Amy in the Garden

Tick, tick, tick, says the clock. Myrtle is in her final days of packing on the pounds.

MH the Grower, and lowly (literally) assistant me, measured and estimated her weight for the last unofficial time. The next time Myrtle is weighed it will be on the official scale of the Weigh-Off at Pinkham’s Nursery on Saturday, October 1^st.

MH came over to visit the big girl (the PUMPKIN, ahem), and measure her:

I helped:

Enough suspense! Her estimated weight was 343 pounds!

Since that day, the overnight temperatures have yielded light frost on two nights, and Myrtle’s UV-shielding umbrella was exchanged for a thick Mover’s quilt.

I am expecting MH, two heavy lifters from his lab, and a gaggle of onlookers on Friday to separate Myrtle from the earth, lift her into a cushioned trailer, and drive her off to the next phase of her life.

And of course, the entire weigh-off will be photographed and shared, as will Myrtle’s official weight. In the meantime, I will appreciate my final days with this youngster in my garden. Life is all about moving on, isn’t it? I’m tearing-up already.

WORDS FROM OTHERS:

Dear Great Pumpkin,
I am looking forward to your arrival on Halloween night. I hope you will bring me lots of presents.
Everyone tells me you are a fake, but I believe in you.
Sincerely,
Linus Van Pelt

P.S. If you really are a fake, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.

APPRECIATING:

“The official Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC) weigh-off is the State of Maine’s largest weigh-off, featuring the jaw-dropping TOTAL PURSE OF $10,000, is sponsored by Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta™!
Sponsor: Sysco – Northern New England
The official Weigh-off, sanctioned by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth (GPC), is open to all growers, whether adults or children (between 8 and 16 years old).
Volunteer growers may chose to enter their pumpkins in EITHER the $10,000 official GPC weigh-off, OR the Volunteer Growers weigh-off (which is held the prior day), if they prefer.
Pumpkin drop-off for the GPC-sanctioned weigh-off is between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and the weigh-off begins promptly at 10 a.m.
An official Damariscotta Pumpkinfest™ Weigh-Off Entry Form must accompany each pumpkin. View Official Rules.
In addition, each pumpkin must be accompanied by a Grower Information Sheet in order to provide interesting background & growing details.
The top 3 prize-winning pumpkins in the official GPC Weigh-off must remain on-site for display in Damariscotta during the duration of Damariscotta Pumpkinfest™.”

• — http://www.mainepumpkinfest.com