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Honesdale, Pennsylvania

We received 8 plus inches of rain Friday night in Norhteastern Pa. and it wrecked the patch of fellow PGPGA grower Andy Box. Andy's patch is next to a local stream and the flood waters were too much. His 600 pound plus squash which was Rocky's competition in Altoona broke loose and floated down the patch. We are attempting a rescue mission as soon as possible. Also floating around are several 500-600 pound pumpkins which were headed to Elmira and Altoona to get official weights. Gone in the mess are also 2 great long gourd candidates. What a mess. This crazy hobby just got crazier. I will try and get some photos this afternoon to post in my diary. Any other PA growers having water problems?

9/19/2004 2:25:00 PM

[email protected]

Sorry to hear about ANdy's rough news Ned, things here got soaked, around 7 inches this time, Well over 18 inches of rain since the 1st of AUgust. Amazing.. I got an email from Larry Checkon saying his patch was once again under 6 inches or more of water again for the second year in a row.

Good luck finding the squash... I saw one float by on the Susquehanna river yesterday, maybe that was it?

Do I detect you may be coming to Elmira still? I hope so... Should be a good one.. The weigh off is September 26th, next Sunday.. If you need directions, email me.

9/19/2004 5:56:29 PM

Liverpool , England

Next Sunday Rock?....

Hey I might be around there then...whats the time and Addy.I'll get to see another weigh-off...yahoooooooooo

Alun

9/20/2004 1:30:07 AM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Check in at 11 am, Weigh off at 1 pm.

9/20/2004 6:46:08 AM

Honesdale, Pennsylvania

The waters in Andy's patch should be down today enough to survey the situation and see if the pumpkins are still sound. He managed to wrestle his biggest squash, from the 771 Stelphlug, as it floated about 40 yards from the patch. It looks to be sound and is now resting on a pallet. We may look for a big cooler to store it in until a weigh off.

9/20/2004 7:28:49 AM

Sequim, WA

Ned, tell Andy it's weighoff first, regatta second. If you can't keep these things in the proper order it can mess up the whole fall season.
Seriously, it's always something with this hobby. Last year we had torrential rains after the Des Moines weighoff and the creek that ran through the park at the weighoff site flooded and roughly 30 pumpkins started to head out to sea. It took a couple guys in chest waders to round them up and get them contained with temporary chainlink fences. At least Andy's will make it to the contest. Are Elmira or Altoona downstream from where he is? He might save a few cents gas money if he just floats them there.

9/21/2004 1:28:31 AM