a new record

158 kids this year, counting the double-dippers only once and not counting the parent who seemed interested in more candy than his kid. As expected, a fair number of Red Sox-themed costumes, including a recognizable Curse and a very good Johnny Damon. The schedule ran about 20 minutes earlier than usual this year, with a few kids already on the street when I got downstairs at 5:25 and the last kid around 7:45. Maybe that's because we were just after the time change this time. The average age seemed lower; lots of kids who couldn't climb the porch stairs unassisted, and not very many teens. A second wave of small kids appeared around 7, apparently attached to new or new-to-this-neighborhood parents returning from trick-or-treating runs to "better" neighborhoods. I guess they didn't realize how much of a big deal Halloween is around here.