Pumpkin Shortage

Call it The Great Pumpkin Shortage. Call it more of a phantom shortage than a real one. Call it what you will. But it seems that there may be fewer than usual large, glowing orange orbs this Halloween. Farmers in the Northeast get to blame Irene for drowning jack o'lantern crops, although the losses aren't limited to Irene's swath: heavy spring rains and a fungus outbreak may have contributed to widespread scarcity. As you can see, mine were not harmed by the super-soggy ground. I feel for any farmers who lost a significant crop this season. And may the Great Pumpkin visit you this year.