Happy Hallowe'en!
On Route 12 north.It's a different story, up North, where they're still digging out, but here in Waterville
it's 45 degrees at 5:00 A.M. and going to be a fairly mild day,
'tho some showers are forecast for later on.
'tho some showers are forecast for later on.
No TRASH pick-up today; no GREEN WASTE pick-up, today.
The only collection today will be that of TREATS, tonight between 5:00 and 7:00!
There are a great many "histories" of Halloween on the internet. I like this page by PumpkinMaster.com. who also provides the following history of the "Jack o Lantern" - which I didn't know.
"The word Jack O Lantern was 1st used to describe a mysterious light seen at night flickering over marshes. When approached, it advances, always out of reach. The phenomenon is also known as will o the wisp and ignis fatuus (foolish fire). In pop legend it is considered ominous and is often thought to be the soul of one who has been rejected by hell carrying its own hell coal on its wanderings.
In Ireland, where Halloween began, the first jack-o'-lanterns weren't made of pumpkins. They were made out of rutabagas, potatoes, turnips, or even beets! There is an old Irish legend about a man named Stingy Jack who was too mean to get into heaven and had played too many tricks on the devil to go to hell. When he died, he had to walk the earth, carrying a lantern made out of a turnip with a burning coal inside. Stingy Jack became known as "Jack of the Lantern," or "Jack-o'-Lantern."
From this legend came the Irish tradition of placing jack-o'-lanterns made of turnips and other vegetables in windows or by doors on Halloween. The jack-o'-lanterns are meant to scare away Stingy Jack and all the other spirits that are said to walk the earth on that night. It wasn't until the tradition was brought to the United States by immigrants that pumpkins were used for jack-o'-lanterns."
And it wan't until Peter, Paul & Mary recorded it - a LONG time ago - that I'd ever heard the "Souling Song," which we should all sing tomorrow for "All Souls" - (November 1)!
I sent a "Cheers!" note to Pop Warner Head Coach John Savage, praising all the "kids" and thanking him for all time and energy he devotes to the boys, and he wrote back saying "My job is easy: I have a great group of coaches! - Bob Piersma, Jay Hemmeric, Shaun Harry & Mark Evans." (From my advanced chronological perspective, they are ALL a great bunch of "kids!")
John will let us know when the next game is scheduled.
R.F.B. Thanks those who sent him E-greetings, yesterday!
From a few conversations, yesterday, I gather that I'm not the only person who has trouble adjusting to "falling back!" And those whose households or barnyards include four-legged friends - not to discriminate against two-legged fowl - are simply not allowed to adjust easily because animals in general, and roosters in particular, simply do NOT approve of the practise of tinkering with their schedules no matter how reasonable a human tries to make it sound!
