Halloween in my New Neighborhood

It was fun again!  It was really neat being in a neighborhood that embraces Halloween.  The neighborhood claims to be the birthplace of modern Halloween Festivities.  It is technically a week long event (however, there is an artwork competition that starts well before the week of).  The artwork is for that years poster.  The festivities start with the original, 1st, and 2nd runner up artwork being auctioned off.  Then, there are poetry readings, plays, and kids (and grown ups) can purchase "windows" where they can paint whatever they want.  It was fun to stroll through the business district watching the kids paint.  Many of them had scribed their designs out on paper.  It's serious business!  I didn't realize it, but there were also prizes for the best windows.

The week ends with the street festival.  It was just right.  It was 2 city blocks long and somehow we spent all day there.  It was fun seeing all the different types of costumes on both adults and kids alike.  And the dogs too! There were so many dogs in costume.  Their choice, too, I am sure.  I didn't bring Cecelia ~ she's not use to being around crowds.  And while we love being with each other as much as we can, I am not going to do put her in a stressful situation for it.  Not too mention, we ended up walking 10 miles by the end of the day ~ she usually starts pouting around 1 mile and really gives up at 2.  I didn't feel like carrying her fluffy 45 lbs around for 8 miles.

For the better part of the last 15 years, I have been lucky to have a dozen trick-or-treaters.  I was in the apartment, then for a few years, I was in a rental house & got TONS of kids, but the last 6 years, the houses on my street were too far apart to maximize candy hoarding. Kids went to the neighborhood behind me - they could attack 3-4 houses in the time the could get from my house to or from my neighbors.  

This year, I was bombarded.  I was also told that I was one of the few giving out the good stuff.  Yeah, that's right, I rocked Halloween.  I also won points when I was able to identify Magenta.  However, in my opinion, if one is old enough to have seen Rocky Horror Picture Show, you are too old to be trick-or-treating.

All-in-all, it was a great week!