Trick or Treat for Unicef

 When I was in elementary school in Carlsbad, NM, our church participated in UNICEF.  The Sunday before Halloween children were given a heavy cardboard sheet with a church on it.  My dad and I spent one evening during the week making the church, you folded the pieces up to make a church with a slot in the roof where dimes were dropped in.  When we went Trick or Treating we were to say Trick or Treat for Unicef.  Most people knew about this and would get a couple rolls of dimes to drop in the churches.  Then the next week I would take the dimes and fill in slots on another cardboard piece and then turn them into the church.  My goal was always to fill the sheet and if I did not get it full then my dad would pull out his roll of dimes and fill in my sheet.

It was fun to see if you could fill your sheet.

When I got home my dad would empty my sack, take what I did not like for himself.  Then my bag was put up on a shelf and I got one piece a day til it was all gone.  I always wanted to be in OKC for Halloween.  My dad worked for the FAA and the families stayed in an apartment complex called Parkview Village (yes it is still there but nor for the FAA).  Imagine if you will 243 units just waiting for kids to trick or treat.  The caramel apples, popcorn balls, candy.  I could easily fill a paper grocery sack.  

We had Trunk or Treat at church Sunday and had 56 kids in an hour.  So many cute costumes and all the kids were polite.  Tonight it is to in the 30's which means the kids will be all bundled up.  Too bad cos the costumes on little kids are worth the price of a bag of candy.

They're Back

 I love Juncos, they usually leave right before the Hummingbirds get here in the Spring and come back a few weeks after the Hummingbirds leave. I wish they stayed all year but alas I just have to enjoy them half the year.

Aren't they pretty?

Even Charlotte is Getting Into Halloween

 Many of you know my love for the book Charlotte's Web.  Well Charlotte and her kids have been busy at my house.  I went out back to feed the feral the other day and look what I found.  I guess there was not much for them to decorate but they found the dryer vent.

It is kind of cool huh?

Happy October

 How did we get to October already?  That means this year is almost over. 

I spied a very large garter snake in the yard Sunday afternoon, I fear he lives under the shed.  He can stay as long as he does not enter the house, but if he does well then we will have to re-locate him if I can.  

I planted marigolds in this pot, they did well but the squirrels dug them up to plant walnuts in it.  However some of the seeds said we are not done and so I have this itty bitty bloom.

The mum I got from the neighbor boys has opened up it is yuge.  Kind of looks like a brain, huh, no gray matter here though.

The tomato plant is zooming up and blooming and producing tomatoes. It was a nice plant but more plant than tomatoes, but they were good.

And my black cat Licorice comes daily, more than once a day now and eating a lot, putting on that winter weight and coat.  I think he is just going to be a small cat.  I get about 10 feet from him right now and then he backs off.  It all takes time with ferals, some never let you pet them.  Little Bit hung around for many years but only the last month of his life he leaned against me one day let me pet and love him and then a few days later he was gone.  I knew his time was near cos he looked awful, his coat was a mess and he let me pet him.  He knows I loved him and took care of him but he just never trusted me enough to get close.