In Search of the Great Pumpkin

I just learned a new Fall factoid- the first full moon after the autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon. The full moon was the day after the equinox this year, so to celebrate the harvest, we went on a pre-pumpkin picking expedition to Green Bluff. A scouting trip, if you will, to see which growers are sporting the best looking squash this season. As you can tell, I take my pumpkin carving very seriously.
For those of you who've never visited, Green Bluff is a small farming community just north of Spokane made up of 42 separate, unincorporated farms that grow just about everything USDA Hardiness Zone 5B will allow. At this time of year, tomatoes, lavender, apples, peaches, plums, nectarines, corn, carrots, pears, cabbage, potatoes, grapes, squash and late harvest raspberries are all in season. The Apple Festival and the corn mazes , complete with castle in the center, are also in full swing.
We made it back home with a bag of Mcintosh apples, my favorite apples of all time, and a sack of good looking gourds, purpose yet to be determined. I will be back to Green Bluff in a couple weeks to hunt for the perfect carving pumpkin and, of course, for pumpkin chucker, which is basically a giant potato gun that hurls plus-sized squash towards the horizon line. Then maybe some hot apple cider to keep me warm while I wait for The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Happy Fall Everyone! Welcome to your weekend! -KB