I am thinking what is wrong with these parents? I should have stolen them before they got fruit flies. At what point after Halloween can you take a pumpkin without feeling guilty?

Why? Fruit flies compost too!Just ask them if you can have them!

"Boy, Collecting Pumpkins is Hard"

Even though you appear to live hundred of miles from me, expect to see me shortly.

I should have known no yard waste service would empty my "Pumpkin Collection Car" when I have no yard waste service.

IT WAS YOU!

I guess those people hope the pumpkin fairy will come along and remove those pumpkins. The time to steal them was before they collapsed. If they had left them uncarved they would decay much more slowly. So, I did not take them. Now, when I go buy I just look to see how they are progressing. It's fascinating.

One thing that shocked me is how much info is tossed that we don't know about. Years after I bought a house, I unloaded my paper into a walk-in recycle bin. Noticed one box of paper that had my realtor's name on the side. Looked thru it in case my file was there. My file was not, but the info in some of the files was surprising. Some files had all the keys to the house, nicely labeled as to which key fit which lock. A few had credit reports, which included account numbers, amounts of money in accounts, and lawsuits.

Some of the neighbors even put out their leaf bags early so I can make sure to collect. One guy even drags the bags over and put them by the side of my house. One get to be a connoisseur of leaves. Yes, that bag is nicely shredded, no that bag has too high a percentage of oak leaves.

I know from having jack o'lanterns as a kid that it would cause fights!

"Go throw away that rotten pumpkin!" / "I don't want to deal with it!"

If they are sunken and moldy you're doing everyone a favor, including other passers-by!

Many times we let our pumpkin melt in the flower bed next to the front door to see what, if any, pumpkins might grow there the next year. "Your" way is not the only way to compost.

After reading your post I went and asked my neighbour for hers.

M

After a few years of collecting yard waste materials.

I only advance into someones yard to collect their bags if I have had prior contact and know they are fine with me making off with the bags. And I leave a bag with once-used and folded bags to save them a buck or two.

If I know or suspect that you don't want me to take your brown bags of leaves, leaf/grass mixes, I will not take them even if they are sitting on the curb. I will not argue with you, I consider it your property even if the stuff is sitting in the street and not on your property. There is plenty of other stuff available. Read three years ago that one relative shot and killed another over a roll of TP.

There are three neighbors who save their stuff especially for me. They put it out early (normal is 12 hours before pickup start time of 6am). We know each other by name and they put it out by the garage so no unsavory characters will make off with it. If I have extra summer veggies such as tomatoes, they may get some.

Wow that sounds.....

I cant understand why people put more work time energy, gas, ect into composting. They are are poluting more then some growing with sybnthetics...

If you don't want to compost, don't. But don't deride those who do.

I'm sure everyone will recognize your comment for the inflammatory nonsense it is.

I don't have trees to speak of where I can collect leaves of my own. I drive around specifically looking for bags of leaves in the fall and winter. Sometimes I get a lot, sometimes, not so much. When I get a lot, I feel good about it. When I don't, I feel like I wasted a little time and fuel and go on. It all averages out eventually. But when I think about the leaves that end up in my garden instead of the landfill, I feel really good about it.

I say skip that one measley pumpkin and look at the bigger picture. Or use it as it is if they'll let you have it. Cooking something specifically in preparation for composting is truly wasteful.