Parade of Pumpkins

After Halloween, all the families bring their pumpkins down to the main green to be lit for several evenings. Each day they gather, excitedly rearranging the glowing squash, eating caramel popcorn by a warm fire. Neighbors meet, sometimes, for the first time. One man sits in his wheelchair, his loyal dog laying beside him. He has taken over the organization of this small parade and we all benefit from this simple little tribute to the carved vegetable. Through the dark field they meander, each face different from the last. As we go home for the evening, we pass other neighbors on the way, wheelbarrows full , making their way down the dark paths of the Shire.