I bought two large pumpkins today. Being from Australia, you never see pumpkins like this except in cartoons. Who knew they were real? I carted them home and carved a face in one of them this afternoon. It was fun.

I was surprised to see that inside it’s mostly hollow, apart from the stringy goop and the seeds. It doesn’t look like these pumpkins are actually good for anything other than jack-o-lanterns. And arable land is given over just so we can have jack-o-lanterns? Surely that’s crazy.

But anyway, I bought into it. Have to do it at least once. We are in North America after all.

So I carved out the lid and scooped out as much of the insides as possible. It still looks a bit gross in there. Maybe one of the strands will catch fire. Mmmm roast pumpkin.

I then scored the face on the side and carved out the chunks. I wonder how many people are rushed to hospital each year for carving-related injuries and massive blood loss.

But I finished it and I’m pretty happy with my first attempt. It’s cute in daylight and awesome in the darkness with its insides aglow.

This is how I spent part of my afternoon. I also had to go to the shops to buy candles and a lighter or else my jack-o-lantern would have just been a jack-o.

And that’s no good to anybody.

Glen will carve the other one soon. Yay for Hallowe’en.

Our two virgin pumpkins. I think our green rug complements them both.

A bowl to collect the pumpkin’s innards.

I think my favourite part is the lid. It lifts off. It slips back into place. It’s wonderful.

Most of the innards scooped out and collected.

A nose!

Right eye

Left eye!

Scraggly grin

With lid

Bits and pieces following pumpkin surgery

The completed jack-o-lantern. Isn’t it awesome?