Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 182 Entries. Saturday, March 10 View Page A new season is almost here. I’m ready for spring but spring isn’t ready for northeast Pennsylvania. We were not spared the storms either. It was pretty but enough is enough.   Saturday, March 10 View Page Power out for 5 days in a lot of the area. Our hunting club had a tree on the lines for a week. You can drink cold beer with a generator running.   Saturday, March 10 View Page A mess   Saturday, March 10 View Page Sad for me was a beautiful pear tree that had fruit last season for the first time.   Saturday, March 10 View Page There are some signs of spring around here but with all of the snow on the ground it is hard to get excited about any patch prep. The PA game commission has a good website which you can google if you want to check out the Hanover Eagle Nest. Spring is in the air down there. The eagles are amazing to watch. It is a 24/7 feed. The couple share egg sitting duties and once the eggs hatch there will be a steady stream of fish and any number of exotic dishes to feed the babies.   Saturday, March 10 View Page The eagles are amazing architects and parents.   Friday, March 23 View Page It looks like it MAY start to warm up next week. Hard to get excited about the pumpkin season with snow on the ground I promise I will start posting pumpkin related things as soon as the time comes. I wanted to give an update on the PA Eagle nest in Hanover the the game commission has cameras on. It was a tough week for the couple with the late season snow.   Friday, March 23 View Page The snow kept coming and Liberty stayed on the eggs.   Friday, March 23 View Page Then tragedy struck. A competing female adult eagle attacked supposedly trying to claim Liberty’s mate. Freedom. Liberty was not seen after the fight so nobody is sure if she survived. These eagles are amazing. Freedom took over and would not leave despite the mounting snow.   Friday, March 23 View Page Freedom stayed for two days until his hunger took over and he would periodically leave for a few short minutes.   Friday, March 23 View Page Sad but true the new female who attacked Liberty returned. The eggs are now lost. It was hard to watch but a nature lesson for all that were following along. It shows how tough the journey is to go from an egg to a young eagle. Not unlike the difficulties of getting a pumpkin seed to germinate and surviving the trials to get it to a weighoff.   Tuesday, April 10 View Page It’s supposed to warm up here in the northeast. Come on already. Dyberry patch andy decorated my truck with a new antennae cover with a note reminding me it’s go time. We shall see! Come on Mother Nature enough of the Fake News. It’s April !!   Tuesday, May 15 View Page In that hold your breath mode to see if the young plants are going to survive the transplant stage here. I hate when the backups on the porch look better than the ones that I planted. Hopefully warmer temps will be here to stay soon. There are signs of spring here in northeastern Pennsylvania.   Tuesday, May 15 View Page Spring turkey season is always a good way to kill some time. Val notched her first longbeard. What a gal !!   Tuesday, May 15 View Page I was looking at some older bp diaries and came across some pics of my daughter Lauren who enjoyed being my pumpkin model. These were in 2005 when she was 10   Tuesday, May 15 View Page Even had a tomato back then too on a big zac   Tuesday, May 15 View Page The pumpkins looked bigger back then when she was small   Tuesday, May 15 View Page Time goes by fast folks, enjoy the ride. Lauren traded in her floppy hat from 2005 for a new one this past Saturday. Where did those last 13 years go. So proud of you Lauren. Xoxoxo Congratulations !!   Tuesday, May 15 View Page Pumpkins are in!! Some planted for orange, some proven ones, some new ones, some green ones, some of mine and maybe some of yours. Let the games begin !!   Wednesday, May 16 View Page This pumpkin growing is hard enough without Mother Nature throwing stones at us. Tornado warnings came to fruition by the looks of things in our town   Wednesday, May 16 View Page Lots of storm damage   Wednesday, May 16 View Page What power   Wednesday, May 16 View Page It’s not nice to mess with Mother Nature   Wednesday, May 16 View Page My hoop houses at my moms didn’t fair so well   Wednesday, May 16 View Page These had lights installed and were looking good   Wednesday, May 16 View Page Oh well if it was easy everyone would be growing these things.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page No entries from me for awhile. I best get some in to show the small plants for posterity purposes at least. It is easy to get plant envy this time of year and it looks like a lot of growers are ahead of years past with a lot of mid June pollinations under way. Mother Nature hasn’t been kind in this side of the state but there is no sense whining over it. Plants are starting to come along now. I had a couple piles of composted manure that I spread. No tractor here so it was the old fashioned way. Most likely on to late but I am going with it.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page Plants are looking healthy just a bit behind. One of the best is our 1086 from last year.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page Entered the tomato challenge with the prodding of that Pork Chop guy ! It seems to be a fun thing to do. It’s ok to have Small Plants this time of year !! I started a wide variety and have them dotted around the patch and a group at the patch at my moms house as well. I have them in with all sorts of amendments. I need to get some heavy duty stakes in to support the monsters. Go team 24. I have a pork chop, a q tip, a wixom, some 3.98 checkons , a fulk, a zaczilla, a big zac or two and what is gonna Rock the tomato workd is the 4.0 Momare !   Tuesday, June 19 View Page Looking good so far.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page I’m also doing the WOW super starter challenge ! A couple of my ghost pepper plants will be the test medium.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page In they go. Wow on the right. Nothing on the left   Tuesday, June 19 View Page It will be fun to watch and easy to check results with a pepper count   Tuesday, June 19 View Page Ghosts in the ground.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page One of the welcomed surprises of the season so far was the salvation of the 575 Wolf plant. The seed germinated slow and for 2 weeks never developed the first true leaf. It was way behind the other plants and if it was any other seed I would have given up on it. I watered it heavy and put it back under the T lights and then a cluster began to develop. Not really knowing what I was doing I trimmed back some of the growth and low and behold a normal vine emerged. I know Andy is about out of the 575 so I am glad to have squeezed it in to give it a run for a orange beauty. I think Val will be taking this one over and give it full attention.   Tuesday, June 19 View Page I found this seed at totally tomatoes. Maybe this should be the focus for a challenge. The name sounds intriguing!   Tuesday, June 19 View Page Ok. Fat fingers. The surprise of my mater patch is the 4.0 MOMATE. Not momare. Will need to check last years diary to understand. Good luck all !   Tuesday, July 3 View Page It finally heated up here in the northeastern Pennsylvania corner and the plants are loving it. 95 degree days and 70 degree nights have finally kicked the plants in gear. Thanks to Vals help we have the patch looking good.   Tuesday, July 3 View Page I bought the whizzer heads from Holland’s at least 10 years ago and I finally put one together. I like the coverage.   Tuesday, July 3 View Page This tomato thing is interesting. I have plants dotted in various places around the patch. I don’t think I have a lot of the genetics of some proven growers but we shall see. Hoping some megablooms appear on my lesser known plants. I have some planted in stages with the last 3 going in yesterday.   Tuesday, July 3 View Page I only have on Pork Chop seed but looks good so far. I think !   Tuesday, July 3 View Page I have quite a mixture. The 3.98 Checkon has a short stocky stem.   Tuesday, July 3 View Page I have some 4.0 Momates that are stocky as well. Fingers crossed for some mega blooms out of them. Hoping this bottom feeding C grower can get something on the board for team 24.   Tuesday, July 3 View Page The plants are a little smaller than I would like but you have to take what you are dealt with. Mother Nature took her time with the heat this spring. Overall I am happy and will go out on a limb and say the world record will not come from my patch this year. I did pollinate this morning and should have others this week. I am hoping with the high temps that they will take.   Monday, July 9 View Page The heat wave was welcome but not sure how it affected the pollinations. The already late sets may not take. Will have to wait s d see and continue to try and pollinate. Val and I worked on the patch at my moms house and got the sprinkler set up. We are growing a squash on one end and possibly let a field pumpkin go on the other side. We have a tomato alley going along the fence and a long gourd on the other side.   Monday, July 9 View Page I’m not quite sure about this tomato pruning thing. It looks like there are some blossoms forming on a few of them. No super mega blooms but a few look like at least doubles.   Monday, July 9 View Page Found some secret sauce to feed the meters. I like the name.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page It’s a busy week of late pollinations. The temps are a little bit cooler so hoping these now or never sets will take hold. I pollinated the 1511 Haist squash at my home patch today.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page She was a pretty girl   Wednesday, July 11 View Page Crossed with the 1701 Jutras. Fingers crossed   Wednesday, July 11 View Page I snuck up to dyberry patch Andy’s place to see how my Team 24 member is doing. He has the super long gourd slide ready to roll again.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page He is on board for the mater challenge.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page Looks like something blooming.   Wednesday, July 11 View Page I think some of my mega blooms got mega toasted during the heat wave. I thought this was supposed to be easy. Lol. Good luck all.   Friday, July 13 View Page I’m still finishing up some late pollinations and wondering if the high temps will cause them to abort There is still time for.a big pumpkin but it is getting late. I found another good use for duct tape to keep the flowers shut.   Friday, July 13 View Page The plants are looking good as long as I can keep some water on them. One of our biggest plants are from our 1086 from last year.   Friday, July 13 View Page The earliest set I have is a July 3 pollination on the 1810 Werner I better hurry up and get some fabric under it.   Friday, July 13 View Page I pollinated a second one as a backup a few feet down the main. Some shameless politician uses his campaign signs as a shade structure.   Friday, July 13 View Page The heat must be affecting the mater blooms as well. My biggest plant is on the 5.68 Porkchop it’s leaves are twice as big as any of he other plants.   Friday, July 13 View Page It looks like there is something in there getting ready to unfold.   Friday, July 13 View Page My WOW starter pac challenge seems to be starting to work. The ghost pepper on the right has 2 packs planted with it and both have only been watered with no additional fertilizers. It is starting to take the lead.   Monday, July 16 View Page The warm weather continues and has the vines on the move !! The 1086 is racing now it’s a waiting game to see if the pollinations are going to hold.   Monday, July 16 View Page This is what you don’t want to find when you are checking on your squash pollination. This one was looking good. It was swelling and had it on a good curve. With the warm temps i didn’t think easing down would be an issue but I came home to see it snapped. The extra long stem on the squash was the issue I guess and the growing weight caused a snap. I don’t think this has ever happened to me before. It’s always something. Another flower will be opened in be morning. Better late than never. I have ordered a few My Pillows to rest under the lowering fruit.   Monday, July 16 View Page The 1810 has been cleaned out and positioned. It is on a slight downhill slope so I am trying to keep it level with the sand. It’s going to be a challenge to keep the blossom from growing over itself. I went through the same thing last year in this spot.   Monday, July 16 View Page Growing a field pumpkin in the main site. I now know I started to early and will be a challenge to try and hold back the pollinations a bit. I did set one as I can always take it to our local fair and see if I can win 4 bucks. Wheewww   Monday, July 16 View Page Got a tip from Chop to not be afraid to prune my Giant Maters. Ok I will give it a go. Here is one on a Q Tip that I gave a go. Hope it works.   Monday, July 16 View Page On a more pleasant note. The Lillie’s are showing their colors.   Wednesday, July 18 View Page What a difference a day makes. This hobby can be demoralizing. I have a fence around the perimeter of the patch and also had some interior fencing around the interior plants to keep any animals out. I had taken most of the inside fencing down to let the vines fill in and bury them. The 1810 werner our earliest pollination had a cage over it and a tarp on top but the end was open. This morning I found where something decided to make a snack out of it. Crap. All this work.   Wednesday, July 18 View Page Damage is done.   Wednesday, July 18 View Page I do have a younger fruit on the main that whatever only took one bite so most likely will work on that. Hunting season has officially opened today.   Thursday, July 19 View Page Ok sometimes this hobby likes to kick you when you are down. At my moms patch i have a 1701 Jutras growing and am prepared to let it take over the whole patch. I pulled the other plant on the opposite side due to a severe ribbon vine issue. I do have a late field pumpkin still in the corner. Anyway the squash was doing well. A check yesterday revealed it had split open on the bottom. Nothing set on either squash now. I feel your pain Hayden. Hang in there. There is still time to grow something decent. I think the heat wave was a little to much in our area.   Tuesday, July 31 View Page Still battling the elements around here and a gopher or two. I have a late set on the 1511 haist. I hope she holds. I like the color and if there is a long stem contest. I’m in !   Tuesday, July 31 View Page My 880 is showing promise to produce a nice shaped orange pumpkin. Thanks to andy wolf for his help in collecting the seeds for me last fall.   Tuesday, July 31 View Page The keeper on the 1810 werner has a small chew mark thanks to mr gopher that has been powdered with sulphur. I’m sure the scar will expand but it still should be a nice pumpkin with what looks to be a hint of orange.   Tuesday, July 31 View Page The pumpkins are late but that’s ol. Have to keep marching on. Val has been extra busy in the patch aa well and her hard work will pay off for something for us to be proud of come weigh off tjme. I am one lucky pumpkin grower.   Tuesday, July 31 View Page Gotta love the color on the Rose of Sharon. The bees like it too   Thursday, August 2 View Page Lots of animals lurking this year trying to do patch damage. This guy best be careful. Archery season is around the corner.   Thursday, August 2 View Page My wow pac challenge is looking good. The treated GHOST on the right is pulling ahead with peppers developing.   Thursday, August 2 View Page Oh my gourd !! Visited team 24 member dyberry patch andy and he has his royal gourd slide filling up Karl and Bev will be disappointed as they love the thrill of the giant slide when the ny crew visits.   Thursday, August 2 View Page Dyberry is trying a new fencing technique to mess with the animals. It may just blow their minds. The theory is to keep the entire plant on the opposite side of the tomato. This big Zac is stealth. They won’t have a clue.   Thursday, August 2 View Page I made my first. Boulder holder. Nah that name has been used. How about TOMkini. She is pink and hot. Will need to measure one of these to get an idea of its size   Thursday, August 2 View Page I have some plants chopped and will let few others grow to see if I can get some more mega blooms. Looks like something starting here   Thursday, August 2 View Page One on my Momate showing some promise. Gotta give them a good feeding.   Thursday, August 2 View Page I have a nice field pumpkin on the 81wolf. I think it may have been set a little early but at this stage he’ll in gonna let it roll. I have two other younger ones on it to.   Thursday, August 2 View Page Ok enough is enough. Had a small fence around the pumpkin a sheet over and a piece of styrofoam on it. Looked good yesterday. Peaked at it today. Our 2nd biggest pumpkin. Down goes the 1810 werner. Sad   Friday, August 3 View Page Hated losing the 1810 to a ground hog. It was only 25 days old, starting to put up some food numbers and would have been a money maker if it made it to the finish line. We set the game camera on it and a half hour after we headed out of the house caught this picture at 6:30   Friday, August 3 View Page I didn’t sleep very well as there are still a few other pumpkins in the patch. At 530 I decided to get up early and get my Caddyshack attack mode on. I know I can’t bring the 1810 back. But somehow I feel a bit better today   Monday, August 6 View Page I am liking this tomato thing. Not sure if I know what I am doing but will try and figure it out along the way. Will have to get the timing down to be able to get one to a weighoff. I have a few that look to have potential at my home patch.   Monday, August 6 View Page A nice double I guess.   Monday, August 6 View Page I like this young one. Will have to keep an eye on this one.   Monday, August 6 View Page The Haist squash seems to be talking out of the side of its mouth. I am not sure if it can hold together with the stem angle.   Monday, August 6 View Page It looks like I may get s long gourd this year. It’s off of my 82f from a few years back.   Wednesday, August 15 View Page Getting closer to weighing a tomato for team 24. The monsoons did some leaf damage to tomato ally at the patch at my moms house. I couldn’t resist leaving 2 go on this plant and I see the lower girl starting to blush. I pruned this one more than most.   Wednesday, August 15 View Page Calling all Tomato Heads. It looks like the World Series of Tomato enthusiasts is right here in PA. 4 days of festivities with over 50,000 people expected. Music, parade,events and a full blown tomatoe fight with 150 contestants winging tomatoes at each other. It is in Pittston, PA. Starting tomorrow thru Sunday. Check out the website at www.pittstontomatofestival.com   Sunday, August 19 View Page Time to pick a tomato, it’s turning. It’s off of the 5.61   Sunday, August 19 View Page Val doing her tomato pose.   Sunday, August 19 View Page Top   Sunday, August 19 View Page Bottom   Sunday, August 19 View Page Off to the local market. I thought it may be a little heavier but I will take it. Definitely the biggest i have for an official tomato. It makes one appreciate the efforts of those 3 and 4 plus tomatoes being registered.   Sunday, August 19 View Page The 3.26. I guess I have something to try and beat. Team 24 on the board !   Sunday, August 19 View Page Since we were in a tomato mood of to the Pittston Tomato event we went. 4 days of activities. What a crowd. Even the street signs have tomatoes on them.   Sunday, August 19 View Page Bars have tomato themes   Sunday, August 19 View Page Bands and huge crowd celebrating the tomato   Sunday, August 19 View Page Even s mascot walking around.   Sunday, August 19 View Page Tomatoes on street corners.   Sunday, August 19 View Page I’m not sure if this is needed for a 3 pounder.   Sunday, August 19 View Page   Tuesday, August 21 View Page Forgot to brag that we came away with some gold hardware at the tomato festival. !!! Wowser. The first major of the year.   Tuesday, August 21 View Page Also had a prize for the prettiest, ugliest and smallest.   Tuesday, August 21 View Page That 5.61 seed has game   Tuesday, August 21 View Page I feel like the father on The Christmas Story who won the fishnet leg lamp. Yeah !!!   Friday, August 24 View Page I have been so tomato crazy I have been neglecting any pumpkin pics. It hasn’t been a great year but you have to keep marching on. This is our “save the WOLF” plant. It has been to hell and back. The sole set is on the first secondary. I know andy is all but out if his 575’s. So this one was selfed in hopes of getting some seeds. It does produce orange beauties.   Friday, August 24 View Page The side winding squash is one crazy shape. I can’t believe it hasn’t aborted.   Friday, August 24 View Page Gourd keeps stretching out.   Friday, August 24 View Page And our best shot at four digits is still chugging along. At day 44 it still should have some life in it. We will need a good September to get there . The 880 from last year looks to produce nice orange fruit.   Friday, August 24 View Page Ok I have to have my tomato fix. Getting excited about this one on the Momate plant. Not sure if it’s a mega bloom but it’s a big round tomato.   Sunday, August 26 View Page Picked a couple maters. One was starting to turn red on a Big Zac. Getting better at getting them to look ugly.   Sunday, August 26 View Page Gotta get some more junk in the trunk though.   Sunday, August 26 View Page Next one was from my Momate. Plant. I had neglected it a bit and the plant was down and snapped. The mater was green with a hint of red on the back.   Sunday, August 26 View Page The Momate has rounded bottoms and shapely. Not so much on be mega blooms.   Sunday, August 26 View Page Stem cut and on the scale.   Sunday, August 26 View Page Getting good at the 3 pound club but need to get it to the next level. I think a remaining globe on a Momate may get me there. Time will tell. They are fun to grow. I am happy with these two. A nice set.   Sunday, August 26 View Page Dyberry andy is out of his gourd. An award winner or two in there somewhere.   Sunday, August 26 View Page If you get to Honesdale you have to stop at the OLd School farm for there Friday night only fire oven pizza with homemade sourdough crust and local garden produce and cheeses. Yum.   Sunday, August 26 View Page It was a great spot to stop with dyberry and his mrs and Val. A BYOB and some guitar picking made for a good nite and way to forget about our slacking pumpkin season for a while.   Thursday, August 30 View Page Heat wave is back. When you have a good tomato growing it needs special attention. I put a diaper on this one.   Thursday, August 30 View Page And a shade shelter to boot   Thursday, August 30 View Page Caught another pest napping. Poor soul.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page The summer is winding down. Val and I decided on a trip to Lake Ontario for a weekend of fun and some King Salmon fishing. The water was rough but we had a great time. Val caught her first King.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page We put quite a few bags of fillets in the freezer. We love that HENDERSON harbor. We will be back   Tuesday, September 4 View Page We came home and stopped at my moms to share our good news from the weekend. I had the best catch of the trip. She said yes !!   Tuesday, September 4 View Page I checked on the tomatoes there and Number 2 on the 5.61 koncieczny was ready to be picked and weighed.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page I had a nice batch of maters there. A bucket of eaters from the beefsteaks that val planted and some big red ones on an extra Momate that I put in. That plant produces big tomatoes.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page Off to the market to get s weight. Not sure how this challenge works but I need to keep one slot open. Shhhhhhh I have a good one going on my Momate at home.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page It was a beauty with 2 Three pound tomatoes on that 5.61   Tuesday, September 4 View Page Growing these giant maters has been a nice addition the summer gardening experience. Thanks Chop for planting the seed   Friday, September 7 View Page Hmm the humidity and heat was way up the past few days and my big girl was starting to blush faster than expected. I didn’t want to pick her but the time has come. It is a beautiful tomato off of my 4.0 Momate. Love the round even shape   Friday, September 7 View Page She has a nice bottom too   Friday, September 7 View Page I was thinking of saving her for the MAGPGA weighoff. But holding for 3 weeks makes me a little nervous. Tape on.   Friday, September 7 View Page Off to the market. Boom !! She went to chart and a PB for me. Love this tomato thing.   Friday, September 7 View Page Off to show to the fam. Mom isn’t eating this one. Lol   Friday, September 7 View Page About the size of my sisters head.   Friday, September 7 View Page And finally since it was national take ur tomato to work day. Off we went   Friday, September 14 View Page The 5.37 Momate tour was winding down and time to see about seeds. She was a round solid chunk !   Friday, September 14 View Page These giants are solid for sure. It’s easy to see how they weigh so much. Very dense compared to our eating tomatoes.   Friday, September 14 View Page Seed retrieval is tedious but I have gotten the hang of a method that works for me. I removed and washed in a detergent, rinsed and strained and repeated as necessary   Friday, September 14 View Page It’s work but enjoyable. There don’t seem to be as many seeds as you would think and have to dig for them.   Friday, September 14 View Page There was a lot of meat.   Friday, September 14 View Page The end result was worth it. ! All ready to try for another season.   Friday, September 14 View Page I saved seeds from my other Giants this year. So I have some genetics from big zacs, megadoms, Domingo’s and the Momate. Will be fun to try a couple this winter.   Friday, September 14 View Page The pumpkin patch is not looking so good and in the survival mode. It has been raining again. Powdery mildew has one and weeding and care has come to a screeching halt. We do have some survivors but I think growth will be at a minimal now. We have quite a group of colors and shapes.   Friday, September 14 View Page Certainty the beauty of the bunch is Val’s baby on the 575 wolf. She did the vine burying and micro applications so has to get the credit. The plant was not in the best location but has survived and showing the great color the 575 is known for. It was selfed so hoping she is loaded with seeds.   Friday, September 14 View Page My 880 from last year has a unique shape of its own and flashing some Calai mottling.   Friday, September 14 View Page There are some squash, Long gourds, field pumpkins and late maters still on vine as well. Whether they can hold on and make it to a weighoff will be on a wait and see basis.   Thursday, September 20 View Page It’s never good when you are doing seed retrieval before the weigh offs. The 880 went down to a rotten vine which made its way to the stem and beyond. I think me being tomato crazy made me pumpkin lazy. If I had seen it earlier I think a fan would have helped stop it. She was a good looker   Thursday, September 20 View Page She was thick in the middle. She was crossed with the 1998 Jutras   Thursday, September 20 View Page Some good news for team 24 in the tomato thing. Dyberry andy slid in with a couple to get on the board. He is threatening a bigger one to defend his crown at the MAGPGA site. We shall see   Thursday, September 20 View Page Nice stems dyberry. The tomato police may have to deduct   Thursday, September 20 View Page Starting to get some calls from people wanting to sponsor team 24. Not sure if that is legal.   Thursday, September 20 View Page I guess we can have groopies   Thursday, September 20 View Page Hell this guy even asked if he could put a tomato pic on his car. Better check with Chop   Thursday, September 20 View Page The 880 had the biggest stem I ever had. I think that was part of the problem.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page The local gang had a good time Saturday with our annual trip to the Ridgefield weigh off. On the road again with the long gourd leading the carivan.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page Dyberry andy added to his gourd trophy collection with a Pb for him.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page The numbers were down a bit but there were some monster pumpkins in attendance with lots of shapes and colors.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page Dyberry and myself took on the workd champ Joe Jutras in the squash division. We conceded to joe as he weighed in another nice squash grown on his 1701   Tuesday, September 25 View Page It was a Battle Royal for second place and I nipped Dyberry with my giant avocado. Val and Dyberry were ecstatic with my win.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page 3 of the top 4 pumpkins were grown on the 2363 Holland the interesting thing was the different shape and colors of all of them. Nothing consistent at all. Ed Giarusso took 2nd with s 1669 pound white beast on a Holland   Tuesday, September 25 View Page And check this orange beauty that Steve Sperry grew on the same Holland seed. It is about as perfect of a pumpkin as you will find.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page It made for a good photo op for Val.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page And the King prevailed. Ron took the top dog award again with a 1806 pound monster. It was great to see he and Pap at the weighoff. The Rhode Island gang are true gentlemen and freely share any pumpkin growing information.   Tuesday, September 25 View Page They are world class growers and glad to call them friends. The weigh off isn’t all about the winning but the comaraderie is what is important and what we look forward to when going to the weigh offs   Wednesday, October 3 View Page Our local gang headed to Grims Orchard and the Mid Atlantic Growers Contest. Nobody knew what to expect with the tough growing year a lot of us had. We took what we had and planned to enjoy the event even though we had no huge pumpkins this year. We wanted to show off Val’s orange beauty on the 575 Wolf.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page My Squash ended up with a prize. The 1511 Haist produced a nice deep shade of green.   Wednesday, October 3 View Page All in all it was a great day and a nice crowd showed up to witness the event. There were some big pumpkins exhibited and the venue is perfect for a weigh off. I nudged out dyberry andy in the field pumpkin for an 86 lb Pb for me. Dyberry’s 119.5 long gourd was just enough for a win over Jim’s 119. Wow. And I nudged Paul Fulk by .03 ounce with my 3.53 tomato win. You have to make the best out of what you are dealt with. It was good to see some old friends again and will have to wait another year to try and grow a monster pumpkin.   Friday, October 12 View Page Cleaning up some of the leftovers. I had a small one in my patch off of a secondary on the 1810 werner and found one on the 1701 Jutras. What Color that Jutras has. They were on display at the local Fall Festival in Honesdale.   Friday, October 12 View Page You might say the squash has the same orange shade as Allis Chalmer Orange may have. Hell nothing wrong with painting these things to brighten up everyone’s day. Here is the before picture.   Thursday, November 15 View Page Well we did it. Val and I said our vows in front of about 50 friends and family. It turned out to be a beautiful day and for once the weather man was wrong. I am a lucky guy.   Thursday, November 15 View Page Val was stunning.   Thursday, November 15 View Page Now off to our favorite get away. Longboat key for some fun and relaxation.   Thursday, November 15 View Page What a beautiful piece of the country   Thursday, November 15 View Page And a great day of fishing for us on the Flying Fish. Lane Snappers galore and a fish fry tonight. The pumpkin patch is resting for the year and so are we. We will catch up with you again in 2019.