The Road That Beckons: Boo!

BOO! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I know, I know, we're coming up on the scariest night of the year. No, I'm not talking about Election Eve, but rather that other standby of good cheer, Halloween. American elections have only been around since 1788 while the celebration of ghosts and goblins heralds back more than 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

I used to work with a lady who professed that Halloween was her favorite holiday of the year and she used to love to get dressed up in some pretty amazing costumes she designed herself. She used to encourage me to do the same but I demurred using the excuse that I was already scary enough.

Of course this year has perhaps been one of the scariest in recent memory. Short of wars, famines, and global climate change, pandemics rank right up there on the short list of frightful events. Halloween festivities (is festive even the right descriptor for Halloween?) likely will be a little subdued this year given that we're already wearing masks and we're supposed to separate from one another by whatever the new standard is - 6 feet, 20 feet, miles? A friend I went walking with yesterday is being clever in her approach to still celebrating All Hallows Eve and still staying safe as are many others. The local ghosts and ghouls won't leave her house disappointed. For us adults (I think I still fit into that category despite what my wife sometimes tells me) there's plenty of spookiness already (like having to take on the hat of Teacher while home schooling AND trying to get their own work done) but hopefully next week's election will at least give us some certainty in some very uncertain times. At least I think it will, once we know the actual results by early January or whenever the Supreme Court deigns to inform us who is to lead us for the next four years.

So for those of you who still love Halloween the scary times will likely continue long after October 31st this year. And for those who don't, not to worry. I saw my first official Christmas T.V. commercials last night. Now that was really scary.

I think there's another Holiday in between moving from celebrating Ghosts and Ghouls to Santa and elves (elves, actually, could probably do double duty on both Halloween AND Xmas - kind of the Yin and Yang of Holiday characters). My local hardware superstores (Lowes and Home Depot) seem to have forgotten entirely about Thanksgiving having rushed to get the Christmas decorations out for sale by late August. Perhaps they think we don't have much to be thankful for this year, but I think they are wrong. I give thanks for the special people in my life as well as the simple gift of simply being alive when so many of our friends, family, and neighbors will have unexpectedly empty seats round the Thanksgiving table this year. There was fear of a Holiday COVID spike due to folks getting together to celebrate the season, but given the numbers in Colorado right now that boat has already sailed. So lets all stay safe (Yeah, wear the mask, stay as socially distant as you can, etc.) but while your at it, please pass the turkey...

Here's a short video I put together to put a little Halloween fright into your day as well as a second one I shot up in them high Country during the recent snowstorm (it might get you into the mood for sleighs and sleighbells, HO, HO, HO!):