FUNNY FACE PUMPKINS ARRIVE AT THE JEWELS

Each year, I eagerly anticipate one of the most amusing events of the season. I'm not talking about our nation's efforts to turn Halloween into a full-tilt bacchanalia, which is now apparently second only to Christmas in popularity. No, I'm talking about the arrival at my local Jewel Food Store of a passel of little pumpkins pre-painted with cheery faces.

When I first noticed these fun-loving members of the gourd family about 10 years ago, the faces seemed to have been painted by hand. These decorated pumpkins looked so innocently happy and goofy that I figured they had to come from some sheltered workshop somewhere. I even bought one once for my cubicle at work.

Lately, however, I've noticed that although the pumpkins have the same goofy faces, the paint appears to have sprayed by a machine, rather than done by hand. Or maybe the pumpkins were painted by machine all along.

MORE ABOUT PUMPKINS

Frey Farms video news release

Where the great pumpkins are easy to find

Low pumpkin production forecast

Local pumpkin crop socked by soggy weather

Lack of rain stunts pumpkin crop

Indiana reports great pumpkin crop

Hand-carved pumpkins by The Rock & Roll Chef

ChicagoScope feedback line: 312-683-5272. Send e-mail to [e-mail].