I recall Halloween nights in Iowa so cold that trick-or-treating was painful–frost bitten fingers, numb toes, costumes kept hidden beneath heavy coats and scarves. But my brothers and sister and I went out anyway, and returned hours later with pillow cases slung over our shoulders, heavy with home made popcorn balls, candied apples, and full-sized candy bars.

Tonight, the weather is Southern Oregon is perfect, a pleasant 60-some degrees. The sky is clear. And everywhere are crisp blankets of orange and yellow leaves dropped from the oaks, big-leaf maples and madrones.

I’m heartened to know that Halloween remains a time for great fun for so many. And that carving Jack-o-lanterns is still a favorite past time.

These pumpkins were created by Martine and Scott Baker along with their daughter Ameline. The Baker’s own the Northwest Outdoor Store in Medford, Oregon and are very fond of wolves and other wild creatures.

And this awesome owl was created by my daughter, Hannah, now living in Tuscon. She volunteers at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum where she assists with the Raptor Free Flight Show where well-trained (they hope) raptors are released to fly free for their audience. The museum’s website brags that “It features the only raptor species in the world that hunt as a family using strategy, like wolves!” Hannah tells me these are the Harris hawks.

I find it a nice reprieve from the business of daily life to enjoy the simplicity of a tradition like pumpkin carving. And it’s also nice to sit back and watch a movie. The YouTube video below, created by The Ecologist, was made in May of this year. The video was new to me and I’m impressed with its broad scope as well as the great photography. You’ll see familiar faces like Dan Stahler and Carter Niemeyer. The subject is wolves, so of course it’s anything but simple.