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

15th Annual Great Glass Pumpkin Patch

I thought I should pass this along for those living in the Bay Area who may be interested...

From their site (here)..."A beloved Bay Area autumn event for all ages—returns to the Palo Alto Arts Center. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, it is the largest glass pumpkin patch in California—featuring 8,000 hand-blown glass pumpkins crafted by more than 30 prominent glass artisans. Wander through a dazzling array of one-of-a kind glass pumpkins and other unique glass art objects designed to reflect nature’s brilliance in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. From bold, contemporary earthy tones to delicate and ornate with iridescent accents, these glass art pumpkins are perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving, yet beautiful enough to display year-round."

PUMPKIN PATCH!!!

Mark Harvey

Oh the HOLIDAY goodness - TV Specials

Well...I know it isn't the 1st yet, but I can hardly contain my October joy so I figured I'd bang out another entry.

I can remember when I was a kid waiting for the Sunday paper so I could see the TV listings for the coming week. During October (as well as every holiday including knowing when the Wizard of Oz and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was going to be on) I would eagerly await those nights when the Halloween specials would be on. No DVRs, DVDs or VCRs kids, we'd have to wait and actually watch the show when it was on. My favorite of the season was "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." I now own it on DVD and my son has made a habit of watching it over and over again and not only during October (I watched about three times a week or so ago with him). I may watch it again...and soon...

Halloween would be lacking something without the annual pumpkin patch vigil that Linus embarks on. Some of the best moments are Sally’s plea for restitution after wasting her first night of “tricks or treats" and Charlie Brown wearing his hole filled ghost costume while carrying a candy less bag - "I got a rock". This cartoon is just plain classic!

Linus cast as the downtrodden gives Charlie Brown a bit of a break. Linus spending all night waiting for the Great Pumpkin in the most sincere pumpkin patch is heartwarming. I often talk to my kids about the Great Pumpkin as I DO believe he exists. One year I grew 40 pumpkins of my own and sat in the pumpkin patch all night waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. I will not admit or deny that he came that night...it is my secret.

The thing I like best is Linus' resolve to continue to believe in the Great Pumpkin. It gives me hope that I am not completely insane as I too believe in the Great Pumpkin.

This year I did not plant pumpkins nor do I intend on spending Halloween night waiting for him to arrive. Instead I create Pumpkinland - my home haunt in homage to him, the Great one.

And he is welcome anytime...

Mark Harvey

a Great Pumpkin Fan

The History of the Jack O'Lantern

The History of the Jack O'Lantern

The Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern to America. But, the original Jack O'Lantern was not a pumpkin.The Jack O'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses and let the Devil down. Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel and had led a miserable and worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out Turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. For that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O'Lantern". On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So they used pumpkins for Jack O'Lanterns.

Carve a Jack O'Lantern TONIGHT.

Time is running out...

Halloween is almost here!

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

Some late afternoon treats (photos)

Here's a few photos of some jack o'lanterns carved this year and in past years.

Halloween...in pictures

I've decided to post a few Halloween pictures over the next few weeks (some old and some new). I'll be offering up free MP3s as well, but not at the same pace as I did during October. I was surprised as I wandered about on Halloween and the day after how many stores had pulled their Halloween stuff without putting it on sale. Usually I purchase a decent amount of stuff pre-Halloween, but then go a bit nuts after Halloween. This year there wasn't much around to buy. It was a bit spooky. Prior to Halloween the stores started putting out their Christmas stuff. This year seemed earlier than usual. On Saturday I was out shopping with my wife, sister-in-law and son and it felt like Christmas was in full swing. Christmas decorations adorned nearly every store and you'd think you were in the middle of December (except there were few shoppers).
What also surprised me this year was how few people decorated for Halloween. Neighborhoods were dark and those who did put something out really limited it to maybe a jack o'lantern and some spiderwebs. Our house had a total of seven trick-or-treaters - sad. I live on a court and the folks at the inlet didn't decorate. It took til you got nearly 1/2 way up the street until some folks put some stuff out. Our house is at the end of the court and up on a hill. You could see the ghosts from fairly far away, but for TOTs it is all about quantity and our street was far from that. Ah well...next year with Halloween on a Saturday I've already decided to have a Halloween party. My daughter asked me about a plastic tombstone I have in the garage. I told her I use it as a mold to create plaster of paris tombstones. (See pic on previous post - that was one of my earlier stones). I'm going to clear out the front of my home (a.k.a. Jurassic Park) and really get this place spooked out. Hopefully it will draw enough attention so we can see some kids in the neighborhood again.

Mark Harvey
(going through Halloween withdrawls)

The History Of Jack O'Lantern

Pumpkin carving is a favorite part of my Halloween celebration. I've grown 'em (about 40 one year) and I've carved a ton of 'em. Few folks really know why or when the jack o'lantern tradition began. So I decided to put a version of the story here for your reading pleasure.

People have been making jack o'lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o'lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o'lanterns.

For years my family and I have headed out to Half Moon Bay to procure pumpkins so as to bring them home to create Jack O'Lanterns. This year will be no exception as I love the tradition my parents gave to me so many years ago.

So there you have it.

Mark Harvey