Louisa, Pumpkin Eater

Louisa, Pumpkin Eater

Halloween was a big deal when we Schmidt kids were growing up, and not just because of dressing up and trick-or-treating. We loved picking out our pumpkins! I’d look for the roundest unblemished pumpkin with a good, sturdy stem. Jack and Jill went for the biggest ones.

Once we got home with our choices, Dad would carefully draw a circle around the stem and cut off the tops. We’d help gut the pumpkins, rummaging through the goo and separating the seeds; it was squishier than Silly Putty. Mom would then wash the seeds, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and put them on a cookie sheet in the oven. Meanwhile, Dad would help us carve faces into the pumpkins. Later we’d put candles inside and set them outside the front door.

By the time we’d carved the pumpkins and cleaned up the mess, the stove timer would go off, and we’d gobble those seeds by the handful, followed by a swish of orange soda pop.

Nowadays, my daughter and her family still carve their pumpkins, but Dane and I don't. We grow our pumpkins at Dane’s place for Louisa, the pumpkin-eating pig! When they’re ready to pick, we load up both of our cars a few times and bring them to my place.

This year, for my daughter’s 50th birthday, we lined the deck railing with pumpkins. It was quite a sight when Jessica and the family pulled up, and she discovered there were 50!

After their visit, we loaded up 170 more and brought them to my place, where Dane took them out two by two, and I placed them around the deck. Soon there was no room left, so we piled the rest into the wheelbarrow and took them to the basement. Now they sit in Louisa’s pink plastic pools, on blue tarps, and in the donkeys’ winter water tubs. The goal is for Louisa to go through a pumpkin a day and to finish them off before they rot!

This weekend, we loaded our cars with over 100 more pumpkins. And this doesn’t include the volunteer ones that show up in my compost pile!

We’re having fun taking pumpkins along wherever we go. Today we went to my neighbor’s house to pick up their extra split wood and brought them some pumpkins in exchange. Yesterday I visited my ridgetop neighbor, Lisa, and took two pumpkins to her and her husband. Tomorrow my friend Tamsen and I will work at the food pantry; I have pumpkins for her, her husband, and all the volunteers. If you need pumpkins, stop over!

I love everything about pumpkins. I love that they are technically a fruit because they have seeds and grow from a flower. We can eat their tender vines and flower blossoms, though I’ve never tried them. They grow with little maintenance: plop the seed in the ground and let the bees do their work.

Pumpkins are about 90 percent water and full of fiber that’s good for Louisa’s digestive system. Rolling the pumpkin around and breaking it open takes time and is a good enrichment activity for her. You’d be surprised how quickly she turns a whole pumpkin into mush!

I recently learned that pumpkins grow on every continent except Antarctica, and that the world’s heaviest pumpkin weighed 2,700 pounds—more than a small car.

Although it seems like Wisconsin could be the pumpkin capital of the world—have you noticed all the roadside stands?—that title actually goes to Morton, Illinois, where most pumpkins are produced through Libby’s. You might recognize the Libby’s brand when you make pumpkin pie.

The most interesting thing I’ve learned about pumpkins is that they were an old folk remedy for freckles and snakebites.

I love their shape and the fact that each pumpkin comes with a practical stem for carrying. I love their color and that we can carve, paint, or even clothe them.

But best of all, I know Louisa loves her pumpkins. I hope one a day will keep the doctor away this winter.

Ultimately, when I think of pumpkins, I see my family gathered around our old maple table, my Dad’s tongue sticking out in full concentration (a trait I’ve inherited). I see my sister and brother waiting to carve their pumpkins and my mom seasoning the seeds. It’s a warm and wonderful memory that makes me think Dane and I need to carve some before Halloween. It’s not like Louisa would miss a few!