pumpkin carving stencils

Finding each pumpkin face, giving it a personality, is Ed Moody vocation, The Frankfort resident is a master electrician better known each fall as Pumpkin Ed, seasonal carver of oversized squash. With Halloween looming large, his front yard boasts nearly two dozen oversized creations -- an attraction that causes traffic jams in the small, tourist town as tens of thousands stream past.

Gigs on the road also keep the electrical inspector for Grand Traverse County busy as he demonstrates his unusual craft at festivals and events. A demonstration Friday at DeVos Children's Hospital fulfills a longtime dream and he hopes to visit at least one children's hospital each season.

"If they can smile for a few minutes, then I know I've done something good," Moody said of the young patients there.

With his day job's hours cut recently thanks to a staggering economy, the gregarious Moody has more time to share his passion. His travels take him around the region and state, not to mention a prior venture to Dallas and a recent one to Chicago, the latter courtesy of the Pure Michigan travel campaign.

"There are not many carvers in Michigan, I hope there will be more," said Moody of those who tackle immense pumpkins.

A recent in-town job at Northwestern Michigan College had him transforming a 125-pound pumpkin into an eerie visage. Posted nearby were oversized boards featuring photos of his many creations, each of which sparks a recitation of weight, origin and place of carving.

"It's part of our seasonal fun -- low key," said Lisa Blackford, diversity coordinator and advisor at NMC. "It's fun to watch him and people have a lot of questions. And the artistic element is just unique."

For three hours, students and staff paused in the West Hall lobby to watch, talk and learn the tips and tricks Moody has mastered over 24 years.

First and foremost is to go with the flow while carving, listen to the pumpkin and don't bother planning.

"Pumpkins, they talk to me and I talk to them," said Moody, who carved his first pumpkin at age six but became a serious practitioner when his own son was a year old. "If you lock yourself into a pattern you can't take advantage of what there is in a pumpkin and then you might not complete a pumpkin."

A fishing tackle box stood open nearby, filled with various and sundry cutting or carving implements large and small. After years of experimenting with instruments up to and including chain saws and Dremel tools -- discarded as too messy -- Moody has settled on four knives. A can of cheap hairspray sits nearby, ready to "fix" the carving and help preserve the pumpkin longer.

While his demonstration pumpkins for traveling are usually smaller, at his home the sizes weigh in at well over 1,000 pounds. The largest this year is 1,489 pounds and includes a back door for kids to climb into. His Cinderella coach, a carving he dreamed of for years before doing it, will not be on display this year as he is building a new carriage to hold future pumpkins.