Pumpkin Carving and Walk

Carving of Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty 

Yesterday was the culmination of three days of preparation for the annual pumpkin parade and walk here in Nauvoo. It is called "Bootiful Nauvoo." This is a tradition in the city of Nauvoo. People come from all around the area for the parade and pumpkin walk. The mission makes about 1200 bags of kettle corn and fills about 800 bags of candy (donated by missionaries) to be handout to those who come for the event.

Fred carving Maleficent

Thursday and Friday was spent in the carving of over 500 pumpkins. Most of which were done by missionaries during off-time and in between assignments. Missionaries along with some local members also drew the designs on the pumpkins to be carved.

Lit pumpkin of Maleficent

We had the opportunity to participate, carving several pumpkins. two of several done by Fred are shown here as Maleficent and the Were Wolf. Ann is also shown carving. However, she couldn't remember which one she had done.

Ann carving pumpkin next to Elder Monney from Texas

Some of the carved pumpkins

On Saturday, the pumpkins were hauled uptown and placed along the main street and around the businesses. Following the parade which is made up of anyone in costume or otherwise walk down the main street followed by one of the mission's horse drawn carriages carrying a junk band made of missionaries playing any thing from kazoos to spoons.

Following the parade at dark, the pumpkins are lit and everyone walks up and down the street to see the lit up pumpkin displays. some of those are shown below.

Gathering Lily Pad Seed Pods

Yesterday, after completing our work and site assignments for the day and not having a meeting or Rendezvous show that evening, Ann and I went to see if we could find some lily pad seed pods some where close to the river bank. They make interesting decorations. The people in this area including those of Nauvoo used to gather them and use the seeds for board games like Fox and Geese.




It was fairly cold yesterday afternoon. The temperature was in the upper thirties and there was a chilly breeze blowing. Once we found a place where there were seed pods that were not too far out in the river, Ann thought it was a good idea for me to wade out in the water which was only eight to ten inches deep at that location and gather some seed pods while she waited in the car out of the cold.  Fortunately the water wasn't too cold. Ann did get out of the car long enough to get a few pictures of me collecting seed pods.

Lily Pad Seed Pods

The lily pads only grow in 18 inches or less of water. The  blossoms only last a short time and then are gone. The seed pods that remain eventually dry up and tilt down releasing the seeds into the water to germinate.


Another use of the seed pods during the early Nauvoo period was that of a baby rattle. When shaking the pods the seeds rattle inside the pods. However, the pods have to be harvested before they mature too much or the seeds will drop out of the pods when shaken.

Summer Is Over

The weather is turning much cooler now. The night time temperature is getting down in the low 30's and day time it is in the high 40's. 
















The flowers are being removed before the heavy frost and winter and many of the flower beds are being filled with bulbs for next Spring. However, we do have some pictures taken this month of some of the flowers and gardens to remember the summer time in Nauvoo.

 

                                                                          

Grass behind the Brigham Young home

Another Cousin Found

Dell Argyle and wife Sheila with Fred

We met another cousin here in Nauvoo. This time it was a cousin of mine (Fred). We saw a couple in Sacrament Meeting who's name tag read "Argyle." I knew immediately that he had to be a relative. It seems that all the Argyles we ever meet are related. We introduced ourselves and inquired about ancestors and discovered that in fact Elder (Dale) Argyle and I are cousins. 

Those of our family remember the story of Joseph Argyle Sr. and his family being in the first handcart company. It was Joseph Argyle Sr.'s wife, Jane Finch who walked and carried a sickly two year old on a pillow in her apron all the way to Salt Lake City while pregnant and then gave birth to a baby boy named Hyrum shortly after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley. Well, my new found cousin is a descendant of Hyrum. That means our great grandfathers were brothers and we have the same great great grandfather, Joseph Argyle Sr.

We've been trying to get together with them for some time. Last night we finally were able to have them over for root beet floats and to visit. He brought a book that his brother put together with pedigree charts, family histories and pictures. In the book were pictures of Joseph Argyle Sr. and his wife which were taken in their earlier married years than those we have.

Dell and his wife Sheila will be leaving for their home in Ogden in about eight days so we were happy that we were finally able to make contact. They want to get together after we get home nest Spring.

Ann's Carthage Site Assignment

Carthage Jail (south side)

Today, I (Ann) was assigned to serve at the Carthage Jail for the day. Two couple missionaries serving in the Nauvoo Mission are asked to live there at Carthage for a six month period. Carthage is a 30 minute drive from Nauvoo. During the summer there are young sister missionaries assigned there, too. Since they are now gone to other missions for the slow winter season, senior missionaries who serve in the Nauvoo sites are also assigned days to serve at the Carthage Visitors Center. I was glad for that experience because it is a very special place.

Kitchen / Living Room inside the Jail

This month of October in Nauvoo has been very busy. The mission president said that it is busier than one year ago.Lots of tour buses have come with people on church history tours.

Debtor's Cell on Ground Floor

We had several bus tours come to Carthage today. The tours start with an 18 minute film in the visitors center about Joseph Smith's life. Most of the material for the film comes from journals and diaries from that period. The visitors are then taken on a tour of the jail which is next door to the visitor center.

Dungeon Cell on Second Floor

The jailer, his wife and seven children lived in part of the jail building. He knew that Joseph and his eight companions were not dangerous so he put them in the debtor's cell on the ground floor the first night because it was cooler there with larger bared windows. The dungeon cell located upstairs on the second floor where prisoners were usually kept just had slits in the walls for outside air and would have been much hotter.

Bedroom/Martyrdom Room & widow from which Joseph fell 

The next night, the jailer let them stay in his bedroom upstairs which was a bigger room with a bed. The jailer didn't feel they were safe in the debtor's cell on the ground floor with the large windows. The following morning, Joseph sent all of the men but three on errands for him. The three remaining with him were Hyrum Willard Richards and John Taylor.

East side & upstairs window from which Joseph fell

There is such a sacred spirit in the upstairs bedroom where the martyrdom took place. I had tears each time I was in there. We play a tape of what went on in that room for the tourists. You hear John Taylor singing "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief." It is pretty solemn in that room.

I have come to know so much more about Joseph Smith. I know he was a prophet of God. He and Hyrum gave their lives for the Church and Jesus Christ.