion. Scott, Kevin, and Joe I expect to get paid for entertaining your children. They kept the carving very interesting..it was sort of like being in an AT&T commercial where that guy is sitting at the table with the elementary school kids Saturday, October 12 View Page Here is half of my audience...He went home with Kevin Marsh's girls... Saturday, October 12 View Page Quote I heard today that I never thought I would hear at a Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off. Q: " Kevin where is your entry" A: "Right here in my pocket, on its pallet" Can't believe you did not place...next year grow a Rutabaga so I have some competition. :) Wednesday, October 23 View Page Here is a Hippo my wife Jodi carved for WEAU's Monica Ott. Wednesday, October 23 View Page Here is my Happy Cows Shade and Lit 3D carving. I love this technique but it is difficult to master as you need to carve from both sides of the pumpkin Wednesday, October 23 View Page Here is a Sunrise Pumpkin I did for them Wednesday, October 23 View Page Here is my Wolf Wednesday, October 23 View Page Here is the Wolf with a time delayed shutter, allowing you to see the fine details Saturday, October 26 View Page Getting ready to go out for a Halloween Party...