Are You Ready for Hallowe'en

Photos: October 27, 2016

It is always fun to go to the market at this time of year. The many stalls which overflow with pumpkins now features a number which are carved in preparation for Hallowe'en. The weekend will welcome families with face-painting, distribution of candies, a photo contest and more.



They definitely have more skilled carvers there than I was. I haven't carved a pumpkin in a number of years but mine lacked the personality of these.



Nor the imagination of creating something other than a face. I do love the glow of the jack o'lanterns at night. There is something magical about candlelight.

Pumpkins at the Market

Photos: October 9, 2016

Pumpkins seem to be spilling out of bins and racks and baskets at the market. They come in every size, shape and colour along with all the other forms of squash.



It is hard to imagine that all these pumpkins, big and small, will be sold.



These macabre looking specimens would be great for a scary face.

How many of these will be used for food? Will people roast the seeds of the pumpkins they carve? I love the bright spectacle and enjoy seeing jack-o-lanterns as I walk around my neighbourhood, but I do wonder at the idea that so many of these will just be bought to be thrown out the day after Hallowe'en. It is only in a country with excess food that we can think of growing things just for fun.

Fall Comes to the Market

Photos: September 16, 2016

The market is taking on the distinct look of fall. The pumpkins are moving in - in every size and colour.



Mounds of mums are waiting to be bought. Cool weather flowers to extend the outdoor gardens.



Some summer fruit lingers on - wild blueberries and raspberries. They are slowly being replaced by plums and apples, or crab apples as the tree fruits ripen.



Enjoy this burst of colour. The days are getting shorter...



The harvest moon reminds us that colder weather is coming.

Pumpkins

Some pumpkins come with personality. Others are given a personality. Here are a few shots of pumpkins in my neighbourhood. Happy Hallowe'en.

Pumpkins

Pumpkins, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

I loved seeing these pumpkins climbing up the stairs. They speak of the combination of fall harvest and Halloween. I have fond memories of the pumpkins I carved with my children. We would usually shop together for the pumpkin. And then I would cover the table in newspaper as we cut and cleaned out  the pumpkin - I felt like I had pumpkin all the way up my arms as we scooped out the seeds. Then there was the aroma as we toasted seeds.



Across the street from these pumpkins sits an inflatable pumpkin pile. I just can't find the magic.

Walking

Slow Decay, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Photos: October 20, 2013

An early morning walk - I always like a destination. I needed a couple of things so I walked enjoying the cool autumn air.

Autumn brings new delights. The many varieties of pumpkins and gourds are always fun to see.



Man made structures also bring visual interest. Walking, taking time, a great way to start a day.

Fall Fare

So many shapes and kinds of gourds! I love the way fall treats us to new colours. While green is the predominant colour of summer with splashes of every hue in the gardens, autumn slowly turns to the warm colours - yellows, oranges and some reds before it fades into sepia.

Something for Every Taste

Something for Every Taste, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

This time of year it is a treat to go to the market. It is a real feast for the eyes - to say nothing of the real feast that follows a trip there. I came home with all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner (this weekend in Canada). On weekends there are often tastings and this week it was beer - with tables lined up with bottles and tiny glasses so you could sample one of the many offerings from the local breweries. Not my drink - so I passed on that.

The pumpkins are stacked up, ready for Halloween. There is a festive air at the market - a last celebration before the outdoor stalls get packed up until next year. 

Market Madness

Market Madness, originally uploaded by susanvg.

As Halloween approaches the local market fills with pumpkins and crazy decorations. This year I've noticed more decorations that, though made with vegetables, are painted and shellacked. I love the way this one incorporates the vegetable display with the decorations.

I like the whimsy I see at the market - the creative ways they use the seasonal vegetables to create. The market always makes shopping more delightful.

Day 311: pumpkins

Day 311: pumpkins, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Some people buy commercial decorations, others use the beauty of our autumn bounty. I loved this idea of displaying all these little pumpkins. Nowadays you walk around and are confronted with a clash of holidays. Some people still have autumn displays: pumpkins, scarecrows, wreaths with coloured leaves. Then across the street, or hanging over the street are Christmas decorations.

I get quite fed up with the commercialization of every holiday. But Christmas is the worst. It now takes over two months of the year with decorations, television ads, fliers all talking about buying, not about caring. Then, as the holiday approaches, everyone pays lip service by donating to shelters, bringing food to food banks and then they forget about other people's problems for the rest of the year.

I, too, get sucked in by the frenzy. This year I hope to keep it simple.

Day 273: Letting Go

Day 273: Letting Go, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I'm getting my kitchen redone. Everything has to be packed up. This is part of my get rid of pile. Even it is full of reminiscences. The ceramic pumpkin, with candle inside, would glow on our table at supper time in October. My children are well in their twenties; the custom has fallen by the wayside.

This plastic car was given to me by my sister-in law. She knew my then young son loved anything with a motor. What could be more fun than a jello car! My son was sick with a sore throat. It seemed the perfect time for cool jello. I prepared the jello, poured it in the mould and walked gingerly to the refrigerator. As I opened the door the car tipped, spilling jello on the floor and into the fridge. What a sticky mess! That was the last time I used this car. Yet it has sat in my cupboard for over twenty years. Time to let go. Time to move on.

Day 272: Pumpkins

Day 272: Pumpkins, originally uploaded by susanvg.

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.