I've noticed that the pods I was picking in July were more elongated and slender, with a wrinkly, bumpy, almost pitted surface. Where as the pods I'm picking now are smooth skinned fat and squat. Some of them almost look like 7 pods or red habaneros. My theory is excess water produces fatter smoother pods. The only environmental factor that has changed has been the copious amounts of rain in my area. Anyone else experienced anything similar?