Picture this: It's
the last Saturday night in October at Defeated Creek Campground near Carthage, Tennessee. Just before dusk there's a haze of
campfire smoke floating in the air, mixed with the scent of grilled
burgers, chili, and hot dogs. Campsites are decorated with backlit
ghosts, witches, jack-o-lanterns, tombstones, giant spider webs, spooky
music, and eerie colored lasers. Some are pretty elaborate; we had two plastic pumpkins illuminated with tea lights sitting on the picnic table.
It's like a
neighborhood party and most of the campers hand out candy. Kids (and
some adults) were decked out in costume with their sacks full of
treats. I saw a tiny witch riding a pink and turquoise bike, several
undead zombies, a bumble bee, Duck Dynasty characters, princesses,
pirates, and cheerleaders. One little girl vampire in a Victorian
red and black satin dress had drops of blood painted over her face, and
when I said she looked scary she hissed at me with her fake fangs
instead of saying trick or treat. An adorable two year old boy with
a head full of blonde curls was wearing an engineer cap and a Thomas
the Train costume. Too cute!
We were
dressed as retired campers in jeans, flannel shirts and hoodies. It was fun for us
to watch and give away goodies while we sat by the fire, even if we don't have kids.
Everyone was well behaved, laughing and enjoying the relaxing
atmosphere. Parents and grandparents were walking with their little spooks, having a good
time. I'm sure there were lots of ghost stories told and
marshmallows roasted once it got dark and everyone was back at their
campsite. Those families will have great memories of camping and trick or treat.
Happy Halloween!
