Ghoulies and Ghosties

Here it is after eight-thirty and the trick or treaters are still wandering about; there's a mob of about ten tweens-come-teenagers next door right now. I gave away my last four pieces of candy about five minutes ago (having bought 30 more than last year, for a total of 110 candy bars), having to shut the door on several more coming. The crowd had probably been delayed by the lack of darkness engendered by the damnable Daylight Savings Time extension (I mean, what's the fun of trick or treating in daylight already?), so maybe it just seems like they've been out there longer. The smaller kids started arriving before the sun had even set. Our first visitor was the little girl next door.

I got a lot of compliments on my cat costume and most of the kids said thank you (and had costumes). One of the parents wanted to know where we got the retractable screen door. Another kid said we had a pretty house (thank you!). It amazes me the size of the kids that go out—my parents wouldn't allow me to trick or treat after I was in sixth grade. They said it was for little kids only.

Anyone noticed the proliferation of grocery bag Hallowe'en sacks over the years? A lot of kids had pumpkins, but more and more are going for Kroger and Publix bags. I did see some small backpacks and even purses. :-) (James reminds me that there was actually a kid in a football costume using his helmet as a container.) I remember my plastic pumpkin with fondness.

We had more Scream costumes, a "dark" Spiderman, over a dozen fairies/angels, one adorable little girl in a black cat costume with a pink tail whose younger sibling-in-arms was in a tiger outfit, a tiny giraffe, several Disney princesses, and an absolutely adorable little boy in what looked like his Sunday outfit, complete with vest. I'm not sure if he was supposed to be the preacher or a lawyer. :-)

Of course there was the usual complement of kids driven in by car. My dad always hated that. He said kids should just go to their neighborhoods and that was it. I usually did all of Appleton Street and then was allowed to go up Fiat Avenue as far as my godmother Margaret's house and then come back by Barbara's house near the corner on Jordan Avenue, the Campaninis and the Boddingtons on Overland, and Penny's house right on the wedge of land where Overland and Flint came to a junction on Fiat.

Willow had to be restrained as always behind the gate and was quite hysterical when James came to spell me so I could put his socks in the washer and then use the bathroom. She was echoed occasionally by the pugs across the street and the Weimaraner next door.

Ooops, time for Torchwood—trick or treat out.