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Pumpkins and pumpkin images are everywhere. Clearly, the decorative accent of choice in October is the plump, orange squash, which is readily available this time of year.

The pumpkin adorns many front porches -- some carved, some painted, some accessorized with other oddly shaped, brightly colored gourds. After observing many displays, it has come to my attention that pumpkins are a reflection of their owners.

The front stoop that supports a jack-o'-lantern with a smiley, happy image carved into its side indicates people with a happy attitude. These are people with giddy joy that spills out through the carving knife. Happy pumpkin people know that smiles are contagious so they take advantage of the opportunity to spread happiness through their carved display.

Three-year-olds donning painted faces, the mailman delivering Christmas catalogs, kids up the street looking for more tag football players -- all crack a smile when making eye contact with the happy jack-o'-lantern. And that makes happy pumpkin people happy.

Those who take a more traditional approach to carving a plump pumpkin, giving it a scary, partially toothed scowl, are what I would call happy. They express their happiness somewhat differently than the happy-faced pumpkin owners, but they are still harnessing the festiveness of the season.

A glowing skull or bust of Frankenstein on the eve of all hallows is a great way to celebrate and enjoy the fun of the season. And giggles abound when that flicker of Frankenstein resting on the stoop scares the younger sibling of a seasoned trick-or-treater. Seeing the joy spread by the scary faces on the big night is what makes scary pumpkin people happy.

The more artistic neighbors might carve intricate designs into one or more sides of their large pumpkin. Landscapes with flying witches or werewolves howling at a full moon can really take the boredom out of trick-or-treating. Especially for the parent who volunteers to supervise a pack of costumed kids.

The fact that artists can be so creative and patient, putting hours into the carving of a single pumpkin, convinces me that they are happy people. They are thrilled to use the rounded vegetable as a canvass on which they can freely express themselves. They display their artwork proudly, enjoying the "oohs" and "ahs" from those who approach their door in October. Yes, artistic pumpkin people are happy people, too.

Some folks don't carve their pumpkins. While artistic, they prefer not to use a knife, picking up a paintbrush instead. With their pallet of bright colors, they paint cartoon-like faces on their seasonal squash. I tend to see the pumpkin painters as happy people.

Can't you imagine the big smile on the face of the person wearing a stained artist's apron as he or she steps back to admire his or her autumn handiwork? Like artistic pumpkin people who carve, the painted pumpkin people also enjoy encountering admirers of their talent. Yes, painted pumpkin people are definitely happy.

But what of those pumpkinless porches? Some homes clearly reflect a nonparticipatory attitude regarding late October festivities. I used to think the nonpumpkin people were sad and detached. After further observation, it is my humble opinion that the nonpumpkin people are quite happy indeed.

These are people who display no cobwebs, skeletons, ghosts or witches and have not hollowed out a pumpkin and inserted a tea candle or artificial pumpkin light to reduce fire hazards.

On the big night, they won't be sitting on the front porch with a bowl of candy or answering their doorbell 2,749 times with a smile. The nonpumpkin people are in the dark corners of restaurants or back rows of movie theaters, quietly and calmly riding out the parade of candy collectors.

And when nonpumpkin people arrive home later that evening, they happily slide under the covers, having enjoyed a pleasant night out, content that they survived another October unscathed. They did not spend their food budget on candy. They did not spend their gas money on decorations. They might just be the happiest people in town.

So if your neighbors are happy pumpkin people, scary pumpkin people, artistic pumpkin people, pumpkin painters, or nonpumpkin people, you can rest assured that they are all very happy people indeed!

Micki Bare is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau and the Courier-Tribune in Asheboro, N.C., and author of the book, "Relative Expressions." She lives in Asheboro with her husband and three children. Her e-mail address is mickibare@inspiredscribe.com.