Pumpkins 3.. or even Carlisle

Yes, last night we had pumpkin pie, and very nice it was too. Must be the only thing you can do with the big orange squash thing. 'How' I asked the hostess 'Do you make the pumpkin pie?' Here's the killer .. despite the thousands sacrificed in the pursuit of 'trick or treat', the first thing you have to do is import 'your pumpkin pie mix from America'.
For those of you who didn't know already Thanksgiving is the North American harvest festival celebration held on the 3rd/4th (?) Thursday in November and was started when the founding fathers had managed a full year, including a harvest, and had a dinner with the native Americans to thank them for showing them some of the local farming knowledge. At least that's what I think our hostess and the American chap guest said. Sounds reasonable to me and a lot better than the reason for the Christmas excesses we will soon have to endure. Why do we have to have turkey at Christmas? What drives the population in general to wear Santa hats?
I digress. In Cape Town, as we know, it is currently Summer. Christmas music can be heard in the shops, trees are on sale, Santas can be found on street corners doing..?? (do you know I haven't got a clue what they are doing) .....but anyway.. Santas are on street corners. Predominately black and coloured Santas. Post apartheid white Santas appeared. Then a pressure group insisted on Mother Santas (of all colours). Last year I noticed pink Santas. As SA's constitution is very liberal in the recognition of same sex relationships, and Cape Town is the home of the Mother City Queer Party (MCQP) we now have Santas of every persuasion colour, creed and age.
I can't see it happening in Aspatria yet ... or even Carlisle. Cumbria has persuasion and age but the colour and creed is still a long way off.