halloween begins

5:52: first group, four small kids. Much later than usual due to Daylight Savings, but not a whole hour later.

6:01

The neighborhood has reacted to the first few kids. People have turned on their music and strobe lights and fog machines and come out onto their porches. The kids who have been gathering in houses are all coming out. Folks are taking pictures of that house. But none of the older kids are here yet, and I haven't seen any carloads being dropped off.

(no subject)

6:12: first out-of-neighborhood kids.
6:22: I'm starting to get compliments on the house from the kids.
6:30: 18 kids.
6:36: 26 kids. dinner arrives. I'm starting to notice a dent in the first (of three) bowls of candy.
6:40: how come the older kids always have the lamer costumes?
6:55: 89 kids, and the end of the first bowl of candy.
6:59: 100 kids.
7:13: a short lull at 144 kids -- time to hit "post"

(no subject)

7:23: Natalie, who has been sitting on the front porch for some time, finally gets up the nerve to trick-or-treat me. She is number 156.
7:42: A couple of cops come by on bicycles. Yay, appropriate technology.
7:43: Number 200 is yet another Red Sox player. No one seems to be dressed as any particular player, not even the ones with players' names on their jerseys.

(no subject)

8:00: Number 225 could not have been four years old yet. All in all much more of a mix of ages through the night rather than a progression from younger to older.

(no subject)

number 264 came through at 8:45 -- it looks like the whole schedule is delayed about half an hour from last year, for Daylight Savings. I've seen some of last year's after-dinner kids already; I wonder if we'll get a group through or not. At 9:00, that house has a crew of 7 taking the decorations down so no one makes off with them.