Stapleton Volunteer Fire Department RULES!  They hosted a festival, of sorts, tonight that was so well organized and so well conducted that I have to give them a standing ovation.  My wife and I went with her daughter and her daughter's friend to take our granddaughter, Caitlin, to the event.  It seemed a good alternative to taking her on a trick or treat outing.

In front of the fire department was a tall inflated yellow and black “mountain.”  Kids and adults were climbing up one side by hanging onto a strap and finding the footblocks with their feet.  Once on top, they found the other side to be a very steep slide with inflated bumpers at the bottom to make the landing safe.  Little Caitlin, not yet four, had to have help getting to the top but she went down the other side as fearlessly as did the teenagers.

Inside the building, volunteer's wives were dispensing hotdogs, cake, cotton candy, boiled peanuts, popcorn and other midway treats, all of which were free.  Some had the happy task of offering to fill the children's trick or treat containers with miniature candy bars, home-made pinwheels and other toys and treats.  Two of the firemen gave guests a ride on a real fire truck.  Load after load were driven a mile or so down the road and back, lights flashing and acting as if they were on a run.  Another fireman drove a tractor pulling a long trailor filled with hay bales for seats.  We took that ride and found it went into a pine forest where other volunteers had all manner of “”haunted” stuff going on.  There was the obligatory mock grave yard to pass through, scary characters turning lights on and rising up from the dark to make scary sounds and music.  The highlight was the big burly man in overalls and blacked out teeth starting up a chain saw and running after the wagon (No blade on the saw, but who could tell).  The entire hay ride was probably 10 minutes long and they ran the ride as freqently as one group could off-load and another hop on.  There were no empty seats and every ride left with some folks having to wait for the next ride.

Another ride was a kiddie train, with an engine pulling four “coach cars” and a caboose.  It too filled to capacity every five to seven minutes.  Out back, kids were given an opportunity to hold a real fire hose and use the blast to put out a mock fire by blasting through windows and doors with the stream of water. There were dart games, table games, and one I had the opportunity to show my stuff in, that of throwing a foam rubber football through a hoola hoop.  I've still got it!  You'd a thunk I was Kenny Stabler.

Caitlin's favorite was the inflated obsticle course.  Kids from three to twelve were climbing into it.  Caitling jumped up and down forever as if on a trampoline.  Other kids came crashing through openings and over obsticles and the often collided with inflated posts and fences and each other.  Caitlin was crushed or knocked over any number of times and nobody got hurt.  Her little face beamed with a grin the entire time she was in the thing.

There were no drunks, dope heads, or sleazy characters.  It was an altogether safe, family oriented and enjoyable time for the kids.  I hope the grownups enjoyed as much as we did.