What Is That Strange Growth?

Nadia has an unusual practice of throwing all kinds of food outside for the squirrels and rabbits and other creatures—like that gnome—that inhabit our yard.  I’ve told her many times that this is unnecessary.

“They’re wild animals,” I’ve explained.  “They don’t need you to provide food.  In fact, it’s better for them if you don’t provide food.  That makes them lazy.”  To prove my point, I’ve shown her the small, crudely assembled hammocks that the rabbits have set up in the back yard.

But she continues to do it.

About 3 weeks ago, Nadia said, “Hey, you know how I’m throwing food out in the yard all the time?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, something’s growing,” she said.

For a minute, I thought she was looking at my stomach, but no, she meant something was growing in our yard.  A force was at work.  Without our knowledge or consent something had begun the mysterious process of cellular replication right in our midst.

Shooting up in the middle of one of our bushes, by the house, is a pumpkin plant.  It was not intentionally planted and cultivated.  The seeds must have just taken root and, without any attention from us, the plant is thriving.

In fact, we have a pumpkin that’s growing on the plant.  And it’s getting pretty big.  It’s that time of year where it is growing rapidly.  Two weeks ago it was about the size of an apple.  Now, it’s already larger than a basketball.  If it continues at this rate, next week my plan is to put wheels on it, install an engine, and begin driving it around town.  (Hey, Cinderella has proven that it can be done.)

We’re actually getting kind of excited about our big, homegrown pumpkin.  (I’ve named him “Wilson”…It’s not a volleyball, but the concept of a spherical friend is similar.)  We normally get a pumpkin or two every year for Rachel, anyhow.  So, this year we don’t have to buy one.  We’ll have our own that we’ve grown.

Someone said to me, recently, “That Nadia seems to have an ability to cultivate plants without even trying.” 

I thought, “Hmm, that’s true.”

So, I’ve given her a few dollar bills to crumple up and throw out into the back yard.  Hey, it’s worth a shot.  Let’s see if she can grow a money tree.  That way we can buy all new hammocks for the rabbits.

                 Here's a photo of Nadia with "Wilson".