Hey there, pumpkin!

One thing I love about Texas, and I think it stretches across America in general, is that many houses decorate for each season. Wreaths aren't just for Christmas over here. I have a spring/summer one up on my wall at the moment.

Now that we're into autumn, pumpkins are popping up everywhere, and not just Jacko lanterns, but regular old pumpkins stacked up outside houses. I say 'regular old', but that's not really true. In my naivety, I thought a pumpkin was just a pumpkin: round and orange. Well, a trip to Dallas Arboretum blew that out of the water for me. Take a look at these pictures from their famous pumpkin display:

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere! (plus a few gourds and one, lonely butternut squash.) 

Children were everywhere, ducking in and out of the pumpkin houses, sitting in Cinderella's pumpkin carriage, and reading enlarged story extracts about scarecrows and growing pumpkins. It was an autumn wonderland!

Of course, an enormous pumpkin patch is also a prime photo opportunity for parents. Needless to say, there were quite a few unimpressed kids being perched on the pumped-up, body-builder pumpkins while parents instructed them to smile, 'hold this cute baby pumpkin' and look happy.  

This coming weekend, I am going to the Texas State Fair. I have been warned about the fried food. I have been warned about the crowds. I have been warned about the quilt stalls (although, this actually fills my Granny-Rose heart with excitement). 

See you next Tuesday with a run-down of my State Fair adventure!