There are many that love the hoopla of Halloween parties, the dressing as ones alter ego, the going out and raising hell and ringing in Daylight's Savings like some New Years summer-is-over celebration for sun worshipers bidding farewell to long days filled with blue skies.
It's mole time.
I love Halloween, but not for it's parties and drinking tradition. For me, I find the parties too much the "amatuer hour", like St, Patrick's Day, where people drink too much and think nothing of spilling a drink down your back or over your shoes.
What I really love, is scaring the kids. This is a holiday about the best part of being a child. The ability to be excited and scared (in a safe enviornment) at the same time. Don't you remember? It's like the dark nights of hide and go seek when we hid under a bush or behind a car, heart racing, listening for the soft tapping sound of someones approaching feet, ready to run at a moments notice.
Each Halloween, when the night turns dark and the goblins come out, we take Brian to this historic street in Santa Rosa, where my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie was filmed....Shadow of A Doubt. This large tree-lined street, where many have grass sidewalks and cobblestone steps, old porch swings and verandas host Halloween trick or treating in its finest tradition.
(http://history.sonoma.lib.ca.us/images/p590424.jpg)
The Street is McDonald Avenue, a grand lady of a street with a rich Santa Rosa history. Every year, the residents decorate their homes, creating "themes" for halloween. People come from all over to trick or treat and most of the adults dress up as well. There is everything from the Hauted Dentist chair, to flying bats, to the Bates Hotel, to the dead guy who tries to grab you when you reach for candy. and much more.
The street has old fashioned street lights so it is difficult to see those in front of ou, adding to the Halloween experience.
To give you a feel for the avenue:
http://www.mcdonaldmansion.com/history.htm
http://www.norcalmovies.com/Scream/scream11.jpg
http://history.sonoma.lib.ca.us/images/p450150.jpg
http://history.sonoma.lib.ca.us/images/p738440.jpg
http://history.sonoma.lib.ca.us/images/p441206.jpg
http://history.sonoma.lib.ca.us/images/p600763.jpg
http://history.sonoma.lib.ca.us/images/p408403.jpg
Brian was done at an hour - looked at me and said, "I have enough candy, can we just go home now? My feet hurt." God I love this kid.
We returned home, I built a fire while he showered and put on jammies and we sat down to read Sleepy Hollow. He fell asleep leaning against my chest and I realized these years are quickly slipping from my grasp and pretty soon he won't even be sitting 'in my pocket' anymore. Our children grow up too fast. These are the times I wish I had married better and had four more behind Brian ... I could be doing Halloween for another 10 years or more.
I can hear Tracie out there with her 5 kids yelling "ARE YOU NUTS????!!!"
Um yeah, but we all know that.
Until next time-
C
