Halloween nightmare: Pumpkins in short supply

Greetings and good evening everyone.

I'm working on getting my blogging chops back since I've got to start getting entries done each day during October - a feat for sure.

I found an article (here) about pumpkins being in short supply on the East Coast due to Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. As a pumpkin aficionado I would certainly hate to think of a world that had a lack of pumpkins. It just isn't fall without 'em.  Halloween without the Great Pumpkin? Unheard of!

Recently I brewed my first pumpkin ale and for the life of me I couldn't find any fresh pumpkin (I ended up using organic canned pumpkin).  I was told fresh pumpkins arrive in stores sometime around late September or early October.  I emailed a few breweries that make pumpkin beers (that use fresh pumpkin) to see where they pick up pumpkin early enough to brew, bottle and sell to stores, but unfortunately none of them replied. I figure they must get them from South America or something.  Pumpkin beers are in stores now and I plan to review 'em starting in October (early October to give readers time to find some to enjoy during the month).

Anyhow, I just thought I'd pop in to talk about pumpkins.  I sure hope the crop somewhere is nice.

Mark Harvey