Happy Halloween and Annual Pumpkin Carve

OMG, it's Halloween.  Sort of doesn't feel like Halloween since i had to put away all my outdoor decorations so Sandy didn't destroy them.  There's also a sense of "is Halloween still on?" that everyone's feeling.  Down the shore, where we vacation every summer and have family with property, it's clearly cancelled.  And it's extremely sad and disheartening, the damage shown, but luckily we all fared ok.  Thank goodness.

Before the storm hit, we were able to enjoy our favorite of Halloween traditions, the Great Pumpkin Carve in Chadds Ford.  This year we had a new plan of attack and that plan was geared to avoid car traffic and people traffic.  Granted, the ambiance was lacking a little bit since it was just 5pm and not yet dark, but my nerves were much less frazzled, and S's nerves were much less annoyed by my usual repetitive mutterings about waiting in line when there shouldn't be a line.  (How can there be a line to look at pumpkins?  How can you say how long i need to stand in front of the same one?  I should be able to walk past the ones i'm not enthralled with, and go up and inspect the ones i am!  You don't attend a health fair or a craft show and stand in line!  You approach the tables you're interested in!  This is the same thing!)  Ahem.  I just had to get that off my chest, b/c i get super riled up thinking about it.

We both felt there were less pumpkins than in previous years, but it was still fun, the entrance fee goes to a good cause, and some of the creations were truly unique.  See for yourself!

Let's kick it off with the year so we can document it. This was a littler pumpkin lining the walkway, not one of the ones entered in the contest.  It's hard to tell i guess, but the other pumpkins are those huge ones, and are all locally grown.

Here's how they're all set up, so you can see how big they are, and you can see what i mean about standing in line (grr).

Haven't seen Despicable Me, but i was impressed with the shading and cut outs.

This shell won for Best Use of Pumpkin, and was truly an original idea.

This octopus was actually both of our favorites, and if we had been there on audience voting night, it would have gotten both our tickets.

Isn't this teapot cute?  Never seen that before.

An honorable mention, nevermore.

This felt very Twilight to me, the werewolfy one.

Most original?  Not so sure about that...what to do you think?

The details on the knuckles are crazy good.

Liked the use of pumpkin in this creepy cat.

Loved that the spider is carved out of leftover pumpkin, and S noticed there's a little bee in the web.  (Good. That's where all bees should be.)

Just thought this one was cute.  We all go gaga over pumpkin flavored drinks, and wish they came in a mug that size.

This won Carvers Choice, which is voted by the other carvers....

 

....as opposed to Best Carving which is chosen by the judges.  I don't even know what this is.  I see a Cowboy, but then i see a cowboy boot with spurs...wait, is it a witch?  Is it a witch wearing mittens? I also see Louisiana...or is there secret flame lettering?  Maybe you can't go by me.







Did you have a favorite? Check out the carvings from Octobers past.  And once again, Happy Halloween!

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