Monday, October 20, 2008

N is for Novelty

Denise Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday round 3
and ABC Wednesday Anthology have progressed to N.
For other N views click on the above links.






Every time that Otto and I go to the Monterey Market we encounter something new in the way of fruits or vegetables. On our Friday shopping trip, we saw the following:

This photo of Otto is no trick shot. He is crouched so that the children climbing on the pumpkin pile behind him (beyond the wire mesh) can be seen. This was the largest pumpkin I have ever seen outside of a newspaper or magazine photo.

These are a few of the children in the background the previous photo.


These were labeled as Swan Pumpkins, but I think they are actually gourds as there was a warning of "For decorative use only". They certainly qualify as novel!


These decorative gourds aren't exactly a novelty, although there are always a few with which I am unfamiliar when they appear each autumn. I love them as a centerpiece for Thanksgiving dinner, but is there anything sadder than a gourd that's still around during the December holidays?

And there was this strange broccoli that I purchased, then, after I brought it home and had worlds of time, photographed it out of focus! No excuse. I had never seen this variety. I haven't cooked it yet, but can aver that it smells like broccoli.


And lastly I can't resist adding this photo of the huge pumpkin pile and one exhausted little shopper. Picking the pumpkin for one's Jack-o'-lantern is such hard work!

28 comments:

daria said...

WOW!! that pumpkin is amazing!
I love your photos Gigi!!

xoxo

rebecca said...

how does a pumpkin grow that big! goodness! and, yes, those are gourds. and that broccoli....seems alien to me!

me ann my camera said...

Love to go to the market! Novelty abounds. Great post.

Ray said...

Lovely gourds and pumpkins. Nice photos too.

Ray

Unknown said...

That pumpkin is HUGE! Wow! I love your pictures as always. The happy pumpkin hopping children are my favorite : ). They just light up the screen! Aren't children precious?

ellen b. said...

Hi Granny,
You found some great shots to share with us. Hey I took a photo of a Swan Pumpkin today at the Pumpkin patch!

kamz said...

Wow! That HUGE pumpkin is perfect for a Halloween mascot! Wherever did they come from? It looks to me like aliens grew them... the brocolli says it all! By the way, my N is now up too!

Kikamz
Just About Anything

photowannabe said...

Huge pumpkin and the "swan pumpkins" certainly are a novelty. Great choices for the letter N.

Bear Naked said...

Don't you just love Autumn?
Such colouful photo oppurtuities.
Yours are fantastic.

Bear((( )))

antigoni said...

Awesome! That pumpkin is really big! Great photos and post, too.

earthlingorgeous said...

Oh my what lovely pumpkins! That huge pumpkin is so amazing! Great N post!

AphotoAday said...

Love that last photo of the kids playing on the pumpkins...

Rune Eide said...

Impressive - they must have used a crane just to move it.

D Herrod said...

That is a Giant Pumpkin. Reminds me of Charlie Brown & Linus

Jay said...

I've seen broccoli like that in local shops - but I've never seen anything like those Swan Pumpkins! Or indeed, a pumpkin as large as Otto's!

Beautiful pics. And we all take the odd out-of-focus shot. ;)

Leslie: said...

Wow! What a gigaNtic pumpkiN~! Looks like those kids are having fuN, TOO. I've NEVER seen any of those swan gourds, either. Very NOVEL way to interpret NOVELTY for our N-day! :D

Nydia said...

I've never seen such a huge pumpkin! The others huge as well and so gorgeous!

Love that broccoli, I wonder if they taste good?

Kisss from Nydia.

Reader Wil said...

Well I say, that's what I call a super pumpkin.It's certainly a novelty! Is it a real one? I don't think I've seen many gourds in my life. Very great post.

Richard Lawry said...

Now that's a big pumpkin! Thanks for the great pictures.

An Arkie's Musings

nonizamboni said...

Amazing photos! And a bit science fiction-y except Otto's smile is a giveway. So much bounty and I'm glad you shared it with us. Our farmer's markets close down this week and next--where did this summer go?
Thanks for sharing, Phyllis!
xxxx

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a huge pumpkin!!!
I love all of the photos. Great post

Rinkly Rimes said...

Your poor husband! Fancy being dwarfed by a pumpkin!Great photos. Great idea, novelty.

Dragonstar said...

That's a HUGE pumpkin! All those gourds would be a novelty to me, though the Romanesco broccoli not so much - I grew it once, but the goats got in and ate most of it!

Bren Haas said...

This is such a fabulous blog you have put together. Thank you for sharing such wonderful photos and your garden notes are priceless!

Happy Autumn - I am a follower of your blog.

Kim from Hiraeth said...

LOVE these snaps! They capture the color and joy of autumn!

Miss_Yves said...

Amazing post!
("M" for monsters !)
The strange brocoli is named "chou romanesco " in France, I 've already eaten this vegetable!
Miss Yves

Liz Hinds said...

I thought I'd commented here! I definitely visited and saw these photos because I have a photo on my blog of that broccoli.

What a whopper that first one is!

Unknown said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoflower Here's how to read about "chou romanesco". Otto used romanescu from the coop, organic, of course, for a hands on fractal teaching tool. What's so stunning is the spiral effect of the diminishing units, a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.