Happy Halloween!

 For most of October we've been living in limbo, unsure moment-to-moment what this first of the fall holidays might look like in the time of Covid. Would there even BE a Halloween to celebrate?  This year, every thing that can be cancelled, has been cancelled. We put up decorations and we tempered expectations, and we didn't plan ahead at all.  

And we got lucky.  Cuyahoga County didn't go into purple on Thursday, trick or treat was not cancelled, it did not rain... and we had a memorable, lovely Halloween. 

Jack was invited to trick or treat with two friends in their neighborhood, and then stayed and watched "IT" by the fire pit.  First time ever he's not trick or treated with us, which makes me all sad-happy.  He's really growing up, not just getting tall.   And he had SUCH a great time. And had an amazing candy haul (going to the fancy neighborhoods always pays off!)

Ivy stuck close to home but had two friends from bike club join in doing the rounds here in Coventry Village.  Our girls tromped about enthusiastically for an hour and a half straight- except for one snack break at Spirit Corner-- and filled their candy pumpkins to the brim. Ivy received rave reviews for her costume everywhere we went.  Which is good as it was a lot of work to get her into that wig and those horns. A good 20 bobby pins holding her head together, and lots of yelling and squirming as they were put in place.  The weather was perfect all day and warm enough be coat free for part of our trick-or-treat journey. 

While it was certainly not Halloween-as-normal in our neighborhood, there were some silver linings to a Covid trick or treat.  The street was open and clear when we started out, not jammed with carloads of "Drop -off" kids.  The sidewalks were easy to navigate without crowds.  And while many houses were dark, the neighbors that participated did so with amazing creativity, love and fantastic engineering.   So many innovative candy delivery systems!  Chutes, tubes, slides, pulleys, zip lines, slingshots, and even a really cool counter-weighted bony hand and arm.  Neighbors made individual, adorable bags of treats and put them out on tables. Candy was arranged on steps for kids to "shop" and choose.  And everyone-  from 6-20 feet away-- was kind and happy and seemed thrilled to see one another.   It was a night of light and magic here in our corner of the world, in the midst of the darkness and chaos of this time.  

Ivy's sweet friend Molly came back to our porch for "Halloween Cake"-- apparently that's a thing on Youtube, according to Ivy, and she spent all day making this one!  

We'd hoped to do a "bonus" trick or treat at a park with friends today but we've been rained (and possible snowed) out. So instead today we snuggle in and breathe a sigh of relief that this holiday went all right.  One down...

A few other moments from the past week, and earlier on Halloween Day:

Halloween baking!  Why not?

Lots of canvassing this weekend.  Biden and Issue 69.  We are doing what we can and trying to hope.

The most gorgeous, frosty morning....

A terrifically fun happy hour with our Hiram crew.

Pumpkin carving.  This was attempt #1, aborted when children were tired, grumpy and feeling overwhelmed by homework (who puts the end of the grading period on Halloween weekend??  arg.)  We eventually finished the pumpkins.  It just took three days. 

Pumpkin carving with a cat is amusing.

 We had a great week at Bike Club.  Molly's big sister has joined the crew and she's a chatty, lovely young lady.  The younger set just embrace every minute together and these hours following them around Forest Hills are something I look forward to each week.

Fleeting

As I type this post, it seems November has descended early outside.  With 40 degree rain, the weather has turned decidedly away from the luscious autumn we've been enjoying. So much color this year, so many blue skies.  Even though this autum has lingered nicely, it is still the most fleeting of seasons and I can't beleive we are coming to the tail end of it so soon...   Sigh.  Time for a trip down memory lane of the last two week, then. 

Jack's last cross country meet was on the 16th.  The season went so fast!  We wonder what the boy is going to do for physical activity and occasional vitamin D now that he and his friends get to retreat back to video gaming. I am so glad he participated!  It was a lovely bit of normalcy, to go watch him run and chat amicably with our CH acquaintances in the fall sunshine. And I'm proud of him for persevering in this tough sport.  He took his two mile time from 20:23 to 15:06 and even though he says he's never running again, I think he enjoyed himself. 

Our latest foster assignment: 5 baby degus and their parents!  They are ridiculously cute. 

Sunset comes early these days but if we are motivated we can still catch a bit of the magic at our lake... Featured here, Whiskey Island, all aglow.

Saturday mornings are for volunteering at the church.  We've gotten the fun of using a farm jack tp remove stumps, and now, a roto-tiller.

Also I made this tiny retaining wall around sime foliage we're keeping, I'm inordinately pleased with it.

And when Saturday brings with it a most splendid fall day, it's for picking apples, too.

And exploring new treasures in Chapin Forest. 

... and picking pumpkins at Mulberry Corners.

The magic of the woods... twenty feet in and our two were playing together, pretending to make shelters and turning sticks to guns. 

Then we discovered the Ledges.  A little harrowing climbing in our inappropriate footwear... and this view. 

Phew.  After a day like that we needed a Sunday of snuggling in.

... and one last sunset on the beach.

This weekend:  Friends over for a porch visit.  Wonderful fun.

Funny animals.

A visit to the Alpaca farm!  We'd intended to do a group day with our Community of Hope friends but complications ensued.  So our family  ventured out in the cold and drear to have our spirits liften by fuzzy animals.

We even got to see Sadie, our favorite young alpaca from our visit at the end of the summer!!

We all just love these guys.

It's been great running weather.  Finally got out for a slightly longer run on Sunday, and got to soak up the beauty of Shaker Lakes. 

Then, it was off to zip-line!  Because it is important to know oneself, this mama opted not to climb. But I had a great time cheerleading and watching my brave people take on the heights and the challenge.

And it was worth every penny of admission for this moment, as Jack helped his sister make it on to to the next platform. 

My brave ones!  

This lovely, colorful fall has been good to us. I'm going to miss it when its gone.