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No Place Special

Two days ago I discovered that a mouse had tunneled underneath my 869.5 Calai fruit. I chased the hole and discovered that the worst had indeed happened. I found a mouse hole that went into the cavity and that it must have been there some time based on the smell, rot and water leaking out of it. Long story short, I weighed it today at 1125 lbs. I am sure that at one time it was probably close to 1200 lbs, because when we lifted it, it poured out what I would estimate as 2-3 gallons of water. It leaked all night on the trailer and there was a very large puddle under it come morning. Who knows how much water it had leaked before harvest, but the ground directly underneath the fruit was very saturated. So I guess I have no choice but to title it as the 1125 Frantz 04’. I will post pics soon.

9/15/2004 1:19:54 PM

Key West, FL

Sorry to hear Mike..... But congrats on that great pumpkin!

9/15/2004 1:45:00 PM

[email protected]

Cogratulations & Regrets are in order then. But I'm proud of your accomplishment either way!! I guess some Pulp Mill fabric & rodent bait are going on the 2005 wish list.

Great job Mike. Congrats!!!

9/15/2004 1:46:20 PM

Indiana

you still da man! 1125 is hella lot bigger than mine! I'd go on a mouse hunting rampage...see Brig for details.

Tom

9/15/2004 1:55:20 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Great accomplishment either way!

9/15/2004 2:15:20 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Brigitte has gone insane. I checked on her fruit the other day and had a mouse trap snap on my ankle. 1125 is an impressive pumpkin. Sorry she did not hold together. What was the cross 869.5 Calai x ?. Shannon

9/15/2004 2:26:56 PM

Hudsonville, Michigan ([email protected])

Mike:
Tell me the mice did not harvest all the seeds out of that monster!
Frank

9/15/2004 2:54:04 PM

Webster, NY

Mike, I know that's your personal best, but were you close to 1000 lbs before or did you do something magical this year. By the way, congrats and I hope that mouse eats a ton of d-con.

9/15/2004 3:11:09 PM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Well done Mike.

Mark

9/15/2004 3:44:41 PM

Frist off.. that's awesome Mike... it looks like Iowa is really doing well this year.. looking forward to the pictures!

Second off, mouse hunting... the mice knawed my fruit last year making it look really crappy, and possibly encouraging the evaporation of some of the 15 pounds between me and Shannon. Darn! Anyway I went on a rampage this year and have caught over a dozen mice, one frog, and one Shannon. They like PB with a corn kernel stuck on top. The traps also scare off intruders like Shannon, and my dogs like to chew on the dead mice, even though I quite frankly find that disgusting.

9/15/2004 4:45:17 PM

Choctaw, OK

I had mice do the same last year....nibble on the outside bottom of the fruit. This year, i havent notied that, but atleast once a week I would find a snake in my patch...i have some protectors this year. I didnt use any pesticides or chemicals this year, just some Fertilizers.....i think the snakes found the evironment a little bit more friendly and gorged on toads and mice.

case

ps..great job mike. That fruit wasnt as light as i thought it would be. 869's are hard to predict.

9/15/2004 5:05:37 PM

Commack, NY

Mike, see i told you that you'd go 1000 easily this year.....and then some! hey great job buddy. I like to let the culls just rot in the patch, let the mice get the easy seeds.

9/15/2004 5:24:02 PM

No Place Special

Hey everyone thanks! Tremor I did have mouse bait out but obviously it didn't work. Mill fabric and maybe something else next yr. Shannon, the 1125 is 869.5 Calai X 1225 Jutras. Should make one beautiful pumpkin. Frank, I will cut it open tonight and harvest the seeds. 5 seeds already fell out the mouse hole, so he didn't get them all! I only came across around 15 eaten ones in his tunnel, so I assume there are still many remaining. Stellydave, my PB before this season was 614.4 lbs. The only thing "magical" I did was work my tail off this year. Scott, I did break 1000 which was my goal this year, so I am happy. The 869.5 is for sure my "largest" pumpkin, but there is a chance it may not be my heaviest this year. Fingers crossed! Oh ya, pics should be up soon. Thanks again everyone!!!!

9/15/2004 6:05:06 PM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

Wow, big and beautiful orange. Great job!

9/15/2004 6:26:27 PM

Rhode Island

mike
i know how ya feel , especially something that big never getting the chance to show herself

it takes a lot of things going right just to get over 1,100 lbs with out some lousy rodent screwing you over

you still grew it so thats what matters the most

pap

9/15/2004 7:01:52 PM

Bristol, ME ([email protected])

Congrats Mikey.
A great and most deserved accomplishment.
You da man buddy!!

9/15/2004 7:15:03 PM

Long Island,New York

Judy...better get some more potassium...Mike-Awesome job !

9/15/2004 7:32:42 PM

Barrington N.S. Canada

Congrats Mike, nice looking pumpkin.

9/15/2004 7:45:10 PM

Vancouver, White Rock, Canada

Like I said before, that's one magnificent pumpkin! Sorry to hear about the mouse thing, that really sucks. A world record could have been in the works? One of the best looking fruit over 1000 I've ever seen.

9/15/2004 7:49:35 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Nice Job Mike.

It really sucks that you had a mouse get to the fruit.
I was sorry to read that news.

It will be interesting to see what else comes out of Iowa this year.
Continued luck to you.

9/15/2004 7:59:53 PM

[email protected]

Congrat Mike, she is a beauty.
How about a couple of them seed for a good barn cat to keep your mice under control
Eddy

9/15/2004 8:34:31 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Mike,
Great job with your beautiful, large pumpkin. I've enjoyed keeping up with it in your diary. It may be the largest ever grown from that seed. It show's the great potential you have. You seem to be taking your fruit loss well.
I hope your other fruit keeps growing, and weighs heavy!

Regards,
Doug

9/15/2004 8:34:41 PM

Mastic Beach, New York

Mike...great job!! good luck the rest of the season

9/15/2004 8:42:41 PM

Saegertown Pa.

nice job Mike

9/15/2004 8:43:45 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Mike,
Water weighs approx. 8# a gallon....may give you a better idea.

9/15/2004 8:53:32 PM

North Ga

Nice pumpkin Mike!! Congrats!

9/15/2004 8:55:15 PM

Iowa

Mike.......that stinks man......i wanted to see that one make the scale in a couple of weeks! 1125 is great.... one more tally for iowa.

9/15/2004 9:44:17 PM

Honesdale, Pennsylvania

A personal best is everyones goal Mike. Great Job.

Love that orange!

9/15/2004 9:46:02 PM

So. Maine

Congrats Mike, you know what we all expect from ya NEXT YEAR !

9/16/2004 12:24:47 AM

Sancoins / Cher / FRANCE

Congratulations to you and very beautiful fruit.

9/16/2004 1:10:10 AM

Puyallup, WA

Might you have any OTT measurements for us? Another one bites the dust! What a bummer year!

9/16/2004 1:34:02 AM

Appalachian Mtns.

I looked at the pics..one big, thick, heavy-lookin' SOB! Really nice pumpkin Mike :0)

9/16/2004 6:15:18 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Mike it was a good sized home for a mouse. Did he eat many seeds? Great work!

9/16/2004 6:38:18 AM

Ohio

Great job Mike!!

9/16/2004 6:49:41 AM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

Sorry to hear about the loss Mike.DarnIt!!Hope the other is Ok.See you in a couple of weeks.

9/16/2004 7:22:14 AM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Yes, Congrats!

9/16/2004 7:41:47 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Great Job Mikey!...All that hard work payed off ..hope the others are solid and Heavy!!! Grow em Big!

9/16/2004 7:55:23 AM

derry n.h u.s.a.

Great job mike,congrats:)

9/16/2004 8:19:21 AM

Mulino, Oregon

Awesome Mike, that's two big ones for the mice this year, when will this ever end! Mike, perhaps the other big one you speak of is on the 590 :o) Anyway, good job.

9/16/2004 9:11:09 AM

Edmonton, Canada

What a nice looking fruit Mike. I hope you have good luck with the fruit still in your patch!

9/16/2004 10:14:47 AM

No Place Special

She was 178, 105, 103.5 = 386.5 OTT Estimated weight 1100 lbs by my old chart. I think some of the newer charts estimate that OTT near 1200 lbs. What chart do they use on the AGGC to figure % heavy or light? Thanks again everyone!!! Oh ya, posted a couple more pics today. Had to get a couple more before I disected it. Good news, plenty of seeds and the majority look good. Havent counted yet, but am making a quick guess of 200 nice full and non mouse eaten seeds. They are drying at this moment.

9/16/2004 1:32:28 PM

wilmington,ma.

Nice job Mike! De Con to the mice.!!

9/16/2004 3:45:05 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

AGGC uses the 2003 Stellpflug/Martin scale

9/16/2004 3:55:33 PM

Massillon, Ohio

mike you worked so hard and really strived to learn from the best ( i often said 'wow he is crazy for driving so far' when i heard you went different places). my congratulations to you!! those pictures with your kids are SOOOOO CUTE !!

9/16/2004 4:29:34 PM

Leicester, NY

Mike, Real nice pumpkin! Congratulations and best of luck with your other fruit!

9/16/2004 6:08:46 PM

Central Connecticut

WOW! what a beauty...Congrats!

9/16/2004 9:08:52 PM

Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

Very nice job........Ray Leonzi

9/16/2004 10:11:38 PM

Saugerties N. Y.

Seen your pictures in the diary, nice back drop with the kids and corn and that 1125 is'nt to shabby either.
Good job.

9/16/2004 10:47:09 PM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

Great job Mike. Real nice huge one. Congrats!!!

Carlos from Spain

9/17/2004 2:08:52 AM