Carve-a-thon 2006

On Sunday, October 15, 2006, a number of Amherst's ghouls and goblins gathered at the Task Force Fort with one thing in mind: carving pumpkins. We picked them up from the farm across the road.

Zach and I began carving, international-style. Ryan's beautiful spider web had only begun to take shape. Soon, the rest of our friends arrived.

The whole crew sat in the driveway, which was soon filled with overcooked pumpkin seeds, knives, pumpkin innards, and laughter. Slice by slice the pumpkins were completed, and eventually the autumn skies gave way to night. Many took their pumpkins home, but we had a fine candlelit showcase.

We lit candles and stood back to admire. First a bit of nostalgia: Kendra with the classic scary face, and Ethan and Julie's Pac-Man. My Japanese-language pumpkin was held together by toothpicks and paperclips. Zach's dual-sided Arabic pumpkin was the most uniquely designed of the night, along with Ryan's ghostly and intricately-carved spiderweb. On the far right: Zach's second pumpkin — the hookah-smoking caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland.

Side by side in front of our house, they looked absolutely terrific. They lasted until Friday, and then for several weeks, through parties and frost and Halloween itself. Eventually, insects and nature had their way, but all is not lost. Our pumpkins now grace the compost bin, and will be next season's rich, pumpkin-producing soil.

Here's to the first — and maybe last — great Carve-A-Thon.