This was Halloween, this was Halloween

Sorry, kids, I've been occupied with other goings-on lately, and, when one posesses precious few mental faculties to begin with, getting distracted is tough to avoid. But, I mark my return by bringing photos of mirth and fantastic creativity (click for larger versions). Most of these were taken on the evening following the 31st, because the night itself we were all busy being pirates. You know, keeping our priorities straight.









This year saw the much-anticipated return of the pirate ship to our front lawn. My father attested to having folks stop by well in advance of halloween to inquire whether we would be doing our stuff again this year. I myself had to field questions from a surprising number of people who balanced their questions with compliments about how much fun they'd had in previous years at our house. Folks came from all over.










This was easily the biggest and most complex display yet - and of the new items, I think my favorite was this masthead my dad made. He carved the entire thing out of blocks of styrofoam, and it's just beautiful. On Halloween proper, we received overwhelming expressions of thanks from parents and kids alike for all the work and detail which had gone into making something everyone could enjoy (secretly, we enjoyed it most of all).





We tried to show folks the power of creativity and imagination. I think that is tremendously important, and inspiring, at the risk of sounding immodest. Putting together stuff from cardboard and other people's garbage and then acting like pirates for a few hours may sound crazy, but you'd be amazed how into it we can get, and the neighborhood can get. I have the most fun working with my family on making something from almost nothing - it's a really fantastic experience. And for our visitors, we offer a simple message, and it is those words, pictured here, which with I leave you. Happy Halloween, all!