Halloween

A very good evening. I live in a quiet development with only one entrance: no through traffic. People from other neighborhoods bring their kids here to trick-or-treat. On nice Halloween nights as last night was, I sit on the steps with the bowl of candy, so I don't have to hide behind the door and let the bugs in with each opening. It also affords me the opportunity to watch the folks in the streets.

This time I remembered the soreness in certain parts of my anatomy from several hours on concrete steps, and brought out a chair and a small table for the bowls. I also had my stuffed (toy) cat on my lap; it fooled many kids and quite a few adults even when they were standing right in front of me. Last year I removed the bushes that had flanked the stairs and so had a nice view. The neighbors on either side were also staked outside. Across the street they were, too, with a fire going in one of those patio fireplace bowl-on-a-stand things.

I get a kick out of watching all the kids, from the first-timers to the older kids. There were a lot of good costumes-- Dorothy from "The Wizard Of Oz" was big-- and even the older kids had made the effort. The roving bands of mid-teenagers were fun to see as they kidded around in the street, and then politely said "Thank you," as I gave them their treats. Everyone had a good time. First caller just after 6PM, and I packed it in, lights out, at 8:40.