What the weather lacked in warmth and sunshine, participants at the 3rd annual Great Pumpkin Tour more than made up for with enthusiasm.
There was a total of 12 different locations for people to drop by and visit on Saturday.
“Farms and businesses from Callander to Trout Creek, and Chisholm to Powassan took part,” explained Kathie Hogan Events Coordinator at 250 Clark in Powassan.
Hogan was quick to point out that vendors and owners at the various locations went to great lengths to make the tour as interesting and as exciting as possible.
“So, each stop is unique, and each stop has music and vendors and adventures,” stated Hogan.
“The overwhelming gist of this is to celebrate Powassan, to celebrate the area, and to celebrate the harvest. There’s lots of food, there’s all the fall veggies available, and pumpkins at every stop. And then there are all the idiosyncrasies involved, there’s maple syrup, there’s a dunk tank, there’s hay being baled, everything you could imagine is happening today.”
The Wand Family Farm held sheep shearing demonstrations, and one location put its apple press into action.
“Bella Hill Farm sold popsicle pancakes because they’re maple syrup people, so it was kind of fun. Alderdale General Store had games, and activities plus great food inside,” Hogan grinned.
The Scouts were busy with their BBQ fundraiser, and the dunk tank helped to raise money for the fire truck in Trout Creek.
Powassan Mayor Peter McIssac took one for the team on the cool, and rainy morning, by volunteering to be dunked in the dunk tank.
One little girl who used to play ball dunked him on her first pitch, much to the delight of the appreciative crowd that let out a collective roar as the mayor dropped to the bottom of the tank.
And she wasn’t done with just one pitch, sinking the mayor more than once.
“The first time in was cold, the air is a lot colder than the water actually. The water itself is kind of warm, but you can tell by the steam coming off me it’s a cold morning. Anything for the municipality” grinned the mayor in a good-natured manner.
“It’s just another great Municipality of Powassan community event. We do all kinds of things in Powassan. It’s just to bring the community together, another opportunity for us to spend time with each other.”
Naturally, animals could be seen roaming the property.
“There’s lots of farm animals to pet and see and interact with and ask questions about. It’s like Powassan, everybody likes to get out and have a little chat,” Hogan laughed.
One stop where people did ask a lot of questions was the Lockton Farm in Callander, where the long lineup of cars was an indication of people’s interest in seeing, among other things, the twin foals born in May.
Nicole Goulet, owner of the twins, Harley (oldest) and Jetta, along with their mother Costar, is boarding all three horses at the farm.
Goulet didn’t know the horse was carrying twins until they were delivered.
“One in 100 horses will actually ‘catch’, and conceive twins, then usually you have an ultrasound done, and if there are twins, normally you terminate one because it is super dangerous to the foals and the mom if they’re carried to term,” explained Goulet.
“Normally eight per cent will abort naturally. And then you go to actually being able to carry to term. I did everything. I did two ultrasounds, and they weren’t caught. I had no clue she was carrying twins. I was expecting one. “
Goulet is thankful she was there for the May birth.
“Had we not been there, it wouldn’t have played out the way that it did. We would have lost all three, guaranteed. So, super grateful to have that opportunity to be there for the birth and help her deliver, because she did need a lot of help,” Goulet reflected.
The twins are being referred to as “the miracle twins.”
“Because it is so rare to have twins, and have all three survive and thrive,” noted Goulet.
The largest, Harley, weighed in at around 75 pounds, and Jetta came in at around 45 pounds.
“She (mom) was huge,” Goulet confirmed.
The twins still have a few health issues to overcome, but Goulet says they’re both strong. Despite being asked, Goulet says she has no plans to sell them at this point.
“The goal is to try to keep them,” said Goulet who sees a bright future for the pair.
“They’re both probably going to be barrel racers.”
Leaning over the fence to watch the family of horses, people couldn’t get enough of the animals during their stop at Lockton Farm during the Great Pumpkin Tour.
