All Hallows Eve

 All Hallows Eve, the night before "All Saints", a time for pranks, candy, costumes to plague good  people, it was thought ( especially Catholics, so they say). To test their faith.  It was the 8th century that saw a date appointed for the feast of All Saints.  I wonder if they ever thought it would last?  I haven't carved a pumpkin for years.This year I decided it was time to do it again.....got the idea of pumpkin snot from a photo I saw. Bleh.

In church, the parishioners would pray for the souls of the dear departed. Begging from door to door for "soul cakes", that became the first trick or treats. "Soul, soul, an apple or two, if you haven't an apple, a pear will do.One for Peter, two for Paul,Three for the Wise man who made us all."

 Watchmen would go through the streets, ringing bells warning people to stay indoors while souls went to heaven or to hell. Depending on the prayers of the people.There is an old story about a miser named Jack, who was too stingy to Heaven and too clever to go to Hell. So he was doomed to wander for eternity with a lighted jack o lantern under his arm, instead of a head.............

 Though, in Ireland and Scotland it was the lowly turnip which was carved into a jack o lantern. Tried scooping out a turnip...pretty difficult.

 And  what would halloween be without a cat or two? Or costumes? Or bonfires? And Fireworks? And pancakes..............traditionally, All Hallows eve was supposed to be a meatless day. Hmmm, pancakes.......great supper idea.

It was the Puritans who did not like cats . Black or otherwise. Especially at Halloween. The Puritans (had no fashion sense) who started the whole thing with cats beinig evil. Better to adopt a cat from a shelter. Find a black one with green or gold eyes..............

 Halloween is a time to face our deepest fears, dress up like monsters, hand out candy and spend time with friends and family.( Adopt a cat or two)."In ancient times, people feared this night, the night they greeted with fright.Why they were so scared, you soon will see, on this All Hallow's Eve...."(anon)                                            Boo!

It was a dark and foggy .......

                      Noon. Island Hwy . Headed to Courtenay. Fog so thick you couldn't see the ocean. Fog so thick,made me think of pea soup, and that made me think of cooking, and that made me think of groceries. I went to pick up some split peas. Promptly forgot and picked up some halloween chocolate bars instead.....

                  4pm. Courtenay. Dank alleyways. Sherlock Holmes where are you?

             6pm. Courtenay. Main intersection.The lights remind
me of Christmas, and Christmas reminds me that in three weeks it will be time to decorate. Now, don't keel over. If you've known me long enough, you know that I always start early. Got to get in as much Christmas as possible!

And yes....my latest find....mandolins. In a dlollar store that was playing christmas music and selling halloween stuff. My kind of store.......couldn't resist. Just had to hang them on a tree, any tree....

 2pm. Island Hwy. Reminds me of the "Shining", one of my favourite flicks. I'm not into blood and gore. I love psychological thrillers.......and this road looks like it could go anywhere......

3pm. Island Highway. It was a dark and foggy.....................

SIGNS of FALL.....BEAR.CATS. FOG.

 Another sign of fall. Bear. Well, it's a little bear. But it's a bear. Without its mommy. This was taken  by a school board employee, up at Pinecrest School, a few blocks from our house. Right beside where the Stephen works.  A young bear, waiting for  something neat to happen.  Meanwhile, the conservation officers have been called....

 Another sign of fall. Smokey running up and down on the old canoe we have. I think he likes the sound is paws make on the underbelly. He is almost the same colour as the little bear. He will run up and down for ages. Then toddle home to see his humans.

 Another sign of fall.....cobwebs. Everywhere. I was going to take down the hummingbird feeder, but this web tells me there is a humungous arachnid hiding somewhere in its depths.Somewhere. Lurking. I think I'll wait. Don't get me wrong, I love spiders. Just don't want to bring them inside.

 And then there's Little Bear. Again. Toddling around school grounds. He was perfectly healthy. But his mommy never showed up. Everyone is still waiting to see what the conservation people will do.Hopefully it will be humane.

 Another sign of fall. Fog bank looming over the neighbourhood, while the sun goes down. Colours of the leaves are wonderful this year. It makes me think of psychological thrillers....I think I will watch "The Shining" and "Sixth Sense"............stuff to make you mentally twitch.

 And then there's Spencer and Cordelia. Spencer LOVES to torment Cordelia by just staring at her. She gets  her fluffy fur all unraveled and growls. Then runs home to her house behind us.  Spencer bounds after her, apparently in great glee. He must think it is some sort of game. So NOT fierce. Not like the bear. The very little bear. He was tranquilized and taken to a safe place. His mommy never showed up and he couldn't be left up a tree. I don't think any of us would like to be left up a tree......not unless we had Spencer to protect us, of course.

PIER in the FOG

 Best time of year. And the Pier. In Fog. And no one there. Even better. Fun to call "Halllooooo" into the foggy void and all you hear back in a fog horn.

 The girls were off today. Together. Rare occurance. So down to the empty Pier we toddled. The boardwalk was wet with mist and waves.  Could have stayed down there all day. But then we would have froze. Chilly.

 A few  of my favourite things: spider webs caught with the mist hanging from them..

 Crows hanging about, like "The Raven"......cawing at us, following up and down....

  A pair of them. We fed them a couple of granola bars. They chomp those up pretty fast, and followed us some more.I threw pieces of oranges at them. They weren't too thrilled with that. But they came back to get them after we walked away.

                            Still waters run deep..........................

                                usually we never get the chance to hang over the end of the railing...too many people fishing . Today was a different story. No one around. we hung off those boards and peered down at starfish and kelp.

                            This is how I like my weather. Mist and Fog. It scares away all the people. Not sure why. It's the best time of year......................

     And then, just because, it was time to jump.....................

IN the DAWN's EARLY LIGHT....

 Strips of colour. Peeking over. It's early. It's always early here. Day starts before sunrise.......Today I'm makign soup before the day even begins.

 The red sky hits. I notice that the grape arbour is even more decayed than the week before. Spencer still manages to hide. Chasing birds.

 Leaves are not staying on the branches. Too cool. Too frosty in the night.

  And these two, as perfect as always. Warm from their home, arrive for snack. Spencer and Smokey. Beacons of the fact that day has begun.....

 And inside it is warm. Fire is on. Soup is bubbling. And Bunny is looking sleepy. Sleepy indoor kitty. She's got the right idea. Time to hibernate. But then there'll be another day. And the dawn will start all over again. ....

THANKSGIVING HAPPIES....then and now.

Fall thru camp roads at CFB Petawawa, Ontario, 1990

 These are some of my favourite places  and things at Thanksgiving.....some are from here and some are from far away, a long time ago.....

 Petawawa forest looking to Ottawa River, 1988

 Clearing near Ottawa River, 1988

 Nicomekyl River, White Rock, B.C. at Stewart Farmhouse, 2004. Love this place.

 Looking out to Coast Mtns from Stewart Farmhouse grounds....

                      White Rock Pier in October, 2004.

 The top of the hill, where you can look over to Mt Washington. Cordelia's hangout on the compost..

        Big eyes............

             Pumpkin wet with rain............for pumpkin pies.

    Smokey chewing on the nub he broke of the pumpkin......

                   Now the pumpkin has no handle.

 Eagles soaring above field, Kingston 1996

   Spencer heading for home along his trail, old grape and leaves in his wake.....fall in  the air.