"Smoky Lake...Giant Pumpkins!" a Edmonton Travel Page by Darby2

Are you out of your gourd? Ha Ha!

Picture shows master grower Howard Dill in his patch! Howard consistently produced immense pumpkins in his Windsor, Nova Scotia patch. 800 pounds is small pickins for him!
The feature of the Windsor pumpkin festival is the pumpkin regatta! They hollow out the pumpkins and paddle them across a small lake!

Watch for more pics on the progress of my own pumpkin here.

August 22/ Pumpkin HWRCULES is now 28" Circumfrence. est weight 14 #

44 days left till weigh off. Growing by about 3" circumfrence per day. ( 1/2" IN 4 HRS)
At that rate, estimated weight will be around 400 pounds or more .....gad, I hope so!!
The pumpkin festival in Smoky Lake is held on Thanksgiving weekend, Oct 5 this year.
The Lobay family, Robert, John and Mary from Smoky Lake are the champions to beat.
There are also categories for largest squash and watermelon as well!

Here are the top ten signs how male growers know they are addicted to growing Giant Pumpkins.
10) The most breeding you do in a year is in July and that is in the pumpkin patch.
9) You can recite the information from labels on pesticides and fertilizers from memory.
8) You have at least once called someone else by the name you have given your pumpkin.
7) It's hard to remember birthdays or anniversary's yet you know the weights of the top ten pumpkins grown last year by heart.
6) You have fibbed to your better half at least once regarding the amount of money you have spent on your addiction.
5) You have actually cried when a pumpkin you pinned your hopes on aborted.
4) You have actually driven more than an hour away just to see some one else's patch.
3) You have spent more money on the pumpkin patch than the wife and kids.
2) It's genetics, all men like big things.
And the number one reason male growers know they are addicted to growing Giant Pumpkins.
1) The only time you have ever asked for directions is to a pumpkin weigh-off.

And for the lady's:
Here are the top ten signs how female growers know they are addicted to growing Giant Pumpkins.
10) Your patch is more neater than the house.
9) In your purse you carry pics of your pumpkin along with the childrens.
8) You always pic second and third names for your pumpkin in case it aborts.
7) You don't mind taking time on your holidays to go around and see other people patches.
6) You ask your better half to go out and get milk, bread and 15-30-15.
5) You don't mind taking the garbage out yourself as it gives you time to peak in on the pumpkin.
4) You have abandoned having children as they would only take away from the time you have in your patch.
3) Spending quality time with the family usually takes place in your patch.
2) For the first time in your life you truly understand why men are fascinated with big things.
And the number one reason female growers know they are addicted to growing Giant Pumpkins.
1) Regardless of everything else, size does matter.

John Lobay of Smoky Lake and his 751 pound pumpkin !

Here's the World's biggest pumpkin pie!

Young and old get into the act.. Here a young storyteller gives her recitation.

Just down the road from Smoky Lake is Thorhild, where the sunflower reigns supreme! There's a festival here for the tallest, the one with the most flowers and the biggest head.

That's me on the ladder with the biggest sunflower I've grown to date--10'5"