Pumpkin Time

   This is what the entrance to our condo complex will look like this evening when the trick or treaters will be out and around:

   Who will see the decorations around the various doors of the units in our two buildings?

   I thought, as I walked this morning, about Halloween, what it is like for me today and what I remember from 70 years ago.

   I knew that no kids would be ringing my doorbell tonight, they could not get in the closed gate that guarded the complex. I kinda miss that.

   Way back when, trick or treat really meant something in our neighborhood. No treats, no one home or not leaving the porch light on, or not coming to the door, had its consequences. The next morning you might have to go looking for your porch furniture. It might be several doors down the block on someone else's lawn, or strung up a telephone pole.

   Cars left out on the street or driveway and not in a garage, would have soapy windows.

   I will not say that those things should have gone on, but to us it was innocent fun. It was just the way things worked back then, at least where we lived.

   Later on, when our kids had their costumes and candy holders, and we tried to guess which kids were behind those masks that came to our door, the fun was always in watching the faces of the boys and girls (and sometimes parents, too).

   And then the big climax when the kids emptied out their buckets and pumpkins on the kitchen table, and we could make up the big bowl that would be our candy stash for the next few weeks. Our rule: you can have one piece of your candy now, but the rest is left for later. Hope they didn't know that the parents enjoyed that stash, too.

   It is funny what memories come to mind when I see a pumpkin display.

   But I hope those folks on Tunnel Blvd. got all their furniture back.