Pumpkinneuring!

(With thanks to Marcello for the title)



Pumpkin Ridge Gardens, our CSA (community-supported agriculture), has subscriber days at the farm.  In October, we are invited to come out and pick our pumpkin, presumably to carve.  I've driven out there off and on, and come home with entirely too many pumpkins - some to cook, some to carve, and so on.  Fitz went out there once and came back with, again, too many pumpkins, including a massive Hubbard squash that James talked him into taking home.  We turned that one into a pie (or three), but breaking into it involved a circular saw.  In the kitchen. (Hubbard squash makes better-tasting pumpkin pies than pumpkin)

We don't carve pumpkins for Halloween anymore - no one ever comes to our house.  We get candy "just in case", and eat it all ourselves.

I do like getting seed pumpkins and pie pumpkins.  And I needed more green tomatoes and hot peppers to finish off some leftover brine from the Pickled Green Tomatoes project.

Trying to limit our pumpkin intake, I considered riding out there.  About 40 miles round trip; the farm is right off Pumpkin Ridge Rd, maybe 1.5 miles or so up the hill.  One pannier and one bike bucket installation later, I was headed west and north.  Not raining, 60s and muggy.

Original plan was to follow my "get to Portland Velo/Intel Ronler Acres" route, but cut under Hwy 26 before Cornelius Pass Rd, and maybe drop in on Susan.  Not.  Path very definitely closed.  Back to the complete original route - Evergreen/Sewell/Meek/Jackson School/West Union...  Road closed.  WHAT?  After riding  over a mile of grooved pavement on Evergreen, I was just a tad grouchy.  Investigating showed that the road, while closed to automobile traffic, was quite passable by bicycle.  Right on Shadybrook, and then up Pumpkin Ridge Rd.



Parked the bike, went though the "you rode your bike HERE?", picked out two SMALL pie pumpkins, then got permission from Polly to pick some green tomatoes and hot peppers.  Did that, then enjoyed some hot cider.  I did this entire ride on a Dutch Baby for breakfast and cider.  Visited with Polly some more, then picked some basil, and stowed everything in the bucket and pannier.  It all fit quite nicely.  While I was out foraging, a couple on a tandem showed up, so I wasn't the only crazy person there :-)



Snagged 4 grape leaves on the way out (makes the pickles crisp), then headed on home.  Fitz had said "well, it is all downhill from there!".  Well, yeah, coming down Pumpkin Ridge.  Rollers and a few short steep bits all the way home.



Almost felt like the tandem with all that extra weight, except the wheelbase was a bit short, and it was just me.  At the top of the very last climb (SW Park Way), stopped and chatted for a bit with my former co-worker/neighbor who was on his way home on his walk.  He's retired (I am jealous) and having a great time.

Coming through our elementary school, I saw a couple cutting the grass, and a very little guy on a bicycle.  He couldn't have been older than 5.  So I slowed down, because little people on two wheels are just a tiny bit unpredictable.  As I passed him, I think he said "race you!" and he took off.  I actually couldn't give him a race, because the pumpkins and the speed bumps wouldn't have worked well together.  So he was zipping off ahead, and when I got to the turn onto the road, he zipped off ahead of me.  I think he was riding over 12 mph on that teeny little bike.  I thought I would just let him win it, and halfway down the block, he turned back to the school.  He was a cutie :-)

A whisper under 40 miles, and my legs got a workout pushing that extra weight up the rollers and rises.

Tuv haAretz NE Portland Garden Tour by Bike

This past Sunday I joined other members of Tuv HaAretz for a tour of extremely edible yards and chicken coops. Friend Beth was ride leader, friend Joel rode sweep. Beth's partner L was the organizer. I knew one other rider; our daughters went to the same preschool (said daughters are now, oh, 26 years old). Most of the riders were from Havurah Shalom, a couple from Kesser Israel, and me, the lone representative from Neveh Shalom.

I tried not to look TOO "lycra-spandex", but I still had the most colorful jersey - my Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger. Covered with flowers, so quite appropriate :-) Little Pink Bear also came along for the ride.

Drove over to Beth's place; we rode the 2 miles over to the ride start. I got my first-ever spoke card.





The first stop was a wonderfully mature urban garden with chickens. Huckleberries in the front, raised beds, fruit trees, raspberries and chickens in the back. The raised beds used the Trex planking. We should consider that; it does not rot. I was surprised how little space the chickens required. Tasty rhubard bread as well.





Next stop was a garden in a rental house, so lots of containers and plantings around the edge. They had a beautiful purple brussels sprout plant. Wonder what color the sprouts are? And if they are purple, do they stay that color when cooked? Minty lemonade and snap peas.



Third stop was Willow Cottage, which seemed to house many people, had a great willow tree in the front yard, as well as a nice raised bed. Serious cabbage moth capture efforts going on here, and we were offered the opportunity to forage in the strawberries (mmmm). Nice little chicken flock in the back. I'm liking the gold-laced Wyandotte. Eggs were harvested; one was sent along for our post-ride spinach salad.





Somewhere in there was the climb up Alameda Ridge - 2 blocks, whacking steep. My bike computer read out 11%, but the post-ride analysis showed a bit of 15%. I went around on the left so I could climb without needing to stop. Regroup at the top. Whew.

House number 4 featured a classy chicken coop on the garage roof, which is ground level in the back yard, and raised bed vegetable plantings in the strip between the sidewalk and the street.



We then wandered around for awhile before ending up at Beth and L's place. They've got a nice garden with spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions, arugula, ... No chickens; they have an arrangement with Joel for eggs. We picked the spinach and some arugula; spinach salad was constructed. Nice picnic on the front lawn.

7.6 miles. I got a little crispy because I didn't bother with sunscreen :-)

All the pics here