The Better Half erupted into a frenzy of Jack-O-Lantern carving this morning. I, displaying my usual level of artistic ability, took the pumpkin chunks and guts up the hill behind the house and dumped them for the deer to feed on. The carved pumpkins, and the uncarved one that’s already starting to rot, will join them after the weekend. We’ve learned over the years that, left along the drive, the deer munch their way through pumpkins while the rest of us are sleeping.
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| The Better Half’s pumpkin artistry from a couple of years back
Photo by J. Harrington
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If you measure winter by shorter days and colder nights, next week brings the beginning of winter to the North Country even though we’re weeks from the solstice. Beginning with Halloween, each night brings below freezing temperatures; by week’s end, daylight will last less than ten hours, and a week from Halloween standard time returns. Meanwhile, at the moment we’re really enjoying what’s left of autumn’s colors in the oak trees and looking forward to seeing if anyone comes to the door Sunday night.
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| pumpkins “nibbled” by deer
Photo by J. Harrington
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So far this autumn we’ve not yet seen and woolly bear caterpillars, and sightings of deer and wild turkeys have occurred elsewhere than in the fields behind the house. Unfortunately, the pocket gophers have been very active, as have the moles and shrews under the bird feeder. Soon the ground will be frozen and thoughts of reducing those populations will once again be deferred until spring.
I spot the hills With yellow balls in autumn. I light the prairie cornfields Orange and tawny gold clusters And I am called pumpkins. On the last of October When dusk is fallen Children join hands And circle round me Singing ghost songs And love to the harvest moon; I am a jack-o'-lantern With terrible teeth And the children know I am fooling.
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