9/17/10 There is still hope...

"There is still hope" reminds me of a Star Wars or Star Trek movie 'A New Hope,' I think.  Apologies to those of you who think I know my Star Wars/Trek trivia, but I think it was the title.  Anyhow, I drove past a small pumpkin patch/vegetable garden and the pumpkins there were only about the size of baseballs.  This gives me hope only in as much as someone else has 'delayed' pumpkins as well.  I guess the growing season is as long as the weather stays above freezing, so, lets keep our fingers crossed that it is a late winter (also one that isn't very cold, and doesn't last long (perhaps a day or two (sorry to those of you looking forward to winter sports-I'm just not a fan (plus there are pumpkins to think about)))).

There was a nice day of rain yesterday, and I understand at least another good day of rain while I was gone.  I am still using the autowater function as well.  Pumpkins need a lot of water. One of the the other things that gives me hope is that, the water.  We know pumpkins are 90% water, so they need a lot to grow, and the big ones can grow 10+ pounds per day.  If I get even a pea sized pumpkin, with that logic, it could grow to a fifteen pounder overnight.  Either that or I'm still gonna need the plutonium...

2 is grabbing on to just about anything.  It moves almost like a tiny slow snake more than a pumpkin in that way.  One day nothing, the next it has a strangle hold on a tiny bit of wire sticking out of the ground.  Fluffy and Ollie are still keeping watch and doing a good job.  Now I need something to attract the pollinating animals as well as keep the destructive ones out.  Its a tightrope walk these pumpkins live.