![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJEqeaOZDINEm0FZnCCUNGERX5hdGbmYgY1bi7ZbQBUBkbXK4h5t2FTC9hV2gn3KFGFjH6Jd1486hbKKDm15cUS0DIYa_UNrr30_5ABwUMTOU-rEBP9_1wiHtORiA-fQCPzLPHnqqk-0/s320/pumpkin+harvest+2013,chinese+new+year,garden+and+sophie+301.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D1LWXXe1qgs3VL1mTWtExNx2QD2wGabD4gJQu8cxJ2bQnALkxIbljRxEevCtCJ0HpHbel-quChR_sRBI3wbmFERK3fKaCHqKvyt1gnBybsAoaOpUHusyjiZL9uOBKXB8J8epVE8XNG4/s320/pumpkin+harvest+2013,chinese+new+year,garden+and+sophie+306.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBI_uiEPJPV_8v7JSBWk2scIFP282pewgYiLpFdvDyUyNfhGmNSURCtWX-Z8XGkYuZB4jnBPHrK8nZ_BQSZ3l4tyU45MM3H9ucASfjYwq8o4H-DyUXz_JHqouwZVKP5svkY63pu0vI5Ko/s320/pumpkin+harvest+2013,chinese+new+year,garden+and+sophie+271.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioz5Kqre2rTXEHGAwsluB3AiDGBIQFBLU9oM8Surp_FqFf97X8CAJCQBowm_rl6g0YSW2YqFkalnx1TvIiLJwttMyLmuMVdrnlvge_dzChi6gWrEpUlL8B08GVQipDhHNS-onp3nzw_Xs/s320/pumpkin+harvest+2013,chinese+new+year,garden+and+sophie+345.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8iS3YkMeQ3yTwQZM_FuqmeHhP_swYrneP9NJfEh-hYVIY0HZaTWoO1smjQpmNeDtVJpo7czcSyyXlhT5Tl7EkrSewSWaOsG1OTauB73s1YiFDahOmH-UUrCTv3nW3vaeKJ5IOjBnlJ8/s320/pumpkin+harvest+2013,chinese+new+year,garden+and+sophie+352.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgj03-v9FnNnYWG607G92gt9zOtA2HLxvfzShsePisVtRSNoMmyoQy8O7P5ESrzIWWc5wECm6tts0WgtxraD-iFfDDxdkMW8TQ60oGjWgKWigtgHYS44ZIMNg7wnbgloOBS5d5hHaawvo/s320/pumpkin+harvest+2013,chinese+new+year,garden+and+sophie+324.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kHzNMuz_bewFP6d7vEYDx_VZGneG-jx4z22sKXVHO3Kc_xgfMjegasrw_H1kxbrGQoHnqnOoojV-YXSvODFOHBUFak-AGDOlowbR1kTpxvhnF8bvEG4chnwvbDyP16PKSEIMDcvokhU/s320/pumpkin+harvest+2013,chinese+new+year,garden+and+sophie+358.jpg)
And can I call them my babes??? .... Its pumpkin harvest day today and finally the nurturing can end. The large Connecticut, the traditional 'Jack O'lantern pumpkin has been picked. I have risked life and limb for this years harvest. I have run out into our last really bad hail storm to cover each precious one. I have gathered straw on a regular basis to cover them from the Sun. I have chased away colonies of ants that have gathered under them for shade for fear of rotting them. The flat bright deep orange pumpkin is the organic heirloom Rouge Vif D'Etampes. The beautiful flattened Cinderella pumpkin. This very old French heirloom was the most common pumpkin at Paris markets back in the 1880's. I have not seen these in South Africa before and so my excitment which probably won't be yours, has been unbelievable! I also planted other French varieties which came up too. So, for us this year I have decided to store them on our veranda. First of all because they are so deeply golden that they need to remind me of Summer through our Winter months. Secondly, Mr Darcy's almost finished day bed will be arriving soon and I would like to place him right next to the pumpkins for his afternoon siesta's and thirdly, something tells me they might last longer out there....
Always fortunate, always grateful, most blessed in this wannabe French English country style homestead (A person's or family's residence, which comprises the land, house, and outbuildings)
A happy day to you
X