I am not really a Halloween person. I hate the pressure of coming up with a costume.  I don't really dig trying to guess what other people are.

[caption id="attachment_3708" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Pumpkin One and Pumpkin Two "]<a rel="attachment wp-att-3708" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=3708"><img class="size-large wp-image-3708 " title="Pumpkin One and Pumpkin Two " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_6479-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

But I do love pumpkins.

I also heart candy corn but that's another story. And I am trying not to think about that because it's an impossible treat to get my hands on here in Bulgaria.

So back to the point: I was totally happy to get away for the weekend and to feel no obligation what so ever to dress up.

Then on Halloween in the Rhodopes there turned out to be trick-or-treaters. And I supervised the carving of a pumpkin.

Who knew?!

[caption id="attachment_3706" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Kids Trick-or-Treating"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-3706" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=3706"><img class="size-large wp-image-3706 " title="Kids Trick-or-Treating" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_6467-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

Really, who knew? How did these kids get turned on to Halloween? And how is it that they were awesome at it on top of everything else?

Because really, did you check out their costumes?

These kids have made their own paper masks <em>and</em>, AND, they are carrying carved and lit pumpkins. It clearly doesn't get any better than this. Also, do you notice a single parent in the photos? Nope. Because there's not one.

I peaked in their bags and were they collecting candy? Again, Nope. Apples. They'd been given <em>apples</em>.

[caption id="attachment_3707" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Pumpkins on String "]<a rel="attachment wp-att-3707" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=3707"><img class="size-large wp-image-3707 " title="Pumpkins on String " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_6471-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

Now carved and lit pumpkins on a string are <em>awesome. </em>I've never seen anything like it. These kids were rocking Halloween. I am proud of them.

I was also a little afraid they might catch themselves or someone else on fire. That's the American in me.

After the trick-or-treaters, I supervised the carving of a pumpkin. The family we were staying with asked us if we wanted to carve pumpkins. We said: yes!

[caption id="attachment_3709" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Master Pumpkin Carver "]<a rel="attachment wp-att-3709" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=3709"><img class="size-large wp-image-3709 " title="Master Pumpkin Carver " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_6475-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

The pumpkins in Bulgaria are much thicker than the variety we grow in the states for carving (rather than the kind we grow for eating) but L. scrounged up some orange-ish pumpkins from the shed of pumpkins. Only after trying to cut the lid off and scoop out the seeds there was some concern that L. and I were going to hurt ourselves carving.

[caption id="attachment_3710" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Me, My Pumpkin and the Master Carver"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-3710" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=3710"><img class="size-large wp-image-3710 " title="Me, My Pumpkin and the Master Carver" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_6477-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

Apparently girls and knives in the kitchen of an older Bulgarian couple leads to supervision of pumpkin carving, lots of wild gestures and some explaining in Bulgarian about your creative vision. But, what ever we did worked. We ended up with two good looking pumpkins.

[caption id="attachment_3711" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Our pumpkins"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-3711" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=3711"><img class="size-large wp-image-3711 " title="Our pumpkins" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_6478-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

And a lot of great memories.

[caption id="attachment_3712" align="alignnone" width="1024" caption="Halloween in the Rhodopes "]<a rel="attachment wp-att-3712" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=3712"><img class="size-large wp-image-3712" title="Halloween in the Rhodopes " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_6480-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" /></a>[/caption]