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Aldie, VA

All my carvings are now posted in the photo gallery. My only regret this Hallowe'en is that I didn't have time to carve as many as I would like.

Hortense is BEAUTIFUL carved as "Two Women" and again I thank EVERYONE here for all your help with growing her!

I've noticed quite a few prominent differences between Big Max and "regular" pumpkins:

1. They smell like watermelons when you cut them open! Great smell and not pugnent like regular pumpkins
2. The skin is VERY soft, easy to carve and rather translucent. I had three candles burning in Hortense and her entire body glowed. Was very ethereal.
3. They have no strings! The flesh is "foamy" and not stringy.
4. The seeds are very plump and quite large
5. What are those long, thick, round, green strands that attach to the sides of the nodes(?)? They are on the bottom of the pumpkin and go into each side that .. good gosh, how do I explain this? :) Anyone know what I am talking about? What is it?

Thanks again,
Roan

10/31/2004 9:41:17 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Just checked out your work. That is FANTASTIC! Really incredible carvings!

11/1/2004 4:19:38 PM

Aldie, VA

Thank you, Monty!

Hortense and the other Celtics are still in decent shape and we lit them again this evening. We usually burn them for three days or until they look awful, whichever comes first :P

The John Kerry carving is holding up VERY well even after being in the freezer (turned off and bags of ice used to cool 3 pumpkins) for four days. I wonder if this is an indication of the election to come? Heh heh heh heh :)

Roan

11/1/2004 9:20:47 PM

[email protected]

Time will tell with the election thing but those carvings are incredible. Great work. Now if you grow a big AG next year we're going to have to get you some heavier carving tools! LOL

11/1/2004 11:27:01 PM

Aldie, VA

Thanks, Steve :)

Oh, gosh, heavier tools? Dunno if I can handle anything heavier than the cordless Dremel I'm using now. After 45 minutes my hand is all cramped and hurting :(

I've been brainstorming as to how I can improve my tools. I love how the Pumpkinmasters medium saw works and the thinness of the blade, but they hurt my hand and break easily. I've gone through two of them this year. What I did do was take the broken blade -- it broke at the hilt -- and insert it into my Exact-o knife handle. It almost fits perfectly and made a MUCH better saw.

I need VERY light rotary tools and very long THIN saw blades.

Hrm, I'll think of something.

Roan

11/2/2004 12:16:53 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Coping saws have very long thin blades...don't know how you would make a handle for it tho. They might fit in the handle of an exacto knife.

11/2/2004 1:26:39 PM