The Mystery of The Great Pumpkin FINALLY Solved!
There are two words to summarize my weekend: babies and pumpkins.
1) Babies. Mile High Mamas had a booth at the Oh Baby! Baby & Family Expo on Saturday and Sunday. I met many great women, saw some fantastic products and there were babies. Oh, so many babies. Welcome if you are visiting us for the first time and we hope you will become an active part of our fun community!
2) Pumpkins. Not just any pumpkins, but The Great Pumpkin that my husband Jamie has been giving suck from the womb growing for many months now. Friday night was the pumpkin’s open house.
Because we are just kooky enough to hold a party for an inanimate object.
But do you know what? Our friends were kooky enough to attend, bring pumpkin gifts and pose for pictures with The Great Pumpkin. And the highlight of the event? The great ribbon cutting vine snipping, followed by hauling it to the trailer. And just how did they do it? Eight men + one pumpkin lifting tarp + a whole lot of muscle. And even more sore backs.
Colorado’s largest pumpkins congregated at the Rocky Mountain Giant Vegetable Growers weigh-off on Saturday. If you had ever asked me as a little girl if I would marry a man who would become conjoined with such an organization, I would have laughed until I was blue in the face.
Or orange.
And the results all [five] of you have been waiting for? The Great Pumpkin’s weight is 755 pounds and it won second place for the prettiest pumpkin. The state record was broken by Joe Scherber at a whopping 1,135 pounds!
Which technically means that The Great Pumpkin is not quite as great as Farmer Joe’s. Or more accurately, Dentist Joe’s.
Though it just doesn’t have the same ring.
Last week on Mile High Mamas, I ran a Get-My-husband-Off-My-Back-and-Guess-His-Pumpkin’s-Weight Contest. Congratulations to Pat. Her guess was the closest and she won four tickets to Elitch’s Fright Fest!
My daughter took third place in the children’s division and Jamie plans to help our son grow one as well next year.
And then it will all be over for me because I will officially be outnumbered.
Lest you think I am a killjoy, know that our entire summer has revolved around The Great Pumpkin. A few weeks ago, we had family in town and we were talking about [what else?] pumpkins when there was a lull in the conversation. I finally broke it.
“Has anyone wondered what we are going to talk about when pumpkin season is over?”
Jamie: “We will reminisce about The Great Pumpkin.”
For additional pictures and fun commentary on the competition and open house, go to my blog, Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck tomorrow. Or if you’re just tuning into this saga, checkout Sordid Secrets and the Husbands Who Keep Them.
Everyone needs a passion in their life… even if it is The Great Pumpkin! Sounds like an exhausting, yet fun weekend :)
That is a lot of pumpkin pies, my friend!! Congratulations to Jamie and the great pumpkin!! Enjoy! I’m happy you survived.
That is incredible!!
“We will reminisce about the Great Pumpkin.”
Ha!
Hey, sorry I’ve been MIA, Amber, I’ve been practically MIA everywhere lately. I promise it’s not just you! :)
I’m glad the Pumpkin Party was a success. And just so you know, if I was within 50 miles of said party, I totally would have attended. Because I like kooky parties. Love ‘em! And any excuse to get together and party? Bring. It. On.
Wow. I’m trying to imagine how much watering/care/etc a giant pumpkin takes. And yard space!
It sounds like good clean fun to me, Amber.
You just need to start trying to grow a giant zucchini or something - take some of the attention back! :D
Kagey–He grew the pumpkin in his parent’s garden because the vines were 30 feet X 30 feet and we didn’t have the space. As far as how much water, it needed A LOT. At the pumpkin’s peak, it would grow 30 lbs a day!
Oh, and you wouldn’t have believed some of the other fruits and veggies. Someone grew a pear that was 2.5 feet high. AMAZING!
I love that you had a vine snipping ceremony. And…that you are now doomed…er, I mean have the opportunity to reminisce about the Great Pumpkin.
I agree, “Dentist Joe” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Sorry we missed it Amber. It is a really cool pumpkin and clearly worth all of the time and effort Jamie spent neglecting you for!!
When I picture this whole thing in my mind …I just have to laugh.
The great pumpkin?
The whole pumpkin hobby?
The planning of vacations and weekends around what else?
Pumkins!
You. are. my. hero.
Thank goodness it provides for lots of blog fodder.
And a pie or eight hundred.
:) THat’s a BIG pumpkin. Great pictures!
I will have to consult with your husband next year. LONG have I wanted to grow pumpkins, but all 3 times I’ve tried the vines have sort of melted. Overwatering? General gardening lameness?
Great pictures!
wow! I’m assuming conversation is going to turn to the new crop, it’s not to early to start planning! I think you should join in on the fun.
I LOVE the shot with Jamie and his first—no Second LOVE, his great pumpkin. And what kind of seeds were used? I just curious.
How sad that the journey is over! Can congratulations on your success.
Truly amazing. I had no idea it would be that heavy!
i love that pumpkin- my pumpkins bore no fruit this year very disappointed in my vines…
Wow! 755?! I didn’t know pumpkins got that heavy - no wonder there were sore backs involved!
Did they test his pumpkin for steroids? I don’t think that size is natural. :)
Amazing and I LOVE the party idea!!!
OK - The picture of Jamie hugging the pumpkin is just hysterical. And I love the family shot which includes the pumpkin. You are all very beautiful I might add (yes…even the Great Pumpkin). Can’t wait for next year’s pumpkin season. :)
Second place for prettiest pumpkin is great! This is Jamie’s first try, right? Those pics are priceless.
So….
What do you do with a giant pumpkin now?
That’s not an inanimate object…it’s a creature! How did you manage to grow that thing anyway? I’ve been all proud of myself because some little yellow-and-green gourd vine came up in my yard all by itself, but now…
Wow! That is just amazing! I want to do that! Well, maybe not 755 lbs worth, but that is cool!
http://grumpyangel.blogspot.com
Amber, I had so much fun just looking at these photos and reading about it. 755 pounds! Pumpkin on steroids! Whew! Your husband’s “hobby” is so interesting and makes for a very fun life for you and the family. I think it’s awesome.
This might be a stupid question, but when you cut open this giant pumpkin, are the seeds giant, or normal size seeds? Just curious. That’s a great family photo! He doesn’t name the pumpkin does he?
I just had a flash back to Wallace and Grommit’s Curse of the Wererabbit… it sounds like your husband would have fit in well in that community. :)
Being from Alaska I don’t really have the heart to break it to Jamie that I know people who’ve grown cabbages bigger than his pumpkin…Maybe you could do it!
I actually saw a show on PBS about giant pumpkin growers, interesting stuff
Pretty impressive pumpkin! And it really is a beauty.
That pumpkin is huge! I like how bright and orange it is. Nice stuff.
http://ldrmommyrocks.blogspot.com/
It IS a very nice pumpkin. What will you have to blog about now it is all over? :)
As I was reading through the comments, this thought came through my mind: Now that the quest for the ultimate pumpkin been temporarily put on hold (for this year at least this year), I wonder if Jamie will officially change his name to Peter …… that way he won’t really have to abandon all of his hard earned work over the summer and can focus a little more on his two true loves. :)
Yeah!! THat is a huge pumpkin =)
That is so excellent! I am very impressed by both his passion for it and the results. And how nice for you that you didn’t have to foot the water bill to grow something that big!
What will you do with it now?
Melissa
Wow! That is one HUGE pumpkin! Nice job Jamie!
Now what?? Pumpkin Pie.. Pumpkin Bread.. Pumpkin Pasta….Pumpkin Pancake??MMmm
OMG, that is a BEAST! I can’t believe someone grew one even larger. Wow, just wow. And I had no idea your hubby was into large vegetables. hehe. ;) So did massive amount of Miracle Gro go into this bad boy or what’s the secret?
Whoa baby. That’s some great pumpkin Charlie Brown. I was wasy off. Oh well. No sense crying over spilled pumpkin seeds.
Now that’s a man who loves his pumpkins!
Your Great Pumpkin SO ROCKS and I LOVE how the event is celebrated. We’ve been pondering a patch in a garden area but my darling husband hasn’t been so gung ho..
.. til now..
~Melissa
http://www.coloradodentons.blogspot.com
And how exactly do you grow a pumpkin that big? And what do you do with it now that pumpkin season is over?
sjones1026(at)hotmail(dot)com
http://andallthejonesmen.blogspot.com
Amber, I love it! I’m thrilled with the whole thing. I am thrilled to get the information on the size.
It’s adorable how excited he is, and even more so how hair-pulling silly you get about it!
Thanks for letting us into your little world!!!
Wow! 755 pounds, I wouldn’t have been close if I had guessed.
Scene: group sitting in circle
“Hello, my name is Jamie.”
Group responds, “Hello, Jamie.”
“I am a giant pumpkin addict. My hand have been clean for 3 months now…”
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