Luffa!

I'm very fond of gourds of all types.  Ask my husband and he'll tell you just how much I like them.  All of the dried snake gourds, bushel gourds, bottle gourds, birdhouse gourds, egg gourds, dipper gourds, etc..are taking over our house.  They're the result of several years of growing.  They've been dried and crammed in every nook and cranny.  I have high hopes of using each and every one for some grand craft purpose one day.  He probably hopes that day will come verrrry soon.  

But I digress.

This year, among a few other types, I did a sophomore try of growing luffa gourds.  My first attempt was mildly successful but I dropped the ball at the end of the season and failed to prepare them properly for their next incarnation as a sponge.  Yes, I said sponge.  For those of you unfamiliar, luffa gourds can become luffa sponges.  You may even have one in your shower right at this moment.  Since this plant is not very mainstream outside of the geeky horticultural world, you may have thought these sponges came from the sea.  Not true!  They're growing on a vine in my yard, right now and I assure you, we are no ocean.  It's an interesting plant with cute flowers and resulting fruit that look like gigantic zucchini:

When the temperatures dip a bit further, I will assist said gourds with their transformation into sponges and will detail those efforts here!