The weather was just beautiful and our Halloween celebration was as magical as ever this year. It was a small affair, with just four families, but somehow that felt just right.

The pot luck was bountiful and fabulous as always (oh I can still taste the pumpkin soup and the coconut-curry chicken and veggies! I wish I had some now!!). After dinner we split up. Some of the adults went out to set up the hunt and two stayed in with me where I showed the children how to roll and decorate beeswax candles.

Once back in, the hostess put on a candle-lit show for the kids! There were a few bumps in the road, but it was appreciated by all.

Off on our hunt! We did things a little bit differently this year. All of the babies that I mentioned last year are starting to get big and wanted to join in on the fun! So we had two levels to the hunt, some obvious ones, for the little guys, close to the house and some that were much more difficult. Also new this year were clues for the big kids! Iain, as the eldest, did the reading. There were certainly some interesting ones.

Can you see the Jack O’ Lantern way back in the picture above?? That log that they are navigating, goes across a river! The water level was quite, quite low, so all the adults knew that really the only risk was getting wet, but to the kids it was a most exciting adventure and making it across and back for their treats was something to be extremely proud of! Thankfully, everyone did make it across!

After the hunt we all sat around the bonfire, chatting and laughing, with the kids enjoying their treats or running to the outskirts of the light to play little starlit games. Lovely, lovely all.