Lake Shore Live Steamers.com

Located at

Penitentiary Glen
8668 Kirtland-Chardon Rd
Kirtland, Ohio 44094

The pumpkins were unloaded from the pallets and set on the ground as Greg Guy started cutting out the tops with a course blade in a sawsall. Don Speidel laying out a pattern on his pumpkin in preparation to carving it out.

Mike Uhrich was busy scouping out the innards of the pumpkins to ready them for carving working on them in an assembly line fashion. The pumpkins on the ground that had their tops cut out an the insides removed waiting their fate under the knife and artistry of the carver.

At this end of the tables members and guests were cleaning out the insides of the pumpkins as the tops were cut out and carried to the tables. Greg did a good job of cutting the tops out, keeping up with the crew gutting the insides of the pumpkins so they didn't have to wait for them.

Roberta Uhrich and Phyllis Speidel take time out for a picture as the candles are put into clay pots which when lighted with be the illumination for the pumkins. Roberta and Edith Hacker hold up a container with the completed candles that are ready for the weekends evening run.

A view looking down the tables with the cleaning out of pumpkins at the far end to the carvers down at this end working on their masterpieces. Andy, of the Park service, came by walking with a buzzard (as in Hinkley Buzzard) and stopped to pose with the bird.

Mary, also of the Park service, had this owl with her for a walk around the Park. These birds where hurt and brought to the Park and some that they work with will never be returned to the wild.

Roberta just coming back from her car was startled by the buzzard as he reared up and spread his wings. You know you are not going to have a good day when you wake up and find one of these guys sitting at the foot of your bed... waiting.

Roberta, Andy Yedlick and George Metts work on their pumpkins in the foreground with pumpkin cleaning still going on behind them. As the pumpkins were finished, they were loaded into the railroad cars for storage in the car barn till Friday morning.

A few of the pumpkins are carved to be purposeful in that they give directions to the puplic riding the trains. Slowly the cars were loaded with the finished carved pumpkins in which we had over a hundred to carve.

With the pumpkins all topped and cleaned out, all that remained wes for the final carving which was a slow process that the crew kept up at. Sitting on the grade wall in front of the station taking some time out was Phyllis, Edith and Judy Oscker as they reminisced.

Nora Howell, Roberta Uhrich and Don Speidel in background with Ken Brooks, Paul Emch and Paul Zorko on this side of the table. Paul helping Don couple up the loaded gons in preparation for the trip to the storage shed.

Roberta with her grandaughter Nora as they show off the talent of Nora's carving on this pumpkin. Mike taking a deserved rest from cleaning out pumpkins, a cold job to have your hand inside scraping the inards out and handling the stringy fibrous mess.

Roberta watching as Nora, standing alongside Christopher Howell, her dad shows how she would look with orange pumpkin eyes using the eye plugs from one of the pumpkins. A few more members sshowed up as the day wore on and Don is still deeply engrossed in carving pumpkins.

Valarie Bilchak and Dave Woldman take out time from carving their pumpkins for this picture. Judy Oscker talking with Emily Kutscher and Beverly Elliott in front of the station as the carving continues.

A view of the station with a trainload of pumpkins ready to be transported to the car shed with the members working away at the remaining pumpkins to be carved. Nora carrying her pumpkin over to the train with the Uhrich's at this end of the station.

Nora poses with her pumpkin before placing it on the train. Kathy Losely helps Marcel Uhrich's daughters Mollie and Claire while Aunt Kate Uhrich collaborates with little James Uhrich.

Kathy showing her handiwork at carving not a frightful pumpkin face but a smiling happy pumpkin, he probably didn't even feel the knife cuts. Kitty Shriver working on her kitty cat image on the pumpkin inside the station which required some intricate cutting.

Kathy and the Uhrich family in deep concentration as they work on their masterpieces bringing the pumpkin faces to life that were trapped in the skin. Mike Harkleroad getting ready to take the next load to the shed as Greg Guy loads another pumpkin as Ron Malinowski watches.

Don Speidel's diesel engine without the cowling will be pulling the pumpkin train. Members, Don Speidel, Paul Emch, Marcel Uhrich, Mike Harkleroad and Mike Uhrich looking over the engine and loaded train.

This pumpkin is really into it with gourds for ears and eyes and enjoying a snack on a apple. With only a few pumpkins left to carve the crowd thinned out as darkness settled in.