Halloween was very quiet, as we knew it would be. However, we had double the number of trick or treaters we expected. Logan was the first, and I have to say his voice was the only thing I recognized. Because masks restrict a child’s ability to see, I don’t think costumes come with them any more. Logan didn’t need a mask. Shawn had devised his costume and made him up so well that I would have passed him by in a crowd. He was dancing with excitement while looking longingly at our bowl of candy. He carefully picked one small Kit Kat, and I asked if that was his favorite. It was. I told him to take them all and helped him fish them out. His eyes were still glued to the bowl. “Want to take some of the others?” YES. I was morphing into a wicked witch, urging him to satisfy his chocolate craving. [I apologize, Shawn and Bob. I was not being a nice neighbor to you!]

We went outside to greet our surprise non-candy-eating Halloween prankster, Logan’s nephew from Turkey. He was dressed as a trainman.

John opened the garage door and had Bob put Sufi (sp?) in his caboose for the photo op.

It was almost dusk when we went to Connie, Dave, and Marla’s house. They had two Halloween visitors, also – Logan and a boy who lives across the street from them. Marla had ducked back in the house, but I got a shot of Connie and Dave on their porch. They had the most-decorated house in the area. I particularly liked the pumpkins and candles and made a point of avoiding the giant spider * shudder * We had a lovely, relaxed dinner with them.

I love their quiet wit. Dave, a retired policeman, explained that he always chose to work the night shift because that’s when things happened. He didn’t want to be bored during the day. Connie said, “We couldn’t persuade the criminals to be active from 9 to 5.”

I liked Dave’s story about an older boy who picked on him in grade school. We didn’t call it bullying back then. Dave’s older brother beat him up and warned him not to pick on Dave again. He didn’t, but he didn’t change his stripes, either. Years later Dave arrested him. By this time Dave was almost seven feet tall. He recognized his former tormentor and asked was he so-and-so. He was. He said, “I’m Dave, the one you used to attack after school. Do you want to pick on me now?”