"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

Hello Friends!

Friends, Romans, countrymen...y'all. Foodies, gardeners, artists and collectors - let's gather together to share and possibly learn a thing or two in the mix.

Donna Baker

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Lady Of The Lake


Another holiday, come and gone.  At the farm, we never had a trick or treater.  So different in the city.

I fixed up this booger and hoped it wouldn't scare the little kids too much.  I had a storyline to go with her.  I even bought dried duck and chicken feet at the pet store (they look so gross.)

With a few gallons of candy, I waited and waited.  I was shocked by how late they began to arrive.
I had planned on taking pictures of the littles, but opening the door, trying to keep a biting weenie and cat back, holding the tub of candy, it turned out I didn't get a single pic.  At times it felt like the zombies from The Walking Dead, with arms outstretched, all coming to the candy tub at once.  I don't remember when I stopped trick or treating, but I was surprised how many kids were in their teens.  They said they had heard there would be clowns on the prowl that night.  Evidently, scarier than my Lady. 

I had planned to tell the older kids about the lady that crawls crab-like, out of the huge culverts that drain into the lake; a labyrinth that runs under the streets, to get the bad kids that throw rocks and sticks at the waterfowl in the lake.  The dry duck feet were for those kids.  Didn't even get to tell my tale.

I served up full sized candy bars and large boxes of candy too.  One teenaged treater even hugged and kissed me.  I thought I would discourage the tricksters as I have had to yell twice at kids chasing the babies and throwing rocks at the geese and ducks.  But, instead, I think the trick was on me; I started something and may be mobbed next year.

I haven't been to the farm in more than two weeks and my husband arrived this morning with a large box.  It was full of bills, catalogs and magazines.  Not how I wanted to start my day.  It felt like a belated trick.

Hope your first of November will be a good one.  I shopped yesterday and all the Christmas decorations are out in the stores.  What happened to autumn?  We haven't had it here yet; it has been very warm and windy.  

25 comments:

Sandra Cox said...

Way to get into the Halloween spirit, Donna. The kids are going to love you. We only had about six. We turned the light off at 8:15 or might have gotten more.

donna baker said...

Since they started so late, I turned off the lights at nine and no more showed up. I profiled the trick or treaters; who would choose the large candies and who would choose the snack sized, etc. I could even tell you the ones who didn't know boundaries, but will just tell you, even the littles knew to choose the big ones. Yes, I'm weird that way; always curious - watching and learning.

Deborah Nolan said...

Oh my Donna what a truly scary scene. Just goes to show the newer generation must have been more exposed to scarier things than we were. Caught up on your previous posts. We too Have been above average for a warmer autumn. In fact our fall peak was almost two weeks later in arriving. It is seventy two degrees today and to be seventy six tomorrow. Not a bad start to November. Have a great week. Hugs!

Tom Stephenson said...

Looks my ex with my kid by her.

donna baker said...

Deb, you are right. Frankenstein and the Wolfman used to be scary. Now kids are only scared by blood and gore. 85 here today. Seems like fall will never arrive. You have a great week too.

donna baker said...

Well, she didn't scare anyone. I was kind of let down.

Stephanie Faris said...

I know what you mean about the difference between the farm and the city. We moved from a subdivision in Nashville where the houses were super close together. Now we're on a peninsula where every house has at least a one-acre lot. We're on the main road and kids just don't want to bother. Too much walking for each house. Out here most parents take their kids to church trunk-or-treats or they go to subdivisions where the houses are all close together. I bought candy just in case, but I guess I should stop bothering!

Joanne Noragon said...

We had about a hundred come by on our official trick or treat night, last Saturday. In the village it was last night. I pulled down my street yesterday, and was surprised seeing all the same kids and costumes piling into cars. Then I realized--it was trick or treat in the village. Children's paradise. Dentist's, too.

Elephant's Child said...

Duck and chicken feet ARE gross. Though dried people feet wouldn't be much better.
I bought treats, just in case, as the stores are pushing Halloween at us. They remain in the cupboard untouched. Himself will enjoy them when he returns.

donna baker said...

I figured if I ran out I'd grab pop cans and bags of popcorn. Our farm has a deeply wooded gravel drive about a quarter mile from the main road. No one would want to go down that road. ;)

donna baker said...

Wow, that is a lot. It would probably be good to hand out toothbrushes, but our house would probably get egged.

donna baker said...

I have quite a pile left too Child. Problem is, I love candy and wanted it gone. Christmas is all out in the stores now. I'm not ready for that. Even the booths at the antique mall are decorating for Christmas. Not me.

donna baker said...

BTW ~ they are selling fresh chicken feet at the grocery stores now. If they only knew where and what those feet have been in. Ick.

La Table De Nana said...

LOVE your joie de vivre!And I love her name so appropriate for your new home:)

We get virtually no one..we have 1/2 acre ..acre lots..all the kids go to more populated areas..
Halloween is getting bigger and brighter here and the parents go:)
Christmas is and has been out at our Costco for at least one month...

Michelle said...

If you were serving up full sized candy bars then, the word is out! Beware next year!

Mary said...

I'm coming to your city house next year - I would love to be part of your Halloween and will be willing to hold the weenie and kitty - IF you promise to save me a full size Kit Kat, haha!

We only had three kids come by the cottage - my 12 y.o. neighbor and two small girlies from who knows where - their mommies were in the street. Then went to my daughters's house and about thirty kids of all ages came by - she had decorated the house really spiffy and scary, with sounds and lights and amazing window shows - her boyfriend is an electrician and always dreams up great holiday decorations with lights and moving things! It was fun.

Bea said...

The Lady of the Lake looks ghoulish! If I were little, I think I'd be scared. Yes, I do think you'll be mobbed next year with kids looking for 'big bars' of candy. I bet the visit to your house will not soon be forgotten. :)

ellen abbott said...

I haven't had a single trick or treater at the country house, my neighborhood not being in town and no small children. we didn't fare much better when we lived in the city in our inner city neighborhood. if we got more than 5 we considered it a big night, often we got none.

Frances said...

Ah Donna, you got properly into the spirit of Halloween with your Lady and her friend...and all that great candy! Yes, I'm sure that your address will be remembered ....

Not a single trick or treater came to my door, so I shared out all the chocolates I'd bought with the apartment house staff yesterday afternoon. Temptation is out of my house! xo

donna baker said...

It is amazingly early for Christmas it seems.

donna baker said...

Yes, I think I shot myself in the foot.

donna baker said...

The day before Halloween, two houses across the street were putting up their Christmas lights.

donna baker said...

One child, (my grandson) ate his giant Nestle's Crunch in one sitting. He was moaning a little while later. I used to have a witch that was scary and laughed and stirred a smoking cauldron repeating a tale. It did scare some little ones.

donna baker said...

I'm not used to kids coming either and at times was mobbed by ghouls and zombies all grabbing handfuls of candy.

donna baker said...

I need to send all the candy somewhere asap.