Great Pumpkins

[Porch pumpkins with spider; 10/17/12]

Yesterday afternoon I took a walk in my old Belmont neighborhood, the neighborhood I lived in the first year I first moved here to the old apartment with its fabulous porch. I still miss that beautiful neighborhood (and the porch) although my current apartment is more serene and well-maintained by my landlords. It's only a mile and a half from the old neighborhood, alas all uphill so I don't make it over there on my walks very often. I had to run some errands, so I parked nearby and strolled the leafy streets for awhile, camera in hand, hunting more porch pumpkins.

[Contemporary porch pumpkin]

[Sweet scarecrow]

I remember when K and I looked at the apartment we ended up renting, our landlord told us about the "reservoir" park down the street from our apartment, and we expected a broad expanse of water only to find the park to be a huge mound with an underground water supply for the nearby city of Cambridge. It still turned out to be a nice place to walk, and I went there yesterday, finding a few people walking dogs or strolling with their ear-buds on around the track-like path that circles the reservoir. The oak trees (on Oak St) were just about at peak color.

[Oak St side of Payson Park, Belmont]

We've reportedly had a bumper crop of pumpkins in the state this year, with perfect growing weather. Besides pumpkins on nearly every porch (my upstairs neighbors put a whole seasonal display on our front porch, with large pumpkin, mums, reeds...), there is pumpkin-themed food on every menu around. Pumpkin raviolis. Pumpkin risotto. Pumpkin muffins, bread, cheesecake, etc. And of course pumkin ale. I find most pumpkin ales too overfilled with spices such that you can't taste the beer, so I was happy to find a local craft brew, Great Pumpkin Ale, from the Cambridge Bewing Co. that's just right. Subtle pumpkin flavor from local, organic sugar pumpkins and just a trace of spices. D and I enjoyed a large bottle of the ale recently and yesterday I bought a couple more at a specialty store in the old neighborhood. Looking forward to enjoying some this weekend.

Meanwhile, just drinking in the porch pumpkins...

[On Payson St, Belmont]

Comments

[marja-leena]

Love all the pumpkins! Everyone really goes all out in your area. I still remember all the early posts and photos, years ago, on this theme and how they amazed me.

[Dave]

Haven't had a pumpkin ale I liked, so I clicked through to read the brewery's description and was fascinated by the part about B.S.A. (Brewery Supported Agriculture), using locally grown and malted grain. This is something I've really been wondering about lately. I'm glad to know it exists, and hope it's the beginning of a movement.

[Leslee]

Maria: Yep, they do go all out here! Although I recall being in Denver one year visiting a friend and I though they were even more involved - big Mexican population celebrating Dia de los muertos.

Dave: I thought you might be interested in the pumpkin ale and how they make it. Glad you found the BSA site.