Sadly Halloween

  Years ago parents accompanied small children to our door and waited a few paces back as their kids knocked on the door and then shouted "Trick or Treat."  A hobo, a clown, Superman, a ballerina, a cowboy.   I distributed the loot (excellent chocolate candy - no pennies or other dumb stuff from me!) into empty pillow cases and plastic pumpkins.  Some years I ran out of candy early and had to shut the lights out so no one would knock and go away disappointed.
   Tonight there were five knocks on the door and only two "trick or treats."  I guess they figure that by now we all know what is expected.  One witch, a zombie, a vampire, a werewolf, and one I wasn't so sure what. 

Did you ever notice that the houses without lawns are the ones with several hundred dollars worth of Halloween decorations: blown up plastic, moving dragons and ghosts and gargoyles with red eyes that follow you, huge spider webs and the obligatory tombstone - RIP.  I want to shout GET A LAWN.  SAVE THE OZONE!

Tomorrow it will all come down and Christmas will start to appear.