Dark Days

Otis Orchards, Washington
October 30, 2015 1:13pm CST
It’s ten a.m. the day before Halloween. Do you know where your goblins and ghosts are? It’s a dark day–so dark the streetlights are still on at this hour in the morning. It’s cloudy. It’s windy. It’s rainy. It’s forty-nine degrees Fahrenheit (9.4º C). And tomorrow it’s supposed to be worse. More and heavier rain. The forecast calls for rain all through the weekend. With wind gusts up to thirty-five miles an hour (56 Km/h). This will be the first time I’ve been home on Halloween in my new manufactured home. Before I was laid off I worked swing shift (2:30 p.m. to anywhere from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.). Luckily my house has never been TP’d or my windows soaped. When I first moved to this area some twenty years ago I had hundreds of trick-or-treaters. About fifteen years ago I bought two huge bags of candy from Costco and ended up with only about ten trick-or-treaters. It totally baffled me. What happened to all the trick-or-treaters? I later learned the new mall that went in about four miles (6.4 km) from me had a Halloween party for the kids. Who would take their kids house to house when there was a warm, safe place for their kids to go? My brother thinks I’m going to get bombarded with trick-or-treaters since I have a covered porch. He thinks they are going to see an opportunity to get out of the rain. I think not. With wind gusts up to thirty-five miles per hour the rain will blow right through my porch. It’ll take more than a roof to keep the rain off those kids. Besides, on as nasty weather-wise night we are supposed to have, who wouldn’t take their children to the mall? I’m well prepared, though. I have lots of candy. So we will see who’s right–my brother or me. (The streetlights just shut off at 11:00 a.m.)
4 people like this
4 responses
@much2say (53650)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Oct 15
Oh, that's a hard call! Trick or treating is hit or miss these days. It seems more and more people are shutting off their lights and choosing not to participate - while others are in full force with the candy action. There are plenty of Halloween activities outside of trick or treating now, the mall for instance like you mentioned - but out here that's in the afternoon, early evening - and it seems early on when kids go mall trick or treating, the stores conveniently run out of candy (and believe me, they give out the cheap candy - no one buys the good stuff!!). There is plenty of time for trick or treating!! Kids would go - you know, nothing would stop them from wanting to go - I know I went trick or treating in fierce wind - and a couple times when it rained. But these days it's totally up the parents - no kids go unsupervised - so if they say no, they don't get to go. I'd say with nasty weather, there might not be as many kids. (More candy for you! )
1 person likes this
• Otis Orchards, Washington
30 Oct 15
The last time I was home on a Halloween night was a Sunday night in 2010. I hardly got any trick-or-treater. Back then I lived four houses down the street from where I live now. But that was 5 years ago so a lot could have changed since then. I have no idea what kind of candy they give out at the mall here. (I've always thought any candy was good candy.) I'm sure of one thing–parents don't have to worry about razor blades or poison being in the candy they get from the mall. The year before I bought the 2 bags of candy I ran out of candy and shut my lights out at about 8:30. Shortly after I shut my lights out I heard a woman say, "Don't go over there. It's all dark so no one is home." That's why I bought the 2 bags the following year. I'm sure I'll get some trick-or-treaters. I just don't think I'll be bombarded the way my brother thinks I will. If I run out of candy I'll have to shut the lights off.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53650)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Nov 15
@RichardMeister So how did it go? (I was out all weekend - we went to San Diego, so we weren't even around for trick or treaters). I don't like what they give out at the malls out here - seriously they give out hard candies that are some off brand - which means the cheap stuff that get left at the bottom of the trick or treat bags and eventually get forgotten and thrown out.
@jstory07 (133739)
• Roseburg, Oregon
30 Oct 15
I hope you get some kids to pass your candy out to. Happy Halloween.
1 person likes this
• Otis Orchards, Washington
30 Oct 15
Happy Halloween to you, too. I'm sure I'll get some kids.
@kevin1877uk (36988)
31 Oct 15
Don't like the darker nights, often cold and wet, give e summer, lighter night and warmer temperatures. Enjoy Halloween.
1 person likes this
@marlina (154183)
• Canada
31 Oct 15
We live on a busy street and nobody comes around.
1 person likes this