Punkin'head

For as long as I can remember the Farrers have been carving pumpkins at Halloween time. I can remember as kids we would go to pumpkin patches and we were allowed to pick our own pumpkin. The rule used to be "if you can carry it you can have it." That worked until I was a teenage athlete and could carry a pumpkin that weighed more than I did. Even in the days of dirt-cheap pumpkins that one broke the bank. Dad was a good sport and let me buy it anyway. When I got it home and started to carve it I had to about climb inside to clean it out. It took the full reach of my arm to reach the bottom.

On Saturday Dan, Sarah, Amanda, and Derek came over and spent the better part of the day with us. I was busy installing baseboards in Shawn's room and by the time I finished the kids had gone out and bought five big pumpkins and were ready to start carving them.

Over the years we have progressed in our carving skills from the basic circle and triangle shapes to more advanced shapes and techniques.

Sarah got her inspiration from a "How are you feeling today?" chart we have had for years. It has thirty cartoon faces depicting different emotions. She picked "Hysterical."

Amanda went with type casting and carved a singing pumpkin.

A pumpkin singing very loud.

I carved a pumpkin with two faces—a boy and a girl—in love with each other. It's the best I could do on short notice.

Dan went with his favorite superhero and carved the Batman logo on his pumpkin.

Derek cheated and went to the Internet and found a website (carvingpumpkins.com) that had dozens of patterns to choose from. He chose Gollum and started carving. It took him all night and part of the next day but the finished product was amazing. It takes pumpkin carving to a whole new level. It also raises the bar for the rest of us mere mortals.

And what about Nancy? Well, she is carving impaired—or so she thinks. As the family advanced in our carving skills she tried to keep up but kept messing up her creations. Several years ago she got tired of us laughing at her masterpieces and quit carving altogether.

I think the world is a lesser place because of it.