I grew up in Wrenshall so I lived the country side of trick or treating.  There has always been definite differences between country and city trick or treating but now even more so, due to the world we live in and safety.  It's sad that some sinister people actually put a legitimate scare into the art of trick or treating.

CITY VS COUNTRY MEMORIES

I loved, loved, loved going to the Laveau dairy farm to trick or treat when I was a child.  This is one big difference between country and city trick or treating.  Ramona Laveau (lovingly called mom) would hand craft homemade fudge and popcorn balls for the trick or treater's bags.  While children in other areas of the world were told not to eat homemade treats from other households, in Carlton County, this was one stop that was a must on Halloween night.

Another difference was mileage.  In the country you had to have your parent, your friend's parent or an older brother or sister to drive you from home to home because there was sometimes five miles or more in between houses. When I would trick or treat in the community of Carlton we walked from house to house.  I remember the poor people of South Terrace didn't even have time to shut their door.  They literally stood at the door, holding the screen door open with one foot, bent over all night with a huge bowl of candy bars as the little ghosts and goblins paraded through their neighborhood.  I hate to admit it but there was a couple years that we actually changed costumes and did a second round, shame on me!

One year my Halloween trick or treating got cut short.  My friend's father was driving us around in the Barnum/Moose Lake/Blackhoof area.  That's where you have to go down L O N G dirt roads to hit the next house.  We were WAY out in the middle of nowhere when an emergency call came into the Blackhoof Volunteer Fire Department.  Yup, he was one of the guys that had to respond.  Lori and I hunkered down in the backseat (probably without seat belts back then) and went on one wild ride, speeding through the corn fields on dirt roads to get her dad to the fire hall.  Then, Lori and I had to sit at the fire hall alone until our moms came to pick us up.  Now, THAT was scary and THAT is country trick or treating.

THEN VS NOW

When I was young there were no Halloween parties or mall trick or treating and we went to every house on the block, not just to the ones of people we knew.  Suddenly, after trick or treating became unsafe because sinister people with twisted minds thought up ways to hurt children, parents found themselves with a dilemma.  How do they keep their children safe while still enjoying the Halloween holiday?  That's when trick or treating was ditched for Halloween parties.  Some families began only trick or treating at homes of friends and relatives and hitting up the Malloween trick or treating or Boo at the Zoo with the Lake Superior Zoo.  And a new one I heard of this year from my co-host, Ken Hayes, Trunk or Treat.

There are certainly lots of options for families that want to offer their kids the experience and memories of the Halloween holiday, yet stay safe.  I hope you don't let the uncertainty of safety hinder the opportunity you have to make memories with your kids that will truly last a lifetime.  I have such fond memories of my childhood Halloweens, friends, really bad Halloween costumes (no, I mean really bad), dumping out my stash of candy and making three piles.  Great, So-So and Icky (I gave those to my mom).

I hope I evoked some memories from your past Halloweens.  I'll leave you with this question, does anyone remember trick or treating for Unicef?  Does anyone do that anymore?

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