Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 208 Entries. Thursday, March 22 View Page Happy Spring! I am planting 4 giant pumpkins this year. Here is one of my seeds. 3 of the 4 seeds are from the Pacific Northwest. I am hoping that this 1313 Sherwood will be as good for me as it was for Jim last year!   Thursday, March 22 View Page Thanks to Northwest Rain (John), I'll be growing this 1677.5 Hunt! It's my only non-regional seed in the line-up.   Thursday, March 22 View Page This will be my Puyallup Fair plant: The 1053 Pugh. It grew the 1136 Pugh, which set the Puyallup Fair record a couple of years ago. I'm hoping to set a new record with it myself! Once again, my ultimate pumpkin fantasy is to win the Puyallup Fair.   Thursday, March 22 View Page I'm very excited to grow the 1723 Marshall this year! This was such a healthy and vigorous plant. Thanks Dale for the seeds!   Thursday, March 22 View Page Rosalyn's goal for 2012 is to win the Puyallup Fair Jr. Grower Championship, as well as to win the Howard Dill Award. I think she's got a good shot with her two seeds to choose from. The first is the 1244.5 Rea, from Glenna's beautiful Ohio patch.   Thursday, March 22 View Page Her other seed is the 1213.5 Rea. Thank you Glenna for the seeds!   Thursday, March 22 View Page Our giant cabbages are looking good under their grow lights! Rosalyn doesn't want anyone to beat her state record of 41.5 pounds, so she's growing two this year. I've got 4.   Friday, April 6 View Page The 1053 Pugh is filed and soaking. I have prepared my 1 gallon pot by cutting the bottom off, inverting it and wrapping the wide end in plastic secured with a rubber band. It is filled with Miracle Grow Potting soil and heating up in my oven. Yesterday the last of the amendments were spread. Sunday I will rototill. There is a kildeer nest with 3 eggs in it right in the middle of my patch. I will till around the nest and do my best to not disturb the birds during the month-long egg incubation time. I have new, bigger greenhouse film that I bought this week, and will cut it into 32 x 20' pieces today and place an order at the lumber store for the supplies to build bigger cloches. Next week I will build the Puyallup Fair Pumpkin Palace. Game on!   Sunday, April 8 View Page Happy Easter from the Tobeck pumpkin patch! It's sunny and 68 degrees, so I figured today will be a good evening to rototill. Here is my tractor and tiller.   Sunday, April 8 View Page I'm taking pictures while driving/tilling the patch. Doesn't the dirt look lovely?   Sunday, April 8 View Page Here is the kildeer nest right in the middle of the patch with 3 eggs in it. I'm being very careful to not disturb it while working.   Sunday, April 8 View Page The mother kildeer wants me to put both hands on the steering wheel and drive the tractor away from the nest! So I obliged, leaving a little untilled area with a stick poking out of the dirt so I remember to keep away.   Sunday, April 8 View Page So I drove away...and parked the tractor back in the shop.   Sunday, April 8 View Page It looks and feels like spring around here!   Sunday, April 8 View Page The 2012 pumpkin patch. Right here in the front is where the Puyallup Fair Pumpkin Palace will go. I'm going to have the husband prune those hazelnut trees down to about half their height so I don't lose any morning sun in the mid to late spring.   Sunday, April 8 View Page Here is my prospect for the Puyallup Fair: The 1053 Pugh. It's holding steady at 90 degrees.   Sunday, April 8 View Page The giant cabbages are doing very well.   Tuesday, April 10 View Page The 1053 Pugh has emerged!   Saturday, April 14 View Page Behold: The Puyallup Fair Pumpkin Palace! It's bigger and better this year - 20' x 25', inground heating cable, electric heater and fan, overhead heat lamp, indoor plumbing.....   Saturday, April 14 View Page All of my hopes and dreams are right here in this tiny plant: The 1053 Pugh '08 (902 Pugh x 1016 Barker).   Saturday, April 14 View Page Close-up of the 1053.   Monday, April 16 View Page "18th-19th Favorable Days For Planting Root Crops, Extra Good For Vine Crops. Set Strawberry Plants. Good Days For Transplanting." I just saw this in the Farmers Almanac, so this will be my plan for starting the rest of my line-up. I like the "extra good for vine crops" part! Meanwhile I'm continuing to build hoop houses.....   Friday, April 20 View Page The line-up was planted, with the addition of a 1502 Daletas. I came down with a bad case of the flu, so Rosalyn helped out a lot filling pots, filing seeds and everything else. When it was all done, I felt like I was going to die. The next night I slept for 13 hours straight, then took another nap in the afternoon for 4 hours. Thanks to Stan Pugh and Ron Barker for covering for me at the PNWGPG booth at the Spring Fair.   Tuesday, April 24 View Page The 1723 Marshall, 1313 Sherwood and 1213 Rea are all up right now and under the grow light. The rest should be up by the morning. I'm going to have to get busy finishing my hoop houses. Being sick all weekend has me very behind.   Saturday, April 28 View Page The 1677 Hunt failed to germinate. The 1313 Sherwood, 1723 Marshall, and Rosalyn's 1244 Rea got planted outside today. We were busy all day building hoop houses. Each plant gets a 20' x 25' house that will stay up all season. I am waiting for the back-up 1502 Daletas to come up, probably tomorrow. The 1036 Pugh is looking large and amazing! Tomorrow we will plant our cabbages outside and possibly build a long gourd structure.   Sunday, April 29 View Page Here is an evening patch tour: This hoop house is the only empty one, which will house the 1502 Daletas in a few days. Here are my 4 giant cabbages.   Monday, April 30 View Page Here is an evening patch tour: This hoop house is the only empty one, which will house the 1502 Daletas in a few days. Here are my 4 giant cabbages.   Monday, April 30 View Page Looking from the 1502 hoop house, you can see in the middle is the 1723 hoop house, and in the front-left is the Puyallup Fair Pumpkin Palace housing the 1053 Pugh.   Monday, April 30 View Page Here is the 1053 Pugh today.   Monday, April 30 View Page On my way home from work today, Rosalyn calls and says, "Mom, all of your greenhouses are falling apart in the wind." After much questioning, then speaking with the husband, I raced home to see the hoop houses being buffeted by strong gusts, the PVC twisting, and plastic billowing. The only hoop house not affected was the empty one, and the one getting the brunt of the wind damage was the 1053 Pugh's. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the plant. Rosalyn told me that there was plastic all over the plant, wrapped around it. It was lying down. I rushed in to see if it had stapped at the base, and to my delight, it was just laying down, no harm done. Apparently the metal stand in front of the plant that holds the heat lamp saved it from damage. After a trip to the hardware store, we got all of the PVC ribs anchored down to the 2x4 headers, and the 2x4's are screwed in tight to the 2x6 uprights instead of sitting in hangers. I was out there for 2 hours working and now I think I've got things well secured. It was quite a scare! Now that the 1053 is lying down and ready to run, I can breathe a sigh of relief. All of the other plants look just fine, with the exception of the 1502 Daletas which had some damage to the cotyledons upon emergence yesterday morning. Where the cotyledons meet at the stem looks white, dead-like, and the tiny true leaf in the center looks affected as well. I hope it turns out OK, I'll know more in the next 2 days as it develops. Otherwise, I'm going to be making some phone calls to get another plant. I suppose I could also use that empty greenhouse to grow a watermelon and some giant cantaloupes too.   Saturday, May 5 View Page Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here is Rosalyn weeding inside her hoop house that she built. She is a good builder, but not such a good weeder yet! She's wearing her new patch shoes and has high hopes for her 1244.5 Rea.   Saturday, May 5 View Page Today I started the rest of the giants: field pumpkins, sunflowers, long gourds, and cantaloupes.   Saturday, May 5 View Page I also started a giant watermelon!   Sunday, May 6 View Page Her hoop house is 20 x 25 feet just like mine are, but she opted to forego soil heating cables and heat lamps.   Sunday, May 6 View Page 1313 Sherwood   Sunday, May 6 View Page 1053 Pugh   Sunday, May 6 View Page 1053 Pugh from the top   Sunday, May 6 View Page 1723 Marshall   Sunday, May 6 View Page 1502 Daletas - thanks Jeff for the plant! It's posing with the tall corn starts.   Sunday, May 6 View Page My giant cabbages   Sunday, May 6 View Page Oops, those were Rosalyn's giant cabbages. Here are mine.   Sunday, May 6 View Page Hoop houses under the light of the "super moon".   Tuesday, May 8 View Page I came home this evening to find that all of my giant sunflowers have sprouted, as well as the cantaloupes, field pumpkins and watermelon. I'm waiting on the long gourds now.   Friday, May 11 View Page The main vine on the 1053 Pugh is at 4 feet long today.   Saturday, May 19 View Page Here is the 1053 Pugh with its 6 foot 3 inch main vine.   Saturday, May 19 View Page Here is Rosalyn's 1244 Rea.   Saturday, May 19 View Page 1313 Sherwood getting ready to lay down.   Saturday, May 19 View Page 1723 Marshall also getting ready to lay down.   Saturday, May 19 View Page 1502 Daletas. This one and my 1053 Pugh had a bit of frost damage from 5/9. I came home late one night after dropping my horse off at a show and was too tired to turn on the heat lamps or watch the weather report. Darn it! So hopefully that'll be my one and only big mistake of the year. The soil heating cables were on, so I doubt there was any root damage. I ended up removing 2 leaves from the 1053 and may end up removing that one on the upper right of the 1502 as well.   Saturday, May 19 View Page 93 Tobeck field pumpkin; I've planted 3 of them in the patch.   Saturday, May 19 View Page My biggest giant cabbage.   Saturday, May 19 View Page Rosalyn's biggest giant cabbage.   Saturday, May 19 View Page 112.5 LaRue field pumpkin.   Saturday, May 19 View Page 114 Starr field pumpkin.   Saturday, May 19 View Page The 155.5 Finders watermelon and 13.5 Webb cantaloups are planted in their own hoop house called 'The Melon Hut'.   Sunday, May 20 View Page 1053 Pugh has a 6 foot 9 inch main now. Lots of males; no females in sight yet. I'd like to pollinate before June 9th if I can for this early fair pumpkin.   Sunday, May 20 View Page The 1053 Pugh now gets music 24 hrs. a day. We'll see if it has a positive impact on its growth.   Monday, May 21 View Page 1053 Pugh has a 7 foot 2 inch main now.   Tuesday, May 22 View Page The 1053's main is now 7 foot 9 inches!   Tuesday, May 22 View Page All plants are laying down now except the 1313 with its big kickstand and tendency to grow upwards. I layed it on its side but it popped back up.   Wednesday, May 23 View Page Here I am with the 1053 Pugh. That sprinkler in the front of the photo marks the spot when the main vine is at 10 feet long.   Saturday, May 26 View Page 1053 main is 9 feet today and tucked inside the growing tip is a tiny little female that'll probably be somewhere between 11-12 feet out. All plants have mains about 3 feet long now. The 1313 has a tiny little crack across the top of it slightly less that 1/2" long perpendicular to the vine. I wasn't too happy about that when I saw it this afternoon. I'll keep an eye on it to see if it heals over nicely. It's right by a lateral vine that I could make into a new main, but I'd lose 2+ feet of growth.   Sunday, May 27 View Page Rosalyn spent the morning weeding her hoop house. She is working smarter this year: weeding in the morning using the stirrup hoe then closing up the hoop house to 'cook' the weeds. Here she is with her 1244 Rea. Last year she always complained when she was told to weed, but this year, she happily works. I hope this good attitude keeps up in the coming weeks when she needs to start burying vines.   Monday, May 28 View Page 1053 Pugh is at 10' today.   Wednesday, May 30 View Page The 1053 Pugh had an open male blossom today. Here are vine lengths on all of my other plants: 1313 Sherwood 4'9"; 1723 Marshall 4'; 1502 Daletas 4'. Rosalyn's 1244 Rea is at 2'1". I ended up using a piece of PVC and a few zip ties to make a splint for the main of the 1313. The crack is scabbed over, and the second one is starting to heal nicely. The zip ties aren't too snug, and I plan on removing the splint soon.   Saturday, June 2 View Page 1313 Sherwood   Saturday, June 2 View Page 1053 Pugh: 18 feet wide and over 12 feet long.   Saturday, June 2 View Page I've pinched off a lot of females from side vines; Here is my first on the main vine. I wonder how many days until I get to pollinate?   Saturday, June 2 View Page Plenty of males on the 1053. That spotty leaf shows the scars of a frost from May 9th.   Saturday, June 2 View Page 1723 Marshall   Saturday, June 2 View Page 1502 Daletas   Saturday, June 2 View Page My biggest giant cabbage.   Saturday, June 2 View Page I planted my long gourd outside today. This is the 114 Johnson-Butler. Thanks to John S. for the seed!   Saturday, June 2 View Page Here is my 12 foot high long gourd trellis I built night before last. I don't know how on earth I'm going to be able to pollinate these things...I may have to ask my 6 foot 5 husband to stand on a 6 foot ladder.....We'll cross that bridge when we come to it I suppose.   Sunday, June 10 View Page Here is a little evening patch tour. I'm brewing up a batch pf worm/alfalfa tea today that I'll apply tomorrow with my new backpack sprayer.   Sunday, June 10 View Page A peek inside the brewer....   Sunday, June 10 View Page Here is the 1313 Sherwood. It's missing a couple of leaves on account of a big wind storm yesterday afternoon. I literally ran from hoop house to hoop house trying to put things back together for nearly 4 hours. I was so weary when it was all over at 8:30 PM. This plant took the most damage, but it was looking fairly perky today.   Sunday, June 10 View Page Here is my Puyallup Fair contender, the 1053 Pugh. This one was my number one priority during the wind storm, and it had very little damage at all. I've been terminating side vines on it, as it's 20 feet wide now. The main is about 16 feet long. Do you see the female at 13 feet?   Sunday, June 10 View Page Here is a close-up of it's first female on the main vine. I'll probably have to self-pollinate, unless someone else around here has a really early plant going - hmmm...I hope not - I want to be the only early fair planter around! I'm thinking maybe it'll be ready on the 14th; that's my guess anyways. There is another one farther down. I really like this one though because it's got a nice long stem and you can't see it in the photo, but it has faint green stripes and is a nice, long shape.   Sunday, June 10 View Page Here is Rosalyn's 1244 Rea. It got beat on a little by the wind, but perked back up today.   Sunday, June 10 View Page Meanwhile, here is Rosalyn jumping on her trampoline still dressed in her ballet recital tutu. She has had a big week: she turned 9 years old and had her ballet recital.   Sunday, June 10 View Page Here is the 1723 Marshall. It also has a tiny female on its main. In the foreground, those aren't weeds, they're a bunch of baby big leaf maples that grew from all of my leaf litter in the fall! I will dig them up and transplant them all around my property in the next couple of weeks since I don't have any maple trees on my land.   Sunday, June 10 View Page This is Oscar and he likes to patrol the patch for mice, moles, voles, and whatever else he can find. He follows me everywhere and is enjoying his new home. I adopted him from the animal shelter a couple months ago.   Sunday, June 10 View Page Here is my giant cabbage looking exceptionally lovely I think.   Sunday, June 10 View Page The 1502 Daletas isn't growing its side vines very fast, it seems to be putting its energy only into its main so far.   Wednesday, June 13 View Page All pumpkins got their vines buried tonight, and the 1053 Pugh will be ready to pollinate probably day after tomorrow. I've got the main perfectly positioned and can hardly wait! I've been culling little females off of the 1723 and the 1313 side vines. There is a female on the main of the 1723 at 9 feet out. There is also one on the 1313 at 10 feet.   Friday, June 15 View Page 85 days until the Puyallup Fair and look who wants a ticket to go! Just beautiful!   Friday, June 15 View Page Another view. If she takes, I'll snip that leaf and secondary off. For now it's good shade.   Friday, June 15 View Page She's loaded with pollen! 1053 Pugh x 786 Summers (1068 Wallace x 1145 Summers). Thanks to Shannon Summers for the patch tour yesterday and the pollen. In keeping with my theme of growing only Northwest pumpkins this year, I opted to pollinate with the 786 instead of the 1161 Rodonis that he also offered to me.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page 4-lobe on the 1053 pollinated with the 1723 Marshall this morning.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page Another view.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page Meanwhile, here is my first pollination on day 4.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page 1053 Pugh   Tuesday, June 19 View Page Rosalyn's 1502 Daletas.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page 1724 Marshall.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page 1313 Sherwood.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page The 1244 Rea is probably going to get pulled; I think it's sterile. No males to mature yet....we'll give it a few more days.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page Rosalyn wanted me to put this picture of her cabbage in here. It's catching up with mine....   Saturday, June 23 View Page Culled a funky 4-lobe blossom from the 1723 Marshall - lots of seeds in the blossom. It was at 8 feet out, so there was no point in keeping it. Pollinated at 22 feet a beautiful 5-lobe blossom on the 1053 Pugh: 1053 Pugh x 1502 Daletas I'll have a couple to pollinate tomorrow it looks like.   Sunday, June 24 View Page Pollinated the 1313 Sherwood 4-lobes 13 feet out with the 1502 Daletas. Pollinated the 1502 Daletas 5 lobes 13 feet out with the 1053 Pugh. Tomorrow will be D-10 on the 1053's first pollination.   Monday, June 25 View Page 1053 Pugh #1 D-10 23". The long gourd has finally attached itself to the trellis today.   Monday, June 25 View Page 1053 Pugh Day 10   Tuesday, June 26 View Page 1053 #1 D-11 = 26". It really grew a lot in the last 24 hours; I had to get the tape measure out just to confirm I wasn't seeing things!   Friday, June 29 View Page 1053 Pugh #2 D-10 21". Pollinated another 1053 5-lober x 1723. Pollinaated the 1723 Marshall x 1502 Daletas (1725 Harp x 898 Knauss. It was a nice 4-lober with a stubby stem. We'll see if the stem develops in the coming days. It may be a good candidate to terminate at the fruit. I won't make that decision until the fruit is much bigger though. So now all plants are pollinated except for Rosalyn's 1244 Rea. There is a female about a week away. No males have opened yet on that plant, although one further down the vine looks normal with a long stalk, so there is a ray of hope.   Saturday, June 30 View Page Today a few of us Thurston County growers got together and had a patch tour. We went to Shannon Summers', Jeff Uhlmeyers, Jack & Sherry LaRue's then finished at my place. Here's the gang at my house. It was a really nice time seeing everyone's techniques, beautiful plants and pollinations. Shannon has an early fair pumpkin going that is almost as big as mine and it ought to be a real horse race this year!   Saturday, June 30 View Page Today a few of us Thurston County growers got together and had a patch tour. We went to Shannon Summers', Jeff Uhlmeyers, Jack & Sherry LaRue's then finished at my place. Here's the gang at my house. It was a really nice time seeing everyone's techniques, beautiful plants and pollinations. Shannon has an early fair pumpkin going that is almost as big as mine and it ought to be a real horse race this year!   Saturday, June 30 View Page Day 15 with the 1053 Pugh!   Saturday, June 30 View Page The Puyallup Fair Pumpkin Palace is bursting at the seams and its 500 square feet is nearly full!   Saturday, June 30 View Page Here is the plant and fruit without it's cheesy grower.   Saturday, June 30 View Page Here is the plant and fruit without it's cheesy grower.   Saturday, June 30 View Page 1313 Sherwood   Saturday, June 30 View Page 1244 Rea   Saturday, June 30 View Page tall corn & big tomatoes with the 'Melon Hut' in the background   Saturday, June 30 View Page 155.5 Finders watermelon   Saturday, June 30 View Page 13.5 Webb lopes   Saturday, June 30 View Page 93 Tobeck field pumpkin #1   Saturday, June 30 View Page 93 Tobeck field pumpkin #2 (119 Salerno x self)   Saturday, June 30 View Page Rosalyn's 101 LaRue field pumpkin (137 Crews x 142 McInnis)   Saturday, June 30 View Page OOPS! This is actually a "mystery" field pumpkin given to me by Jeff Uhlmeyer day before yesterday. He thinks it might be an 88 Sherwood...?   Saturday, June 30 View Page THIS is Rosalyn's 101 LaRue.   Saturday, June 30 View Page Rosalyn's giant cabbage   Saturday, June 30 View Page Here is the 112.5 LaRue field pumpkin (120 McInnis x 88.5 Sherwood)   Saturday, June 30 View Page Here is the 112.5 LaRue field pumpkin (120 McInnis x 88.5 Sherwood)   Saturday, June 30 View Page 1723 Marshall   Saturday, June 30 View Page My giant cabbage   Saturday, June 30 View Page 114 Starr field pumpkin (81 Wolf x self)   Saturday, June 30 View Page 114 Starr field pumpkin (81 Wolf x self)   Saturday, June 30 View Page Another view of the 114 Starr with the 1502 Daletas in the background.   Saturday, June 30 View Page 1502 Daletas from the other side   Saturday, June 30 View Page 114 Johnson-Butler long gourd is 4 feet high.   Saturday, June 30 View Page 114 Johnson-Butler long gourd is 4 feet high.   Saturday, June 30 View Page The patch is looking good in 2012!   Saturday, June 30 View Page The first cull of 2012: #2 pollination on the 1053.   Thursday, July 5 View Page 1053 D 20= 54" cc. Good news: Rosalyn's 1244 Rea had some males open up today! I was worried that it might be sterile, but it's just a late bloomer I suppose. Her first female will be opening in the morning (a nice 4-lober - I peeked inside already). She wants to pollinate with the 1053 Pugh.   Friday, July 6 View Page 1244 Rea open and ready!   Friday, July 6 View Page Rosalyn pollinating with the 1053 Pugh.   Friday, July 6 View Page I hope it takes!   Friday, July 6 View Page Another cull: #3 on the 1053 (6/23 poll.)   Friday, July 6 View Page 1053 #1 DAP 20   Tuesday, July 10 View Page 1053 #1 D-20=76"   Saturday, July 14 View Page I just got home from 4 days at the Regional Championship horse show and checked on the pumpkins. All are looking amazingly well - and guess what? The 1053 Pugh grew during the 4 days I have been gone: 91" CC for an estimate of 200 POUNDS! 55 days until the Puyallup Fair....OK boys just try and catch up with me now! There hasn't been a lady winner since Geneva Emmons, but I intend to change that this year! Pics tomorrow!   Sunday, July 15 View Page Here is Rosalyn's pumpkin on her 1244 Rea. It is the most orange in the patch; It's a beauty!   Sunday, July 15 View Page Here is the 1313 Sherwood.   Sunday, July 15 View Page Here is the 1053 Pugh.   Sunday, July 15 View Page Top view of the 1053 with a CC of 92".   Sunday, July 15 View Page June 29th pollination 1723 x 1502.   Sunday, July 15 View Page 4th of July pollination on the 1502 Daletas. Awesome stem on this one.   Sunday, July 15 View Page D-30 official end-of-the-day CC on 1053 Pugh:94"   Monday, July 16 View Page I measured the other pumpkins for the first time today and here's what's growing: 1313 Sherwood D-16 CC=44" 1053 Pugh D-31 CC=97 EE=65 SS=56 OTT=218 Est=228 lbs. 1723 Marshall D-17 CC=43" 1502 Daletas D-12 CC=21" Rosalyn didn't measure hers; she was too busy weeding, but it's looking like it's growing with one backup a bit further down the vine just in case.   Monday, July 16 View Page Tall corn is over my head now.   Monday, July 16 View Page 155.5 Finders watermelon is looking bigger.   Monday, July 16 View Page 93 Tobeck field pumpkin #1   Monday, July 16 View Page 93 Tobeck field pumpkin #2   Monday, July 16 View Page 88.5 Sherwood   Monday, July 16 View Page Rosalyn's 101 LaRue   Monday, July 16 View Page Rosalyn's biggest cabbage.   Monday, July 16 View Page 112.5 LaRue   Monday, July 16 View Page A couple pollinations on the 112.5   Monday, July 16 View Page This is the long gourd at about 8 feet tall now.   Monday, July 16 View Page 114 Starr; Cool leaf pattern on this one.   Monday, July 16 View Page Pollination on the 114   Monday, July 16 View Page This is how I get into the Puyallup Fair Pumpkin Palace: The Pumpkin Portal. Access is a bit tricky, so I made a new enterance so I don't distrub the leaves. I lift the plastic onto the pots, then position my stomach on the skateboard then push through the tunnel inside....   Monday, July 16 View Page I built a tunnel out of wire inside for the last of the side vines to climb up and over the top of.   Monday, July 16 View Page I'm almost all the way in....   Monday, July 16 View Page Now that I'm in the Pumpkin Palace, here is the view of the tunnel from inside. One vine is already climbing up and over.   Monday, July 16 View Page This is how I keep the 1053 cozy at night: an old horse blanket. They fit giant pumpkins very well.   Monday, July 16 View Page A tomato mega-bloom.   Monday, July 16 View Page That's my giant tomato plant on the right.   Monday, July 16 View Page A future big one?   Monday, July 16 View Page It's twilight and the pumpkins and melons are all tucked in for the night.   Tuesday, July 17 View Page 13.4 Webb lope is going crazy! (50 Gibson x 42.6 Cantrell)   Sunday, August 5 View Page Well, I wish I could share some photos, but my camera is acting up and my new smart phone doesn't let me post BP pictures for some reason. I just got back from a week-long vacation and have some numbers. From the looks of things, my 1723 Marshall is really hitting its stride now and taking off and blowing by the numbers from my PB 951. Today is day 37 and its OTT is 279 for an est. of 463 lbs. With my old PB I didn't see those kind of numbers until August 25th at day 47! The 1053 Pugh is chugging along slow but steady with an OTT on day 51 of 293 for an est. of 533 lbs. The 1313 Sherwood is at day 36 with an OTT of 235.5 for an est. of 284 lbs. The 1502 Daletas developed a hole into the cavity due to a Dill ring, so the plant will get pulled. Rosalyn's 1244 Rea turned out to be sterile. All sets were wrinkly, tiny blobs that never amounted to anything, so that plant will get pulled as well. I pollinated a watermelon on the 155.5 Finders at about 10' on the main vine on July 21st, and it's now about 14" long and looking fantastic! I thought my biggest giant cabbage split on me, but upon closer inspection, it had developed a second head. I cut it out, and anticipate the cabbage to continue to grow well, although Rosalyn's look to be bigger than mine! I've got one particularly large field pumpkin to take to the Puyallup Fair on the 112 LaRue plant. Also, the long gourd has reached the top of the 12 foot trellis and hopefully in about a week I'll have something to pollinate up there.   Sunday, August 5 View Page Lucky day: I figured out how to send pics from my phone to the computer!. Here is the 155.5 Finders flower on July 21st. This is my first ever watermelon and it's 10' on the main vine.   Sunday, August 5 View Page Amd here is the 155.5 Finders watermelon today! Notice how clean my hands and fingernails are - testament that I've been on a week's vacation.   Sunday, August 5 View Page 1313 Sherwood   Sunday, August 5 View Page Rosalyn's 1244 Rea....too bad. :(   Sunday, August 5 View Page Just a little peek at the 1053 Pugh.   Sunday, August 5 View Page Long gourd at the top of the trellis (that's a 6 foot ladder).   Sunday, August 5 View Page 1723 Marshall; I'm hoping this one will hold together and give me a new PB & 1000+.   Sunday, August 5 View Page Goodbye 1502 Daletas. :(   Monday, August 20 View Page Could there be a new state record watermelon for Washington? Maybe...it's taping at 109 pounds and still growing strong, and the state record is 90.5 pounds!   Monday, August 20 View Page The start of a giant cantaloupe.   Monday, August 20 View Page 1313 Sherwood   Monday, August 20 View Page My biggest field pumpkin off the 112.5 LaRue.   Monday, August 20 View Page The long gourd is growing well!   Monday, August 20 View Page 1053 Pugh thumps really heavy and is super long.   Tuesday, August 21 View Page 1723 Marshall is the biggest pumpking I've ever taped in my patch!   Thursday, August 23 View Page Well, Jim and Jack burst my bubble this week, both letting me know that the actual WA state watermelon record is in excess of 200 lbs. AND....today I thought it somewhat odd that I've been able to move a supposedly 100+ pound melon. It turns out I looked at the chart wrong last week. Boo hoo! As far as I can tell, I looked up 155 (I'm guessing since it's the 155 Finders), which gave me an est of 109 pounds. Actually, it's total inches last week was 120....big difference! Today was measuring day, and it's total inches is 128, for an est of 63 pounds. At 10 pounds gain for the week we have a looooonnggg way to go for the state record! At this point, I think I'll be happy just to have a 100 pounder at the end of the season. Today is day 36; I don't know how long these things grow, but I'm hoping for another month.   Tuesday, August 28 View Page Here is the one that got away - the 112.5 LaRue field pumpkin crossed with the 88.5 Sherwood. It was closing in on the state record of 118 pounds, but went down to a blossom split after a brief rain the night before last. On my digital bathroom scale it weighed 117.5 pounds! It was only the second time I've grown a field pumpkin, and I can't wait to grow the seed from it next year. Also it looks as if one of my pumpkins is over 1000 pounds now! That will be good to get a new personal best and get over that 1000 pound hurdle finally. Go 1723 Marshall!   Thursday, September 6 View Page Eve of the Puyallup Fair and I picked the 1723 Marshall. I'm sacrificing a big-time weight for a shot at the podium, because the Puyallup State Fair is my holy grail! What do you think of the cute skirt coupled with the rubber boots and dirty knees? I'm quite the fashionista, I know!   Thursday, September 6 View Page 1723 Marshall x 1502 Daletas   Saturday, September 8 View Page Here I am with my new PB at the Puyallup Fair: 1135 Tobeck (1723 Marshall x 1502 Daletas)   Saturday, September 8 View Page I was so excited, I had to jump up on my pumpkin once I realized I would be guaranteed a podium spot!   Saturday, September 8 View Page My coveted sign! I'm going to hang it up with my ribbon.   Saturday, September 8 View Page Yay! My pumpkin is on display and the Puyallup Fair!!!!   Saturday, September 8 View Page Winning watermelon: 74.5 pounds. Not too bad for my first time! (155 Finders x self)   Sunday, September 9 View Page My tomatoes for Central Market weigh-off: 2.27 Tobeck and 2.00 Tobeck (both are Belgium Giant heirlooms).   Sunday, October 7 View Page My first attempt at a long gourd, and I'm happy with the results!   Tuesday, October 9 View Page 9 Feet long (108")!   Tuesday, October 9 View Page Here is the photo...   Saturday, October 13 View Page 14.0 Tobeck cantaloupe in the foreground weighed at Central Market!   Saturday, October 13 View Page Anticipation at the scale at Central Market....I'm really hoping to get 1000 pounds with the 1053 Pugh! That's my long gourd on the platform too!   Monday, October 15 View Page Tobeck 973.5 (1053 Pugh x 786 Summers)with Rosalyn! Not the 1000 pounds I was hoping for, but good enough for 5th place, some prize money and the podium. The Top 5 pumpkins are on display at the Market through October. That's 2 for 2 podium finishes for me this year! I'm moving up the world - slowly, but surely!   Monday, October 15 View Page Central Market Results for AG's   Monday, October 15 View Page One pumpkin left in the patch: The 1313 Sherwood. I'm taking it back home to Oregon. It quit growing ages ago, but it's just the right size to be a speed-boat at the Terminator Regatta. I'm going to be a hula-girl!   Monday, October 15 View Page Here is a link to our local news chanel and the Central Market Weigh-Off: http://www.king5.com/video?fb_action_ids=4003863491316&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582   Friday, October 26 View Page Here I am at the PGVG Terminator West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta. Thanks to John (NW Rain) for taking pictures and being my 'pit crew'!!!!!   Friday, October 26 View Page By the time the race was underway, it was raining quite heavily, but that didn't dampen our spirts! I beat Waldo and Jack LaRue in the race, but Jack won the coveted prize for "Best Decorated Pumpkin". Next year......