Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 61 Entries. Wednesday, April 24 View Page A quote from Alice in Wonderland....reminding me of myself....you....and our BP family. Alice: Have I gone mad? Cheshire Cat: I'm afraid so! You're entirely bonkers! Alice: But I don't want to be among mad people. Cheshire Cat: Oh, you can't help that. Most everyone's mad here. But I'll tell you a secret...ALL THE BEST PROPLE ARE! � Wednesday, April 24 View Page A fresh slate. A new beginning. Here we go..like Alice..falling through the looking glass into the wonderland that lies ahead. Wishing you, and all your mad dreams, the best! � Wednesday, April 24 View Page 2013 Lineup: This is the 979 McMillan 12. It promises to grow big, round, and bright orange! It's patch mates will be: 1498 Werner....1240 Rea....1770 Lieber....1725 CHRISTY HARP!!! � Saturday, April 27 View Page 9' x 12' sheets of plastic are at each planting site to help warm the soil. No electric, so no heating cables! At 8" deep, the soil is 14 degrees warmer under the plastic, than outside the plastic. Each plant will get a 30' x 35' space. The packed down area up the middle is the path for my garden cart. � Saturday, April 27 View Page My easy way to germinate seeds with the damp paper towel & baggie method. I tape the baggies to the TOP of a food dehydrator on the lowest setting. 100% germination within 48 hours for the last 5 years. � Saturday, April 27 View Page The sprouted seeds are now in 2 gal. pots and under grow lights. The photo shows 4 of 10 pots. The bottoms are not snapped on, but taped, so I can put the entire thing in the planting hole...tilt it...slide the bottom off...then straight up with the pot. Voila...roots completely undisturbed. I use the large pots so the plants can be held a few extra days, to let the soil warm up a little more. � Monday, April 29 View Page Two things we know for sure....men and women think differently....and its a royal pain to cut, put end caps on, and install drip tape! So here is my take on cutting it. I do it early, so it will be ready when needed. Per the photo....put a pole across 2 chairs with the roll in the middle. I measure from the chairs, across the family room, kitchen, and dinette and mark the spot for the length I need. Then turn on a good movie and roll and cut! � Monday, April 29 View Page Then I fold and rubber band them. This is just the beginning of a huge pile that will be needed for 5 plants. Next, I'll put on the end caps....again, inside where its warm and dry, and watching a movie. When its time to install in the patch, its so nice to have that part of the work already done. � Saturday, May 11 View Page With no electric for light bulbs or heaters, cold nights have always been a problem for me. I have used styrofoam coolers....then when the plants got bigger, I had to cut two in half and tape them together. But they weren't big enough to add a heat source. So with this crazy weather we've been having, I needed a better plan. So here it is....my big weather protector....3' x 5', 2" thick construction styrofoam, with an R factor of 10. The box is anchored with stakes from the inside. I can easily lift it off when needed. � Saturday, May 11 View Page Inside are two candles. With overnight temps in the 40's, the thermometer was nearly 100 in the morning. So I have been lighting just one. Morning temp with one candle has been 80. The next few nights will be in the 30's, so I will light both. � Saturday, May 11 View Page Today was very cool and cloudy. So when I took the styrofoam lid off this morning, I put plastic on. The inside temp got to 72. Yesterday, the hut came through a storm and high winds with flying colors. � Sunday, May 19 View Page Well well well....look what got raked up today! About 9 inches long. � Monday, July 8 View Page Here I am with Team REA....ready to go to work! For those of you who ask how to keep weeds under control....the trick is to have enough stirrup hoes, so when you have company there is one for everyone! � Monday, July 8 View Page First on the agenda is to get the party plants shaped up. � Monday, July 8 View Page 12 year old grandson Sean and daughter-in-law, Brenda, burying vines on the 1770 Lieber. � Monday, July 8 View Page My niece Heather with 13 year old niece Haley and 9 year old granddaughter Kasey, working on the 1725 Harp. � Monday, July 8 View Page 11 year old grandson Heath and 14 year old niece Morgan with the 1498 Werner. Thanks again everyone for all the well wishes! � Monday, July 8 View Page Work is done....time for pizza! I wish all of you could have a support team like this! � Wednesday, July 10 View Page Rain used to run down the hill from the barn and wash gullies into the patch. Two years ago, Papa Rea cut a trench down one side and across the lower end. With the downpours we've had, the trenches have kept a lot of water from going across the patch. I wonder if this moat will keep the groundhogs out!! � Thursday, July 11 View Page The plant doing the best job going through this year's crazy obstacle course is the 1498 Werner. Here at 10 days with a 32" circumference. � Thursday, July 18 View Page 1770 Lieber....I was glad to see that the plant had normal male flowers. Its a decent size at 10 days, so I'm hoping it will continue to grow! It was pollinated by the 1498 Werner. � Saturday, July 20 View Page So far, going through Wonderland, Alice has had some wacky times, but then she stumbles on the unbirthday party for 1498 Werner. The hookah smoking caterpillar gave Alice some magic mushroom which she slipped to Werner, whose 20 day unbirthday OTT is 203! The Werner pumpkin is now called The Cheshire Cat, because of her mischievous grin. She has big plans!! � Tuesday, July 23 View Page The tyranical Queen of Hearts, who believes in...."off with their heads", will have her way with this big, beautiful, healthy looking 1725 Harp plant, which cannot hold on to a pollinated pumpkin. I hate to say that this plant must be pulled. Sorry Christy! � Tuesday, July 23 View Page The 1770 Lieber started out growing yellow tinged leaves....then grew most of the plant with normal green. Now we are back to this! � Tuesday, July 23 View Page But at least the 1770 pumpkin is still growing and waiting for day 20 to be measured. A little bit mad....a little bit goofy....a little bit wierd....now call "The Mad Hatter". � Friday, July 26 View Page Goodbye 1725 Harp. The girls pulled it out....Alice couldn't bear to watch. Her Wonderland is getting "curiouser and curiouser!" � Tuesday, July 30 View Page The 30 day old Cheshire Cat (1498 Werner)with the big grin, has developed a dimple! � Monday, August 5 View Page On the hill, keeping watch over the pumpkin patch, are the Munchkins. Oops!...never mind....they are supposed to be in The Wizard Of Oz! � Monday, August 5 View Page The 1770 Lieber is still holding on, making modest daily gains, and at 25 days had a 201 OTT. She's getting some super drenches which will hopefully give her a boost. � Tuesday, August 6 View Page The Queen of Hearts has shouted "Off with your head" to several of the party plants. Although not certain, I am blaming Yellow Vine Disease. So I'm pulling the secondary vines into the resulting open spaces....so the remaining plants can get as big as possible, and hopefully give a lot of pumpkins for the fall punkin pickin' unbirthday party. � Tuesday, August 6 View Page The surviving plants look healthy and are filling in. This beautiful plant is "The White Rabbit" (aka Full Moon), and will have some nice big white pumpkins for the party. � Tuesday, August 6 View Page "C-cat" (1498 Werner) grinned at 600 lbs. on day 35! � Saturday, August 17 View Page Here is a peek under the leaves of a Prizewinner plant. The plant is quite large and producing a lot of pumpkins. Most years I get 6 or 7 per plant. � Saturday, August 17 View Page The Mad Hatter....1770 Lieber...."I'm late, I'm late for a very important date...which is Oct. 12th....the OVGPG weighoff." At 40 days, she is only 354 lbs., and the cold weather has dropped daily gains to 10 lbs. We'll see if The Queen of Hearts' magic mushrooms and next week's warmer temps can rev her up! � Tuesday, August 20 View Page Alice gives "C-Cat" a pinch of the mysterious mushroom. And voila....the previous 5 day lb/day average, which had dropped, jumped back up for the next 5 days. At 50 days and 950 lbs., she is begging for a little more mushroom! � Wednesday, August 21 View Page Nothing more glorious than the patch at the crack of dawn! "C-Cat's" plant.....1498 Werner, is big and healthy. So I'm hoping for some nice September gains. � Tuesday, August 27 View Page And why is silly "C-Cat" still grinning? Could it be her daily gains are staying up? Could it be....Shhhh....don't tell. Don't tell the Queen of Hearts, or it will be "Off with your head!" We've found her magic mushrooms! Nathan....if you can sneak passed her, you can pick JUST ONE!!! � Thursday, September 5 View Page There have been some curiosities in this non-sensical dreamland called Wonderland. Some seeds from UK popped up and grew bonbon squash (apple for size), by way of BP "Dandytown". � Thursday, September 5 View Page Chopped it up....put it in a pan....pretty delicious! � Thursday, September 5 View Page A major curiosity for the season....the 1770 Lieber plant. And now the pumpkin, at 400 lbs, has decided to call it quits! Looks beautiful...no blemishes....just decided to not grow anymore! � Thursday, September 5 View Page 1498 Werner. "C-Cat"....still growing....still grinning....has caused her a few stretch marks. Not a bad price to pay for 300 lbs this past 2 weeks! � Tuesday, September 17 View Page White Rabbit: "Run...run for your life! Its the scarey, evil Queen of Hearts!" Cheshire Cat: "No...don't get freaked! She's not the Queen of Hearts. She is the Queen of Pumpkins, Christy Harp...here to slip me another bit of magic mushroom!" � Friday, September 27 View Page That mischievous "C-Cat" is trying to make me nervous....playing cat n' mouse games!....with tell-tale evidence between the blanket layers. Turns out it was a cat n' mole game. There have been mice under my pumpkins the last two years.....one with a disqualifying hole. Sure don't want that to happen again! A jet spray of water flushed him out. I've been told that moles won't gnaw on a pumpkin....hope that's right. That cat better behave herself till the weighoff! She has been surrounded by mouse bait and moth balls. And now there are also traps and a solar, sonic-wave soil prod! � Friday, September 27 View Page I must be in a dream! "C-Cat"....you've got the biggest OTT ever in the REA patch! "C-Cat": "I've got....huh?" � Saturday, September 28 View Page WHO'S YOUR DADDY? The daddy of C-Cat's kittens will be the 979 McMillan 12, grown by Dave McMillan, BP "Bumkin". (1634 Werner x 300 McMillan uow, also bright orange & late pollination [1610 Lieber x 1725 Harp]). They should make some big beautiful babies! � Monday, October 7 View Page It rained all day Saturday and Saturday night.....and was cold & drizzly today. But in between, on Sunday, it cleared up and was sunny and warm....just like falling into Wonderland and our annual Punkin Pickin' Party. � Monday, October 7 View Page My grandkids paint a sign each year...which we save...and hang them all up the next year. Here is 2005. � Monday, October 7 View Page This is the photo gallery of 16" x 24" favorite photos. � Monday, October 7 View Page Looking over the Full Moons! First time for growing these. � Monday, October 7 View Page Picking a pumpkin can be quite serious! � Monday, October 7 View Page The Queen of Hearts declares..."The pumpkins must be clean!....or off with your heads!" � Monday, October 7 View Page Hannah and her load of Phat Jacks. � Monday, October 7 View Page The Queen wanted to play flamingo croquet. But instead, we did pumpkin races. Hmmm...let's see...which one is the girly girl?....and which is the intense athlete? � Monday, October 7 View Page The Queen disapproved, but here are the kids practicing for the pumpkin seed spitting contest...which was the highlight of the day! � Monday, October 7 View Page Gourd painting was a big hit! � Monday, October 7 View Page Presenting the four finalists in the hoola hoop contest. And the winner is.... � Monday, October 7 View Page the smiling Kasey, who can do three hoops at a time! � Monday, October 7 View Page And of course...our annual "funny face" group picture! What a great day! So much fun! So much laughter! � Sunday, October 13 View Page A pretty picture from the Ohio Valley Canfield weighoff. Many thanks to all those who made the weighoff such a special event. They work countless hours for the rest of us to have a great weighoff experience. Please know....it is greatly appreciated! � Sunday, October 13 View Page C-Cat, going to the scales....before the pallet broke! � Sunday, October 13 View Page C-Cat is the 1327.5 REA, and a new personal best. It was a wonderful day! �