Family friend and student at country school where I taught.
The farmer took us to his pumpkin patch and turned us loose.
Scanned from a slide and converted.
Color version on People.
I compared this to the color shot, and this one wins.
I get the impression you were a pretty fun teacher in your day, Charlie.
You state this kid was a family friend. Do you know his whereabouts today, and how he is? I think one of the most interesting things about teaching school would be running into your students later in life and seeing how they are.
That is one sick looking pumpkin. It looks like it has some sort of acne problem. But back to the shot! It's incredible how tiny the boy looks to that frankenstein pumpkin. I think the most beautiful thing is when a teacher becomes a friend.
Thanks for the comments.
Oosty- the boy was a freckle-faced, red-headed 8-year old normal boy (if boys CAN be considered normal), so yes, he probably laid a trail of mischief everywhere he went.
Greswolde- glad to be the first to introduce a real punkin-head to you.
T-bone- I wasn't the boy's teacher (I taught combined 5th and 6th grades in the small country school). But I had his sister and his cousin in my class. 25 years later I ran into the cousin (Scotty) at an Oregon Coast wine-tasting festival in Newport. His family was in the wine-producing business and I was a wino . We had a good visit.
Eric- that's not a sick pumpkin; those bumps are pheromone glands. This big guy was sought after by every female in the patch- they all wanted his seed .
Charlie
Great comp here the boy really gives a sense and scale to how large the pumpkin really is love the clarity you have captured here that show the rough texture detail of the pumpkin
Very nice
Thanks Ray and Tim.
It WAS a really large pumpkin, made to look even larger because I got in close with a wide angle.
I only taught 12 years, but have many fond memories of mischievous behavior. Plus the mischievous behavior of the kids .
There was this time (teaching 4th grade) when I really got into describing the evil that was Adolph Hitler. Gesticulating like a madman, I jumped on top of Willie's desk (Willie loved it because he knew I was just a big, loud pussycat- all the other kids knew it, also). At lunch the principal told me he was walking by at the time and saw me standing on the student's desk. He didn't slow down. "Charlie, I don't even want to know WHY you were up there."
Yeah, good times.
Charlie
. We had a good visit.