In conjunction with his birthday and Halloween, we developed a peculiar family tradition. Throughout October, we would create designs for pumpkin faces on paper cutouts of pumpkins and paste them on the orange wall above Tim’s bed.

It was a contest which ended on the day my father carved the Halloween pumpkin. Then we all voted on the cutest and the scariest pumpkins. I don’t remember if there was a prize, except for the satisfaction of knowing your design was featured in the flickering face of the pumpkin set out on the front porch.

There is a prize for this contest. I will give either a French Republican Calendar for 2010 or a print version of the 2010 Calendar Companion to the person whose pumpkin art I like the most. Just send a photograph of your favorite carved pumpkin (or turnip lantern or potato) to waverly AT livinginseason DOT com and I will post it here for everyone to enjoy.

Let me know how you want to be credited. You can send along your full name and location (city, state) or just initials or just location or a URL to your web site or to your Etsy store.  I will contact the winner and get the details I need to send out the prize.

The great pumpkin-carving squirrel photos were submitted by Kathy Robles who lives in New Jersey. So far, this squirrel is winning the contest.

See below for the first submission (except for the squirrel): a bat pumpkin by Forrest Stowe.