The Great Pumpkin

This was the view from my windshield the week before Halloween. I drive by a little general store out in the middle of no where in McDonald Co. several times a month when I am making my visits. I noticed the pumplin when I drove by the other day. It was HUGE! I am posting the article from the local paper by my friend Kay Hively. I travel three counties and I never know what I might see. Makes the day more interesting!

Powell, Mo. -
Many people enjoy carving a pumpkin in October and November as they celebrate Halloween and the end-of-season harvest. And most carvings are of the traditional jack-o-lantern face.This year, a pumpkin carved into a jack-o-lantern graced the front porch of Sims’ Store, located four miles south of Powell in McDonald County. But this pumpkin / jack-o-lantern was a bit unusual, attracting great attention from people who passed by or shopped in the store.This pumpkin, which was grown by David D’Amico, weighed in at 1,041 pounds. Planted on May 1, the pumpkin was harvested on Oct. 3.D’Amico, who lives only a half mile from the general store, always raises pumpkins, but this year he got a really big one.According to Bob Meuhlebach, owner of the general store, D’Amico started out with a regular pumpkin patch, but one pumpkin seemed to be doing much better than the others. That prompted him to clear out all the others and nourish the “cream of the crop” pumpkin. When it reached maturity, D’Amico entered it in a pumpkin contest in Republic and walked away with second prize.When he walked away from the contest, D’Amico brought the pumpkin home but had no good place to show it off. He asked Meuhlebach if he could bring it up to the general store for people to see.“He brought it up in the back of his pickup,” Meuhlebach said, “and it was displayed there for three days. Lots of people came by to see it and take a picture.”After three days, however, D’Amico needed his vehicle.“We got a skid loader and lifted it off the pickup and put it on the porch,” Meuhlebach said.The big pumpkin stayed on the porch for several days getting lots of “lookers.” Much of the attention came from motorcyclists who ride past the general store, located at the junction of Missouri Highway 90 and Route E.Then, a couple of days before Halloween, Meuhlebach’s son, Monty, carved it into a jack-o-lantern.“We turn out the lights at dark,” Meuhlebach said, “and just leave the light in the pumpkin. It’s really noticed that way.”Sims’ Store is a popular stopping spot for people in that part of the county. Besides groceries, the Meuhlebachs also serve barbecue and sandwiches, as well as breakfast and lunch each day (their Wednesday noon special is cornbread and beans).Meuhlebach hopes the pumpkin will last until the weekend. It has been so popular that Meuhlebach hopes his neighbor, David D’Amico, will come up with another one next fall.“If he grows one next year, he’s welcome to display it here,” Meuhlebach said. “So everyone can be watching for it next year.”Any sightseers who get down to the store to see the pumpkin might want to time their visit to the lunch hour. If so, check out the dessert menu and see if, by chance, there is any homemade pumpkin pie.