Halloween 2013 ... the tradition continues

Happy Halloween ... treats for all!

Halloween 2013 ... the tradition continues. As dark settles over the central Shenandoah Valley and in my corner of Augusta County, the jack-o-lantern is lighted, candy is in the basket, and we're waiting for the first little goblins to stop by. There's a new family with five little ones in the neighborhood ... will they trick-or-treat?

Our busiest year was a dozen children ... last year we only had three. Previous trick-or-treaters have grown up, married, and have children of their own. The SWAC Children are grown up and gone, too ... this is our second year handing out treats without SWAC Daughter.

This year we have an assortment of miniature Hershey candy: Snickers, Reese Peanut Butter Cups, Malted Milk Balls, Peanut Butter Snickers ... and, of course, M&Ms! LOL.

Now to wait for the first ones to arrive....

6:45: Our first customers ... two Ninjas at the door, the youngest children of neighbors up the street, ages 6 and 13. Mom was standing in the yard so we chatted while the Ninjas swung swords in the dark. We sent candy with her for the older daughter at home handing out candy to trick-or-treaters ... treats for all!

7:15: One little fella all by himself, adorable, about 4 years old, dressed as a deer. "Twick-or-Tweet," he said shyly and held out his pumpkin. What a cutie! I dropped the goodies inside and we said hello to his mom and wished them Happy Halloween. Treats for all!

8:40: We closed the door, turned out the porch light, and put away the candy. Halloween 2013 comes to an end.

High wind advisory for Shenandoah Valley

Holy cow, it's blustery in my corner of Augusta County this afternoon! Leaves are flying horizontally through the air and the rocking chairs are seesawing on the porch. The 70-degree winds remind me of Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, and "Windsday." LOL.

Harrisonburg's WHSV TV-3 has put out a high wind advisory for the area:

"A Wind Advisory has been issued for the entire viewing area from midnight Thursday through 8 am Friday morning. Winds are expected to be 15-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. Impacts will be more pronounced at elevations above 1500 feet."

With these high winds, the trick-or-treaters will almost literally be blown onto the porch since we're expecting little visitors to start showing up shortly before dark. There's going to be a lot of bare trees by Saturday at the rate leaves are scurrying across the yard.

Be safe. Happy Windsday!

2013: Halloween tradition continues ... Governor McDonnell greets trick-or-treaters (photos)

Governor Bob McDonnell and a bear on Halloween in the governor's office. Absolutely adorable pictures from Halloween 2013.

Earlier today, the Patrick Henry Building was visited by a bear, Darth Vader, a fairy, Spiderman, and others as children from the nearby Virginia Department of Transportation Daycare center went trick-or-treating at Governor Bob McDonnell’s office.

 

Photos by Michaele White
Governor's Photographer

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is back tonight for the 47th year

It's Halloween! Do you know where you'll be at 8:00 tonight? I'll be parked right in front of the television watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," that classic Peanuts Gang treat that first aired on October 27, 1966. This year viewers will enjoy it on the holiday itself.

Follow along as Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus van Pelt, Lucy van Pelt, Sally Brown, Schroeder, Pig-Pen, Patty, Violet Gray, Frieda, and Shermy spend Halloween -- some in the traditional door-to-door search for treats -- and others waiting for the Great Pumpkin.

"Comic Riffs" reporter Michael Cavna at the Washington Post has "7 Things You Don't Know About 'Peanuts' Special" with some interesting tidbits of info.

In today's fast-paced, ever-changing world, it's somehow comforting that the Peanuts gang is still alive and well and enjoying Halloween 47 years after the original showing. Creator Charles Schulz would be proud.

Happy southern fall, y'all

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
October 18, 2013

Halloween with Virginia's Governor Bob McDonnell

 Governor Bob McDonnell hands out treats to little Halloween visitors.

This is absolutely precious. The look of wonderment on the little girl's face as she holds a package of M&Ms and looks up at the Governor is adorable. These little trick-or-treaters from the VDOT daycare center visited the Governor's office in the Patrick Henry building in Richmond today where he shared an assortment of M&Ms and KitKats. With five children of his own, I have a feeling the Governor has handed out many Halloween treats to neighborhood goblins throughout the years.

Photo Courtesy of Michaele White, Governor’s Photographer

Cross-posted at Bearing Drift

Halloween 2011

 It's Halloween ... another year for the neighborhood goblins to come trick-or-treating... and we have the treats ready as well as a little spooky music to set the mood....

 A basket of treats with plenty for all!

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
Halloween 2011

Autumn = corn mazes

This corn maze in the Shenandoah Valley has been a popular place for young and old alike. Many turned out for a Halloween treat.

Photo by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
31 October 2009

Halloween 2009 ... take a walk on the spooky side

The pumpkins were glowing ... the spooky music was playing ... candy was waiting for the little goblins to arrive.

SWAC Daughter donned her ladybug wings
and headed out to join friends.

Halloween 2009....

After spending the day in Front Royal at a rally with fellow American patriots, SWAC Husband and I arrived home at 6:10 just as the first two trick-or-treaters were heading to the front door. We pulled into the driveway and I called over to them, "We've got candy in the car."

Even though we had candy at the house, we had picked up an extra couple of bags to be sure we didn't run out. The pirate and wrangler who looked to be around 12 years old were properly treated and wished a Happy Halloween as they headed back toward the street.

Before we could unload the flags from the rally, two more trick-or-treaters headed to the door. This time it was two girls who looked to be around 11 years old dressed as a soccer player and a cheerleader. I called out to them and they, too, came over to the car to receive treats before heading on their way.

Quickly we unloaded the flags, turned on the porch twinkle lights, set up the jack-o-lanterns and spooky music, and got ready for the next visitors ... who showed up around 6:45. The angel and the princess, both around 12 years old, received their treats and headed out into the night.

Our last trick-or-treaters, a wizard and a pirate, were a neighbor's grandchildren who showed up a few minutes later with Grandma in tow. Six and eight years old, they were well mannered and thanked us for their candy and, wishing us a Happy Halloween as they left, went on their way.

And then the rain came ... and we had no more ghostly visitors. There were a number of neighborhood children who didn't show up this year ... perhaps, since it's Saturday night, they had harvest parties to attend. Perhaps the weather deterred them. Of course, since we live in a rural area, we do not have the large numbers of trick-or-treaters that others do.

Meanwhile, SWAC Daughter headed out to join friends, and now SWAC Husband and I plan to join friends for a fun evening.

Booooo!

H-a-p-p-y H-a-l-l-o-w-e-e-n!

Photos by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
31 October 2009

Back in the home school classroom: Autumn & Halloween poetry

I had the pleasure of educating my children at home for sixteen years until they both graduated from home school high school. One has graduated from James Madison University with a computer science degree, and the other is currently at Blue Ridge Community College pursuing a degree in business.

Autumn was one of our favorite times of the year and we would decorate the house with hand-made pumpkins, ghosts, and leaves. Outside we would hang decorations on a small tree. Carving a pumpkin was always a special event that took place on the front porch in the cool October weather.

In the classroom, I would make a tree trunk about four feet tall and tape it to the wall, and the kids would decorate cut-out autumn leaves to put on the tree. Each day as I read out loud from a favorite book, they would decorate a few more leaves and tape them to the autumn tree.

I probably miss reading out loud with my young children more than anything else. We devoured books of all kinds and poetry. One of our favorite poets was Robert Frost and every season we would read his words describing spring, winter, fall, or summer.

Their favorite fall poem from Robert Frost was "The Last Word of a Bluebird (As told to a child)" ... SWAC Daughter memorized it and still recites it when prompted:

As I went out a Crow
In a low voice said, "Oh,
I was looking for you.
How do you do?
I just came to tell you
To tell Lesley (will you?)

That her little Bluebird
Wanted me to bring word
That the north wind last night
That made the stars bright
And made ice on the trough
Almost made him cough
His tail feathers off.

He just had to fly!
But he sent her Good-by,
And said to be good,
And wear her red hood,
And look for skunk tracks
In the snow with an ax--
And do everything!
And perhaps in the spring
He would come back and sing."

In our Calvert 2nd or 3rd grade curriculum, we found a Halloween poem that became a tradition right through 12th grade. "Little Orphant Annie" was written in 1885 by James Whitcomb Riley and later inspired the "Little Orphan Annie" comic.

Even now it's fun to pull out that poem and read it out loud, complete with the rising and lowering voice and spooky overtones that I used for 16 years. It's like riding a bicycle ... one never forgets. While reading, we would all join in together at the end of each verse with, "An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you ef you don't watch out!"

Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,
An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;
An' all us other childern, when the supper things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you ef you don't watch out!

Onc't they was a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,--
So when he went to bed at night, away up stairs,
His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,
An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wasn't there at all!
An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,
An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'wheres, I guess;
But all they ever found was thist his pants an' roundabout--
An' the Gobble-uns'll git you ef you don't watch out!

An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,
An' make fun of ever'one, an' all her blood an' kin;
An' onc't, when they was "company," an' ole folks was there,
She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!
An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,
They was two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,
An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!
An' the Gobble-uns'll git you ef you don't watch out!

An' little Orphant Annie says when the blaze is blue,
An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!
An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--
You better mind yer parents, an' yer teachers fond an' dear,
An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,
An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,
Er the Gobble-uns'll git you ef you don't watch out!

This year the pumpkins are on the front porch ... the decorations are throughout the house ... but there's no fall tree on the wall or reading out loud as in the past or decorations on an outside tree put there by little hands. But I pulled out the poems today and remembered ... and read "Little Orphant Annie" out loud just as I did for so many years.

Ah, memories. Happy Halloween!

What political figure would you dress up as this Halloween?

October 31, 2008
It has been fun to hear people talk about who they would dress up as this Halloween if they had to choose a political figure. Who would you dress up as? Sarah Palin seems to be a hot item this year and the presidential candidates. What about you?

I'm ready....

As dusk settles over the Shenandoah Valley, I'm ready for the little neighborhood goblins on this Halloween. The jack-o-lanterns are lit, the candy is sitting by the door, the outside lights are on, and the spooky music is playing....

We don't have a lot of trick-or-treaters ... they are the neighbors' children and we love to see who is dressed as what character each year. The youngest ones usually come just before dark so I expect the first one anytime. Oops -- there goes the doorbell now....

Happy Halloween!

Update as of 6:30 we've had...
-- 2 pirates (age 8 & 10)
-- 1 cutie-pie black cat with a pink tail (age 3). She was a little dubious of my spooky music ... extra treats for all!

Update as of 7:00...
-- 5 variously costumed extremely polite young folks (ages 10-14). They all wished us Happy Halloween and thanked us. They loved the spooky music ... extra treats for all!

Meanwhile, over at Ward View ... he's having WAY too much fun blogging on a Halloween night....

Update at 8:10....
-- 4 young ladies (ages 4-11) dressed as a dragon, a bunny, and 2 princesses. All were very polite and friendly ... extra treats for all!

Last update at 10:00 ... that was it. We had 12 trick-or-treaters tonight which is about par for most years. The spooky music gets put away until next year ... and now we start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas.

October 31 ... Halloween

October 31, 2007