Creepy Crawleys

There has been a lot of talk about pumpkins this year and some people are concerned that their might be a shortage come time for carving. All this discussion about growing pumpkins takes me back to my childhood. I grew up on a farm and we grew many different things. One of the most impressive fields we had was our corn fields. Anyone that has ever negotiated a corn field will know that it is easier to find your way through an inner city than a large corn field and it might not be as dangerous. First off, there is the danger of the corn itself, which is sharp and can slice you in a New York minute. Then there are the crawly creatures that live in the corn field. Snakes, of course, but they are not as bad as the saddlebacks that live on the corn. Usually a snake will slither away but saddlebacks seem to be looking for an opportunity to get you and they hurt like crazy. Beyond the creepys and crawleys, in our corn fields we also grew pumpkins. My father and grandfather were convinced that one benefited the other and maybe they were right. The Indians used to grow corn, pole beans and pumpkins together and they called them the three sisters. I can remember rows and rows of pumpkins, growing under the field corn. We utilized those pumpkins for many things, not the least of which was carving. I don’t know if farmers still grow pumpkins the old way, by planting along side the field corn or not. All I know is I am glad that these days my pumpkins are saddleback proof.