Nothing quite confirms autumn as the piles of pumpkins. Each year I am astonished at the variety that appears at Atwater Market. There are the more traditional ones for carving as well as gourds of every shape. Then there are pumpkins known for their flavour that can be cooked for soups or pies.
A few years ago I noticed something growing in my garden that looked very much like a pumpkin vine. How did it come to be growing there? I let it grow and waited to have my own pumpkin patch. Unfortunately it only produced a couple of small ornamental gourds.
As the days get shorter and drearier, we need the bright colours of pumpkins and the changing leaves to offset that feeling of impending gloom. My trips to the market may become more frequent as I feast on the autumn colours.
