Introducing Our Pumpkin - Kevinito

As you recall, after Event 49 - the Great Pumpkin Cross Country 5k - we broke the news to Kevin (of XDog Events) that we were moving away.  He responded the way any grown man would - he was sad, he wished us luck, and he made sure we wouldn't forget him.

He did this last thing by 'magically' drawing Camera Crew's name in a raffle drawing, a winning ticket that won her one free pumpkin from Heiser Farms.  This was just before Halloween, remember.  He announced two rules for this win:  we had to redeem the coupon; and we had to somehow take the damn thing with us.  We didn't want to upset Kevin so we redeemed her coupon and committed that, by golly, we were going to honor his request.

We made our way to the pumpkin stand, selected a squash (one that looked like it was up for an adventure in Central America and perhaps spoke a little Spanish) and then continued preparations for our journey.  The pumpkin just sat there, in our apartment, never once offering to help.

Fast forward to the morning of our departure.  Portland International Airport.  Saturday morning.  So early the sun hadn't even had its coffee yet.  Given all the TSA rules and regs nowadays you might think it would be difficult getting an entire pumpkin through security.  Not so.  In fact, no one even questioned the fact that we were bringing 'produce' or 'farm products' or 'food better than the airline would serve' on the flight.

Like any good smugglers, we thought if we personalized our contraband, things may go easier for us if we were caught.  That's what drug mules do, right?  No?  Hmmm...  So anyway, we named our pumpkin after the XDog man himself - we named him Kevinito.  Here is a video of us after boarding, in our seats and revealing that we brought a freakin' PUMPKIN on the plane!!  Haha!

Here is a pic of Kevinito snuggled away for the flight, all comfy and cozy demanding a damn gin and tonic NOW - and make it a double!! waiting patiently for the booze cart to come by:

He sang "I'm lea-ving on a jet plane" the WHOLE time

After the flight from Portland to Atlanta, then Atlanta to Managua, Nicaragua we took a cab from the airport to Granada and checked into our room for the night.  We settled in and enjoyed some of Nicaragua's finest cerveza - Toña.  The three of us slept well that night, believe me.

The pumpkin's ale... Not pumpkin ale... That would be wrong.

After a week of Spanish school and playing on the beach in San Juan del Sur, we headed for Isla de Ometepe.  It was here that we volunteered for six weeks and, sadly, eventually lost track of Kevinito.  We were very busy teaching and didn't have a lot of time to spend with him.  So, he entertained himself around the island - visiting petroglyphs and waterfalls; hanging out in the gardens; doing a little fishing; participating in a bocce ball tournament, in his own unique way; playing a little futbol with the kids.

It was during his free time adventures that Kevinito met a local chayote named Isabel from San Raon and fell in love.  A little weird because they are distantly related, both members of the cucurbitales order.  But so be it - you can't stop love.  Isabel is a wonderful gourd, by every standard, and has been very good for Kevinito.  We've watched him mature and become a man-kin right before our very eyes.

Of course, as these things often go, Kevinito didn't want to spend any time with us, even when we set aside time for him.  He was off with his new girlfriend.  We kept busy, trying to avoid what we knew was coming.

And when we left Ometepe, Kevinito decided to stay - to live with Isabel and maybe graft their seeds together to develop a new crop of their own.  We were heartbroken, of course.  But we expected this to happen at some point.  There were many tears shed when we parted ways, each wishing the other the best of luck.

Thanks for everything, Kevinito!  We will never forget you!

Even pumpkins need moments of quiet contemplation.