Halloween

 10/31/24

The sun is just setting but cars have been lining up on the street for the past half hour. Families are staging for the Trick Or Treat festivities, setting up wagons to pull, dressing the kids and adding makeup. If I still had a kid I'd be joining in too, but she out grew it all about 14 years ago. Now I turn out the outdoor lights, go out to dinner with friends, or cozy up at home.

It begins slowly before dark....

I'm cozying up at home tonight due to the ear surgery I had this morning to try to get some hearing back. The anesthesia has rendered me useless today as I've had 3 naps, including the hour in the hospital. I was terrified to learn that I was scheduled to be intubated, but I managed to talk them into MACS which is all drugs but without the tube in my throat. We'll see if the procedure was successful in a few days.

The San Diego/Carlsbad trip went really well. It was a laid back, hang at the beach location focusing on spending time with my sister and my daughter. We used the resort's gym, the swimming pool, and daily walks on the beach to unwind and de-stress. My sister is still teaching and appreciated the break.



Daughter and I had a nice long walk to the Carlsbad tide pools.

Lots of time on the balcony.

Exploring the tide pools, such as they were.

Dinners out were all good and we indulged in quite a bit of Mexican food as well as Pub fare. It was my kind of place as the roads and beaches were quiet this time of year, though the surfers put on quite a show each day.


Carlsbad Farmers Market was fun but we succumbed to a dinner of street meat and regretted it.

Every night a beautiful sunset.


The streaky glow after sunset was pretty too.

My return flights were on time and uneventful - a travel plus. I got home at midnight and got a few hours sleep before I set off on a local adventure over to MassMOCA in North Adams MA with Ann Marie, Amyjean, and Susan. There was a special show about plastic which was fun and thought provoking as contemporary art is supposed to do. A meal at the Freight Yard Pub rounded out the day.

Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art



The performance space was a unique grocery store/2 film theaters/mock museum space all featuring plastic. 

Just some fall color still hanging around.

Wayne came to finish up the back yard which is now fenced in completely and I of course added a few more elements to add to the price. I fell asleep today before he left so I missed paying him, but I'm sure we'll work that out soon. 

For now, I made a lemon pound cake for my own treat as the neighborhood mayhem continues. I can't wait to hear the official count this year!

Later Update - One neighbor reports over 540 kids! 

The parade is building more.

Paula and Bill across the street absolutely love Halloween and put on a fantastic show! I wish I could include the sound effects and their costumes.

Driving is a real challenge this night - I avoid it.


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