The Resurrection of Little David

Every year there are twists and turns in the fortunes of my
patch that rival the convoluted tunnels of the moles. 
Tragedies abound, and the most common sound to be heard is the
hissing as my expectations are slowly deflated...  This year is
no different.

Lilu, my 1048 Companion, a plant with perfectly aligned genes,
grew with such vigor and conviction - it appeared nothing could
stop it, not the moles, not my rabid fertilization ideas, nor
our cold blustery summer.  A beautiful long fruit formed on the
main and grew rapidly, hitting 30 pounds a day at its peak...

Then the hissing started as multiple sag lines started to
develop and the fruit slowly transformed visually from pumpkin
perfection to something vaguely akin to a large orange cow pie.
 Now at 54 days, it is showing every sign of maturing early and
is slowing down dramatically.  

One area on the pumpkin where a sag line meets a deep rib draws
an involuntary groan from me each time I lift the blanket...
The slow hissing sound could turn into a sudden pop some
morning soon -  I've seen this particular Greek tragedy
before...

My other plant Medusa (1230 Daletas) is more of a mystery. 
This was a back-up plant to Little David, a 1016 Daletas that
became so confused whether he was one plant or two that I
pulled it.  Medusa was a hideous aggressive flat vine with
slithering snake secondaries. I whacked the main and fought
furiously to tame the secondaries.  This was no mean feat
considering I had to wear welding goggles most the time to
avoid being turned to stone by her fearful gaze...

I set a pumpkin 14 feet out on this plant.  It was the largest
female flower I had ever seen.  When it hit 22" circumference
at 7 days, it dawned on me that it was, ahh,  an unusually
large start.  At ten days it was 35" in circumference.  At
twenty days it was 82.5" and growing at 5 inches in
circumference a day!  After that, the data is shrouded in
mystery as I avoided all eye contact with the plant and its
unholy spawn...

Today, while walking around the patch depressed about Lilu, I
inadvertently glanced up and looked directly into the eyes of
the fruit on Medusa.  I was instantly frozen in time... My
heart stopped...  I was transfixed in wonder and awe - the most
majestic, perfectly sculpted image of a large pumpkin my poor
eyes had ever beheld!... and I was surprisingly not turned to
stone - as my breathing continued in short raspy gasps...

No Medusa here, this is a masterpiece of form - as if carved
from the finest white marble by the inspired hands of a master.
 Little David lives again in my patch.   Not the David of
biblical fame but a larger than life work of art transported
here from the Renaissance...  If  Michelangelo had seen this
pumpkin - he would have run that buff stud out of his studio
and carved this pumpkin instead...  Its majestic form takes
your breath away.

Absolutely amazing - how reality twists and turns in the patch
of Yin and Yang...  That's my pumpkin patch - and I'm happy to
be here...  growing giant pumpkins that never cease to astound
me as they spring gloriously from the dirt...

http://www.zunino.net/diana/chronicles/of_lilu.htm

vince
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