First, my best interests are served by closing the betting window. I'll accept no more wagers on the appearance (or not) of our volunteer pumpkin plant's offspring. My faith is waning in Punky the Pumpkin Plant.

Three people officially took the bet whether the plant would produce at least golf ball size fruit before winter set in. The wager was a pumpkin pie.

The pumpkin plant in front of our house, which apparently sprouted from leftover 2005 jack-o-lantern innards, seemed to come out of nowhere and grew at an astonishing rate the first few weeks. Though the plant remains healthy and though blooms continue to open fully, wither, then drop, the growth of the vine has slowed to a crawl.

I had hoped the new buds at the base of the stalks that were left when the gorgeous yellow blooms dropped were the beginnings of pumpkins. Now I am in doubt. They look more like additional bloom buds, but they are not getting bigger. None has opened.

I mentioned in an earlier blog the plant is near our clothes dryer vent. I have tried my best to accommodate the plant by drying a load of clothes just before bedtime, then throwing a lightweight sheet of plastic over it for the night in hopes of keeping the temperature around the plant above freezing.

Only weird weather could save me now. Only if we get unseasonal warmth and sunshine the next thirty days will Punky have a chance to get started on any little fruits. Even daytime warmth might not be enough. I think the cool nights have already slowed progress.

Karin Malchow, Daniel Smith, Katherine Jerome, I think it's safe to plan your pie pick-up.

In the YourHub.com spirit of inclusion, I'd like to invite you winners, all who cheered Punky on, and YourHub.com users and staff to meet at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at Village Inn,23 West Centennial Boulevard in Highlands Ranch (just south of the Broadway and C-470 intersection) for settling of the bets.

Winners will get a pie to take home and the rest of us can pull up chairs, order coffee and pie for ourselves, and talk about everything exciting about YourHub.com, including the saga of Punky the Volunteer Pumpkin Plant.

Hope to see you there!