PuMPkin Show

I have two pet peeves about the local speech affectations. First is the ending of sentences with a preposititon. I seriously cringed hearing my Youngest's early grade school teacher say; "Hamilton, where's your backpack at?" UGH!!! "Where you at?" (translation; "Where are you?"), "Where's it at?" (translation; "Where is it located?") all pervasive and very common in this area of Ohio.

Really big pumpkin? 1622 pounds big.

The second centers around the most famous local festival: The Circleville Pumpkin Show. " The Greatest Free Show on Earth" is how it is billed, and somehow, like homing pigeons, anyone who has been raised in the area flocks home for at least one day at the week-long Pumpkin Show. Or, as you say if you live around here; "The Punkin Show". Sigh. You can't say it without the required hillbilly twang; "Pun'kin". My Middlest in order to avoid the inevitable maternal correction pronounces it "Pu m p kin".

We returned from China to a Pumpkin Show in full swing. There are two parades a day at the Pumpkin Show. Our kids marched in three of them. And what parades! Floats! Tricks! Queens! Bands! Animals! Cute Kids In Pumpkin Decorated Wagons! The Pumpkin Man! (Umm, man on rollerblades with an orange tee-shirt that says "The Pumpkin Man") Each parade a spectacle that lasts more than an hour. And pumpkins- REALLY BIG PUMPKINS! I'll just have to show you pictures.






The Pumpkin Man. Hey, it's a small town. He's big time!

 

My Eldest (2nd from left) with her line of flutes, nearly ready to march!

Middlest, foreground, marching with her saxophone. "The Hey Song" on repeat.



Youngest, far right, marching with the Boy Scouts.



Queens, Princesses, on floats! Oh My!

We live in a place where folks put their toddlers in ball gowns, and plop them onto the hood, or the top of the car and drive around. When we moved here, I found this ritual disturbing. I'm getting inured to it apparently, although I have not done this to my kids.....yet.

Where a grown woman can dress as Strawberry Shortcake and her little dog too.
Disturbing? Um, yes.