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Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 43 Entries.
Monday, January 20 View Page
Time to start thinking about Pumpkins.
 
Saturday, January 25 View Page
It was totally inappropriate of me to discriminate against the ladies of BP by not posting some pumpkin eye candy for them. I sincerely apologize and please do not out me to the "#metoo" movement. To make amends please enjoy this post.
 
Saturday, February 1 View Page
The drip kit from the Illinois auction arrived today. Last year was the first year where overhead watering greatly exasperated the variety of ailments that I was fighting. I purchased a small drip kit last year and it worked out well. So I pulled the trigger on a larger kit. The plan is to go all drip during this year's season.
 
Monday, February 3 View Page
It was a West Coast day. I received my lifting ring courtesy of Steve Handy and some 1927 Uhlmeyer seeds from the source. The 1927 was one of the first large, orange and round pumpkins. If you ever see a post from Steve Handy offering to sell lifting rings are tri-pod heads, buy'em before they are gone. I will post a pic of the 1927 in my next post.
 
Monday, February 3 View Page
Here is a pic of the 1927 Uhlmeyer 2017. I appreciate Mr. Uhlmeyer sharing some of his seeds with me. The hobby is so much more than just growing the pumpkins, its the camaraderie of the community. And without Big Pumpkins this would exist on a much more limited scale. I renewed my BP premium membership this weekend, are you a member?
 
Sunday, March 1 View Page
What's up with people taking pictures of their food and posting it to the internet? I must have looked at the wrong schedule, I thought the GPC meeting was in Orlando. Where else but Disney World can you get a $6 chocolate chip cookie.
 
Sunday, March 1 View Page
When did Disney add a mechanical fire breathing dragon to their afternoon parade? My little girl was enjoying the parade until this came out. I would accuse her of being a snowflake, but she is only three and is entitled to be suspicious of large propane filled animatronic breathing fire. lol
 
Friday, March 13 View Page
It is amazing how the internet has led to the creation of more experts.
 
Saturday, March 14 View Page
The CDC finally provided a reason for the toilet paper shortage.
 
Monday, March 16 View Page
Tom Hanks just cannot catch a break.
 
Monday, March 16 View Page
Dang those pesky kids.
 
Monday, March 16 View Page
2018 was a good year for the Halloween display near the front door.
 
Friday, March 27 View Page
Paper towels, bottled water, and bleach are back in regular stock in our area, but still hard to find is toilet paper and made of unobtainium is hand sanitizer and sanitizer wipes.
 
Sunday, March 29 View Page
Do I need a 33 round Glock pistol magazine? No. Am I glad that I have it? Yes. Actually, I have been tempted to order this for years, as I could see where this would be fun at the practice range. I saw it online at Cabelas when I was ordering target ammo and decided to pull the trigger.
 
Monday, April 6 View Page
It's sad, but I had to go best two out of three.
 
Friday, April 10 View Page
A modern day example of reverse Darwinism.
 
Saturday, April 11 View Page
Site work done last night. Today is the big day.
 
Saturday, April 11 View Page
Putting down some tarps and cardbaord for protection.
 
Saturday, April 11 View Page
Put down a second tarp over the top of everything which may be overkill, but you can never be too careful..
 
Saturday, April 11 View Page
Project done. Did you think I was talking about pumpkins? I am officially Quarantine Dad of the Week. We wanted to find an outdoor activity for our daughter to enjoy.
 
Thursday, May 14 View Page
I don't have has much throwback Thursday material as most of you. Here is a group photo from 5 years ago, where I thought that I was the King of Siam for getting so many pumpkins to the finish line in Georgia. I sometimes wish that I was so easily impressed with myself as I was back then. lol
 
Thursday, May 21 View Page
Throwback Thursday picture to my first year of trying to grow a true giant. which was two years ago. I only had one plant and got one to the finish line at about 450 by way of OTT. Not too bad considering 625 will get you into the Georgia Top Ten. It did have a green streak that kept getting more pronounced as time went on.
 
Thursday, May 21 View Page
My giant pumpkin did make the class photo look better. I had about a dozen pumpkins for the class photo.
 
Thursday, May 21 View Page
My Halloween photo from 2018.
 
Thursday, May 28 View Page
Last of the throwback Thursday pics, as I am up to last year. For only the second time in 8 years, I finished the pumpkin season with no pumpkins. That is the downside to growing only two plants instead of several. I battled angular leaf spotting disease which took out my 1576 LaRiviere early in the season and then I battled it on the 1742 Terry. Western Labs was so good to me during my angular leaf battle, their suggestion of copper and manzanate really kept the plant moving forward. I was near 20 DAP with an estimated weight of 150lbs and maybe setting a personal record or a low Top Ten State Finish when the unexpected happened. lol Such is life. Most of you know the story, no need to rehash.
 
Tuesday, June 2 View Page
The final lineup for this year is set. Here are the plants that are in the garden. First up, I have two 1742 Terry plants which holds the TN State record.
 
Tuesday, June 2 View Page
And the third spot in my garden goes to the 1927 Uhlmeyer which was the mother seed to the 1742 Terry. I love the color and size of both pumpkins.
 
Monday, June 8 View Page
Here is my Henry the Giant Pumpkin grower hand photo. :-) Not sure when Henry posts his pics whether he has small hands or big leaves. If I was growing cabbage, I would be feeling pretty good right now. I might have New England sized leaves, they are measuring 26 inches for what its worth.
 
Thursday, July 2 View Page
Looks like I am going to lose two of my set pumpkins, The picture is of the 1927 Uhlmeyer it was growing well. It put on 80 lbs last week and was on its way to 120 lbs this week. I saw a sack fluid on the side of the pumpkin and it turns out it was frass from a worm. I also had the same problem with one of set 1742 Terrys. Sometimes if it is not one thing it seems to be another. I just wish I had not terminated all the secondaries last week. Maybe I can get another one set on the main vine. I did try to poke out the worm with a straightened paperclip with the tip dipped in Merit75. Not going down without a fight, but once you started digging the tunnel was much bigger than the small frass above. I will certainly give both pumpkins a chance to scar over. Thanks to Jeff Uhlmeyer for sending the seeds. It was a fast growing plant with a really thick main vine.
 
Sunday, July 5 View Page
I won't say that a morning on the beach makes you forget about your pumpkin losses. But it does put things in into perspective. lol
 
Wednesday, July 22 View Page
I had to cull my Uhlmeyer. It was taping just over 200lbs in under 30 days. Ah what could have been, when you only need 600 lbs to be in the top 10 for your state. My garden has been besieged by moth grubs this year. While I know that svbs are moths, it has been some other moth where the grubs go for the pumpkin and not the vine. The 1927 Uhlmeyer had one of the thickest main vines that I have ever grown. I would like to thank Jeff Uhlmeyer for sending me the seed.
 
Sunday, August 30 View Page
With my season ending early, I had more time to spend at the administrative offices of the Fantasy Pumpkin Growers League or the FPGL. The winner of our inaugural season will receive a super cheesy trophy along with cash and seeds. While it is not a hand whittled award, I like the 80's starburst roller rink stars barrel and of course the pumpkin on the top. If the season ended today, Mikkal Hodge would be the winner, but then again only one site has reported in with the GPC. Good luck to all of the team owners.
 
Sunday, August 30 View Page
To the season winner.
 
Monday, October 12 View Page
Starting to tally up the fantasy standings. I started with Farmer Brown since he had the Patons who are are the leaders heading to the clubhouse. Depending on how HD points work out, I will be surprised if someone is ahead of Farmer Brown at this point. All of his growers have brought at least one pumpkin to a GPC scale. He has the largest pumpkin to date as of 10/11 GPC records at 2,593.70 with the Patons. His team has 5 first place wins and one second place. If he goes with his top 4 growers in terms of wins then his team pumpkin average would be 1,919.55 lbs. Not to shabby. More fantasy team tallies coming up.
 
Monday, October 12 View Page
Next up is Suburban Gardner. A solid effort so far considering her first pick has failed weigh a pumpkin. SG has three first place finishes (two are Joel Holland) and one second place finish which was C. Rodebaugh with a 538lb effort. She will have some figuring to do whether Chris's second place finish points are worth the hit to her team average. SG's largest pumpkin is Joel Holland's 1924 and her team average with Chris is 1484.13 and 1648.13 without Chris. Maybe there are some hidden HD winners which will make a difference.
 
Monday, October 12 View Page
Wolf3080 is the first team to have two 2k pumpkin growers which resulted in two pumpkins in the GPC top ten. Unfortunately, the drop off is dramatic after the first two. W3080 has two first place wins, his largest pumpkin is Geddes with 2304 backed up by Barlow and his 2114. The team average is 1869.25. Not sure where he stands at the moment on HD, but maybe if Tobeck can improve on her 1490 at Terminator then Wolf3080 has a chance.
 
Tuesday, October 13 View Page
Took forever to finish up HankH's Team Virginia Extreme. There is not a better team from top to bottom. His top 4 growers have six 1st place finishes and two 2nd place finishes. His largest pumpkin is 2112 by Stelts and Virginia Extreme has the highest team avg. with an unbelievable 2029.75 pound average. If HankH can find a Howard Dill winner, then I think he will be the leader. Just a reminder to all team owners to let me know at the end of the season, how many HD winners and record setters that they have. I will do my best to find what I can, but with the GPC not denoting HD winners it is the hardest category to track down.
 
Thursday, October 15 View Page
Wow, simply amazing. I owe Mikkal/Smalltown an apology. I thought this was just going to be a two horse between, Farmer Brown and Hank. Well, Mikkal might end up winning. Jutras was a beast with 4 finishes in the top three and Mendi at 2551 was only 40 pounds behind the Patons and might have a new record for Spain. The coolest thing that drafting himself might lead to the championship. He has a first place finish and a HD winner. He has a higher average than Brown. I am assuming that he will replace Boonen for himself. But a lower average than Hank, but I am not seeing an HD for Hank which will cost some points. Depending on how the bonus points shake out, Mikkal might be the winner.
 
Friday, October 16 View Page
Good news/bad news for Kerry Gross. Good news he should have drafted himself because he had a great year and I think he will end up with the West Virginia state record. Bad news, his team blew chunks and I imagine he is a lock for last place. He only had two growers get a pumpkin to the finish line. But Josiah Brandt was his MVP with three top three finishes.
 
Friday, October 16 View Page
Greg/Wiley Coyote is the second team owner tonight who could not fill out a complete roster. The bright side is that Kerry has secured last place. Greg did manage to first place finishes with D. Marshall and J. Biermans.
 
Monday, October 19 View Page
Dibble broke the string of teams not having 5 growers get a pumpkin to the finish line. Noticed that the GPC shows Cliff Warren individually but does not list the site results for the Idaho weigh-off. No doubt, that Dibble is probably first in the HD category with at least 3 HDs. Not sure if Glenna Rea added to that total but she was his only grower getting three pumpkins to the finish line and the Wallace's produced his only one ton pumpkin.
 
Sunday, October 25 View Page
Well, certainly the commissioner cannot be accused of cooking the books. I had three growers unable to get a pumpkin to the finish line so I will take a goose egg for my 5th grower. My stud Urena was the king of the fourth place finish with two of them. And at this point, I have no HD winners though Engel got some pumpkins to a weighoff, I don't think he had any HD's this year.
 
Wednesday, October 28 View Page
Please note that these are temporary standings. There will be some changes especially in the HD category as I try to track down HD wins. I will look through the diaries of individual growers to see if there is an HD victory not credited. For example, I don't have Gansert winning an HD, but I will look through his diary for evidence to the contrary. Also, I am going to go through all of the individual site weighoffs to verify weights of all individual growers. When I finish that, I will consider the pumpkin weights final. I will be sending out the tallies to each team of their temporary scores to help look for errors. Please note, that the GPC results are the official list so I need to be able to verify the finish and the weight on the GPC result page. I do not anticipate future changes will change the standings that much. HOWEVER, if Hank finds an HD win then he would be be near 1st. And only a point separates first from second right not with SmallTown having an overall point total of 31.5pts and FarmerBrown is at 30.5 points. So a second HD victory for FB might give him the league championship since I have them tied at one each thus splitting the points. They would end in a tie, and the tie breaker is largest pumpkin single team pumpkin which belongs Farmer Brown who drafted the Patons. This is a really tight race for the championship. Total Point Standings: 1st: SmallTown 31.5 2nd: Farmer 30.5 3rd: Hank 24.0 4th: Dibble 21.0 5th: Wolf 17.0 6th: Suburban 13.0 7th: KGross 8.0 8th: Orange 7.0 (Tie Broken by Largest Pumpkin) 9th: Wiley 7.0 Biggest Pumpkin: 1st place: Farmer Brown- 9 pts (Patons 2593.70) 2nd: Smalltown - 8pts 3rd: Wolf- 7 pts 4th: Hank- 6 pts 5th: Dibble_- 5pts 6th: Orange- 4pts 7th: Suburban- 3pts 8th: KGross- 2pts 9th: Wiley- 1pt Top 3 Finishes: 1st: Hank 26 points-7 first place, 2 second place,1 third 2nd: Smalltown 3rd: Farmer Brown 4th: Suburban 5th: KGross 6th: Wolf 7th: Wiley 8th: Dibble 9th: Orange Team Avg. Weight 1st: Hank- 2010.6 pounds 2nd: Smalltown 3rd: Farmer 4th: Wolf 5th: Suburban 6th: Dibble 7th: Wiley 8th: Orange 9th: KGross HD Wins (Need at least one HD to qualify for points): 1st: Dibble (3) 2nd: Farmer (1) 7.5 points 2nd: Smalltown (1) 7.5 points Everyone else 0 points
 

 

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