Pumpkin Fest 2016

Hi all! How is your Halloween traditions going?

Yesterday we went to Sycamore (Ill), to check out the pumpkins on the courthouse lawn. This has been a tradition for this town for 55 years!

The tradition here started by Wally Thurow, known by all as "Mr. Pumpkin", in his own front yard and it just grew so immense they had to find a larger place for it. The fest lasts from Wednesday into the weekend of Halloween, or before. The pumpkins and gourds are donated to anyone who wants to join in. And they are judged and given 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in different categories, and divided by ages. There are adult sections as well. I think the one below is "Scary & Ugly"

I love to see what kids can think up...

We roamed up and down town Sycamore, where we went in and out of stores (once they opened). We were really disappointed in the fact that almost none of the vendors were getting meats cooking over the grills yet, and we have eaten either a butterfly pork chop or bratt before ten in the past. We had to get something inferior (in other words something opened up and heated in a microwave. Well, at least the money goes to a good cause. All proceeds go to various charities). Maybe all of these people were watching the Cubs loose to the Indians and stayed up way past their bedtimes, like we did, the night before.

We stopped into a craft store and bought some Door County blueberry coffee for morning.

After walking back and forth, in and out of shops for a few hours, we went to Blumen Gardens, where it was peaceful and quiet. This place is a treasure. I know the owner really wanted a crowd in that day, but they were taking advantage of the quiet and switching over to Christmas.

They bought an old factory and used to the best of it all the building and materials to make a truly unique place. I'll have to get back here some time to do a more thorough picture story on it.

Here is a doorway out into the garden area.

This is yours truly squinting out at Dennis taking my picture.

Well, that does it for today. Hope you are having a good Halloween Eve. I'm going to work on my murder mystery today. Couldn't get Halloween off. Oh well!

Leaving you with one of my spooky ghosties flying under a tree in my backyard!