"Peter, Peter the Pumpkin Eater,

had a wife and couldn't keep her". Well, good heavens, I don't blame her the least bit.  If I were she, I would have divorced him!  That is not how the nursery rhyme goes but exactly the way I am feeling today.

 I'm trying struggling with a pumpkin.  Way back before Halloween, I was thinking of pumpkins.  Me and my bright ideas!  Canned pumpkin, dehydrated pumpkin, yellow vegetable, pumpkin pie!  I love pumpkin pie; my favorite of all pies!  Just writing this, I'm starting to crave for one.

Oh yeah and Jack O Lanterns before fixing them to eat.  You know that adage "killing two birds with one stone"? 

So, off I went to buy pumpkins.  Deciding to buy two, work them up and buy more afterward.  Saved myself a trip all the way to the grocery store as I passed a truck by the side of the road, not five miles from my house.  How lucky can I get, I reasoned.

The Pumpkin Seller loaded them for me.  A couple of weeks passed.  I decided to tackle the smallest, get it to the back porch.  It wasn't too hard a job, weighing maybe fifteen pounds or so.

The eye surgeon had warned me to lift no more than that.  No problem, Doc, I told him.  I can't even lift that much on a good day.  Good, he said.

My eyes sort of protruded as I toted it.  Who would ever thought one's eyes are affected carrying a heavy load of 'whatever'.  They are, believe you me!  Cataract or no cataract; doesn't matter; both eyes were popping forward.

Didn't have much worry halving that big orange bugger.  Sliced thin pieces and loaded the 9 shelf dehydrator, while having visions of pumpkins pies galore when the snow is blowing.  Tired and satisfied, I left the other half for tomorrow; headed off for a nap, being totally worn out.

Tomorrow came and went and another day passed the same way.  Soon I looked over and saw mold on that bugger but felt it was no problem to cut away.  More time passed until I had to toss it on the compost pile.  I mourn my wastefulness.  Yet I also mourn moan with my pain.

Meantime, between then and now, I really struggled getting the other one unloaded from the car.  Made it ten steps and set it by the front steps and stumbled inside...for another recuperative nap.

Arm being almost useless by now, that big bugger was left by the steps for a few weeks.  Weather not being too bad, I figured it was okay.  They lay in the fields for a long time, I again reasoned.
Frost got it a few nights.  No problem, I thought as I thumped its side - nice hard hollow echo.

Well, I finally carried wrestled it inside and plunked it on the floor, just inside the front door.  Couldn't get it any further as it was too heavy.  Letting it set there for a couple of days, I soon saw white 'fur' and knew the job had to be tackled.

Oh, such a beauty it was, warts and all.  In fact, the warts covering it was my attraction to buy it.  Long, 20" and 12" diameter, 30 pounds heavy, I knew it would make a handsome Jack O Lantern, with just a few simple cuts, here and there.

Good thing I let that idea pass by, for yesterday I struggled mightily to halve it.  You just wouldn't believe!  No working camera lately or I'd have shown you proof of my labors.

 Using a serrated huge knife didn't faze it.  Another knife was even less helpful.  I need a hammer!

 It's raining cats and dogs and the hammer is out in the storage building.  Now what?  Prowling around I found my huge channel locks and proceeded to pound the knife into that orange monster.

When I finished cutting it in half my back was throbbing; couldn't stand upright; even my chest was hurting. It took a full hour of hacking and beating to split it in half; then I was barely able to creep off to bed.  Splitting firewood was easier than this endeavor! a whole truckload of splitting!

My good knife is knicked badly from tip to handle from whamming it with the channel locks.

Now I'm taking a break from pumpkin preparation.  Today I've accomplished 1/4 of one half, getting small chunks cut up.  1/4 of 1/2 = 1/8 of the Whole!

Whether I'll dry it, cook it or what, I haven't decided.  Whatever I do with it, I have much hard work ahead.

Too bad the peel had to be hacked an inch at a time.  I seriously was thinking it would make some good weather-resistant siding on a shed!

By the way, one of those inch-sized pieces flipped up, hit my lightbulb...

Bye, bye lightbulb! 

First thing I'd ask a potential suitor is: "Do you like Pumpkin?" . . .  and run like hell if the answer is "Yes, oh yes I do".      

Poor Peter's wife.  I bet she probably died of exhaustion, trying to keep that fool filled and happy.

I saved some of the seeds for next years growing season.  But changed my mind; I think I'll make a necklace with them!  :)