Along with the squash, I also planted some Atlantic Giant pumpkins. Just two pumpkins developed, but oh! What pumpkins! With the holiday weekend upon us, Railguy carried them up to the front porch to decorate the entrance for visitors. We weighted them on the scale and the larger of the two weighed 61 pounds, with its smaller sibling registering 57 pounds.
Buddy checks out the 61 pound pumpkin
I didn’t do anything special to encourage my giants. Expert giant pumpkin-growers feed their vines and protect the pumpkins and otherwise do their utmost to produce a giant specimen. You can even buy a book of tips if you’re interested in reaching the upper echelons of giant pumpkin production: How to Grow World-class Giant Pumpkins II, by Don Langevin. I was pretty satisfied with 61 pounds.
Can it really be a year since the last Spencerville Fair parade? Surely not! Yet this Saturday found us back in Spencerville for the 2010 edition. Organizers couldn’t have wished for a more perfect day. There was plenty of sun and blue sky, and a breeze to keep the heat at bay. The parade was lead (after the police car) by the equestrian shown above.
Four bands participated in the parade, including two pipe bands and a steel drum band. Leading off was a group from New York state, the Norwood Fire Department Band, or the Norwood Brass Firemen, founded in 1946. They were very entertaining. In between instrumentals, the men sang. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that from a marching band. When they marched past us, they seemed to be singing an old Brenda Lee song, Just Because.
These cuties were on a float advertising Spencerville’s Christmas celebration in December, A Country Christmas Remembered.
Here are the entries in the Giant Pumpkin contest. The winner in the Senior division weighed 298 pounds! And check out the warty number! It was the entry of my blacksmith, Shane.
The Rideau-St. Lawrence Veterinary Clinic got together a float. They look after our felines and equines.
In his own special crate, Big Billy was casually watching the world go by as he chowed down. The sign on his crate said he was born February 2, 2003. Sublime.
I was watching for Bria and her beautiful white pony. Sure enough, here they are!
A bit further along in the parade was Bria’s grandmother, walking with an excited llama. It was his first experience with a parade and he was taking it all in!
Here are Little Sir Spencerville and Little Miss Spencerville, Viktor and Katrina.
And how about this genuine unicorn! A real beauty. Now there’s something you don’t see every day.
There were lots of other participants, from scouts to pirates, antique fire engines to classic cars. I’ll close with this little video of the Ottawa Police Service pipe band.
Willow House Chronicles 