World Pumpkin Carving Championship

So the moment Twelve of us have all been anxiously awaiting... the winner of the 2009 World Pumpkin Carving Championship is Leanne Ashworth with her pumpkin #11 titled "Cat on Toast"! yey. good for her. i'm so happy for her. it was an honour just to participate. Seriously, if someone who doesn't live on another continent could win next year it would save me a lot of money in shipping costs?! Anyone? And I didn't let her win just because it's her birthday, I swear. I counted and then triple checked the votes and any way I looked at it I lost and she won, I mean we lost and she won (sorry, sometimes I forget it's not just me that lost). If you are worried about the integrity of our judging panel, then know we only enlist the best! For two years in a row now my Mom has picked the winner as her #1 vote, and each year it has been the difference between my first and second place finishes, so sleep easy folks, there is no nepotism in our competition! Thanks Mom!...

Well this particular entrant met most of the criteria however he is not really a pumpkin, his name is just Pumpkin, and he is a cat. So entering as himself is Pumpkin the cat, isn't he cute? Thank you Mel and Mark for sending pumpkins photo on his behalf, despite what Microsoft Windows 7 says, cats still haven't quite figured it out.

Here is what you have all been waiting for, the 2009 WPCC entries! I don't think having such a narrow theme has made this year's crop of carvings any less diverse! Kudos to all the "CAT" carvers this year!! Pumpkin #1 Pumpkin #2 Pumpkin #3 Pumpkin #4 Pumpkin #5 Pumpkin #6 Pumpkin #7 Pumpkin #8 Pumpkin #9 Pumpkin #10 Pumpkin #11 Pumpkin #12

Here is a story of dedication to the art form, the competition, the challenge of carving an orange vegetable. We can all learn a think or two I think. These two competitors are not only escorting the WPCC trophy across the country but they made a stop in what can only be described as unusual destination for the explicit reason of pumpkin carving - Regina, Saskatchewan. Not only did they only have a penknife and spork to carve the pumpkin (see http://lightmyfireusa.com/spork.html), but they lit it with a MEC camping candle. Most impressive is the location. I'm not entirely certain where the pumpkin was carved but my best guess is a coffee shop, a very kind and gernerous coffee shop. I like your style Julie and Marten, you get an honorable mention in my books!

Well folks it's that time of year again, the leaves are turning, the rain is coming, the knifes are sharpened and the pumpkins... well apparently the pumpkins came early this year! Silly pumpkins, what were they thinking? It's not like Halloween is a flexible holiday like Easter, it doesn't move around all willy-nilly not thinking of how no one will ever be able to figure out what day you get off the Monday or the Friday? Nope, it's always on the same day, no matter if it's a Tuesday or a Saturday, if it's snowing sideways or the Swine flu has taken over, the show still goes on! And so despite the moderately tardy starting date, we figure we will give you until midnight of whatever time zone you are living in on Sunday November 1st to get your entries in because lets be serious, Halloween is on a Saturday this year, and I hope to be doing a little drinking and knives and beer just don't mix. It's like eating the apples you get in your trick-or-treat bag,...