Uhmm, don't know if you may have seen where I posted that it is a gourd; I discovered that such hours and hours later - following my initial post. It's a Bhim - as I posted its name a number of messages ago .

I saw my neighbor, the husband, tonight. He laughed when he heard that the gourd scared my doggie. Not that he thought it funny it frightened her but that its length reached such so fast . Some can grow to a length of 40 inches, and there are two more now growing on my side. He said that they should be ready in a week. I believe him!

I gave him one of my huge zucchini and several purple bell pepper I grew, along with some other things from my garden.

I've not cut it open - yet. He told me, though, how he prepares the gourd. It was an ahh-haa moment... as in: That's the scent that always makes me feel so hungry.