Once again the Great Pumpkin has visited Oysterville in the middle of the night strewing pumpkins along the verges of Territory Road.  I thought he might have given up on us after last year’s experiences, but he seems undaunted in his determination to spread autumnal cheer.

Well, maybe he’s a little daunted.  There aren’t nearly as many pumpkins lining the street as there were the last time.  I haven’t counted, but there looked to be only a fraction of the 2011 bounty which amounted to 31.  Alas, more than half of those “disappeared” way before Halloween last year.

By ones and twos they vanished as the month progressed.  It got so we would check the roadside at first light to see how many, if any, were still there each morning.  I continue to be amazed at all the activity that occurs in this quiet byway in the middle of the night.  Deer, raccoons, tire-slashers, moles, coyotes, and pumpkin thieves!  Go figure!

The Great Pumpkin was pretty pissed off, I can tell you.  All of us were.  There was talk of plotting some sort of payback.  Various schemes were discussed and the one that the GP and friends seemed to settle on involved dog poop.  “We’ll just anchor each pumpkin in fresh doggie droppings,” said the GP.  “It won’t be immediately visible, but it should cause enough trouble to act as a deterrent…”  We all agreed.  One poopy pumpkin tossed into the back seat of a car was a pretty disgusting image.

A bold scheme for sure.  I haven’t checked to see if the plan has been put into effect.  It doesn’t seem worth the risk.  But it is certainly a possible scenario.  There are lots of dogs in Oysterville and lots of dog-owners who diligently scoop the poop on their doggy walks.  And there are lots of us non-doggy folks who would applaud their efforts to keep the Great Pumpkin’s bounty in the village…