Something It's Important to Know About Living in Southern California

If the Santa Anas are blowing, you'll want to ditch your jack-o-lantern as soon as Halloween is over. No chilly, pumpkin-preserving, procrastination-permitting East Coast days here, baby.

(Yes, that's a slime trail of pumpkin juice oozing across the stoop. Gack.)

Comments

[Steve Clackson]

It's -32 with the windchill here. I just threw our two rock solid ones in the garbage. On the bright side no guck!

[Theresa]

I learned the same lesson in FL. Ugh! On the bright side, I bet it would look great under a microscope!

[Katherine in TX]

That's a pumpkin carving hazard in Texas too! :)

[Love2learn Mom]

Funny! Last year I discovered ours frozen solid to the front porch in early December. oops!

[Margaret in Minnesota]

Too, too funny! And the little face on that pumpkin looks like a "Peanuts" cartoon!

[Kristen Laurence]

Funny, we had an identical pumpkin on our front porch here in Orange County! I threw him away yesterday, but he left behind a big white stain at our front door. (I'm embarrased to admit he was also full of gray fuzzy mold when I tossed him out!)

[Jennifer]

That actually looks very appropriately greusome. And our's here in the South go out the very next day. Bleh.

[Cay]

Having lived in Louisiana all my life, I thought this was the normal cycle of a jack-o-lantern. LOL

Ours went in the burn pile a few days ago, after I caught the girls and their neighborhood pals poking sticks in the poor pumpkin's belly and shouting: "Oooooo..."

[Jennifer]

Having grew up in CO, the first year we were here in the FL Keys I blithely bought our pumpkins 2 WEEKS before Halloween for Autumnal Decor on the bow of the boat. Picture me preparing to open Jack up and my ENTIRE fist sinking into his head of goo. Gack! is right.

[Cheryl]

I ditto Cay....normal stuff for hot, humid south Louisiana...hey, it happens even before Halloween :(

[Hooly]

So...let me get this straight.
We haven't gotten to see your lovely new house yet but you *do* treat us to pictures of your rotted, oozing pumpkin.

Niiiiice to know where we stand ;-)

::::mmmmwahhhh:::::

[xixi]

lol it reminds me of the snowmen calvin and hobbes build.

[crissa]

My poor pumpkins don't last long in the tropics....Two days later, they're already moldy!

[Mary Beth P]

You did well, having just moved! My pumpkin is still sitting on my sideboard, waiting to be carved.

[Karen E.]

Yeah, yeah, but I think your husband has the real story. :-)

[Maureen]

I'm not sure I ever caught the root cause for your cross-country move, Lissa......dh's work?

I've always wondered how people from other parts of the country find the cost of living in California. We'd need farm-aid if my dh were ever transferred there!

[Alice Gunther]

Kind of gives the place a Sleepy Hollow look!

[leticia]

My pumpkins look like that here on Long Island, where it's 50 degrees and rainy!