Halloween Discussion Forums, Costumes, Horror!

Well, tonight I found out why you carve pumpkins in October... or November.

Yeah. I know, I know. It's January and I'm carving a pumpkin. I just didn't have time to carve more than one this year. By the time I thought of something non-Halloween to carve, it was just too dry.

The insides were shredding. Badly. It was dried out. Mold had started growing inside (just in the strings of seeds). But, a quick cleaning removed the mold. The shell was still 1/2" thick, so I thought... what the hell... and started carving.

I don't know if it was because we'd been keeping the pumpkins in front of the fireplace or because it was so dry inside the pumpkin-- but the shell was rock hard. I had a difficult time getting my knifes through the shell... and when I got down to the detail work... well... one rough puncture later and the shell had ripped through the middle of my design. =(

SoOoOoo... I guess what I have to say is-- CARVE YOUR PUMPKINS IN OCTOBER!

I actually have one small pumpkin in my driveway--college son had had it in his dorm room, and brought it home with him for Christmas. I've been wanting to roast the seeds, but I have no idea if they are still any good. As you say, the things frequently rot from the inside out.

I would have left it to dry out completely, like people do with gourds to make those oddly shaped bird houses.

http://www.amishgourds.com/

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I would have smashed it in the driveway of that neighbor down the street that no one likes. That would have left them scratching their heads.

Ha! Ha! Reminds me of this awesome commercial.