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Expensive Diary,
It’s me, Jessica.
The harvest has “are available,” as Billy would say.
With the onset of fall, the leaves have become vibrant reds, yellows, and golds. There was a crispness to the air, particularly within the morning. The sky appeared slightly bluer.
Sean, as mayor of 4 Corners, introduced a competition to be held. It might be a loopy mixture of Oktoberfest, a Gaelic competition known as Samhain, Day of the Useless, and Halloween. Sean emphasised he needed youngsters to decorate up if they might and to go “Trick or treating.” He mentioned he thought they need to have some pleasure and pleasure to look ahead to. And to not lose a few of our traditions, honor those that have handed previously yr, and of the harvest coming in.
Rae, Kathy, Joan, Allison, and I have been going to the competition as “zombies.” Allison had a expertise for make-up and did us all up because the Strolling Useless. Rae mentioned it was so good we appeared like a music video known as “Thriller.”
Diary, I had by no means heard or seen it.
Mother and Dad went as Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein. With Allison’s work, they appeared dang good!
The Miller’s arrived driving the flatbed loaded with sacks of floor wheat, corn, Jack and Samson, and 5 kegs on the flatbed. Mr. Miller was dressed because the Tin Man. The youngsters have been characters from just a few completely different cartoon films. On horseback, Mrs. Miller was the Depraved Witch of the West, Billy the Scarecrow, Justin the Lion, and Janet was Dorothy.
We walked up, and I requested Jack what he was speculated to be in his standard apparel.
“I’m a survivor of a post-power-down world. And Samson is dressed as a publish power-down world canine. His costume is relatively good, don’t you suppose?” he mentioned and patted the massive canine on one aspect.
I rolled my eyes, Rae mentioned, “Hen and biscuits, Jack! Might you not of not dressed up for the youngsters?”
“Not my fashion. Not at the same time as a child, I didn’t do Halloween,” he shrugged.
“Jack, generally you might be as a lot enjoyable as a chilly, moist towel on a winter day,” Rae mentioned and gave him a punch on the shoulder.
“Ouch,” Jack faked and pretended to roll to at least one aspect. I gave Samson a scratch of his ears as he leaned into me along with his massive head and gave an enormous sigh of consolation.
“The place are the puppies,” I requested Jack.
“I fed them early. With full bellies they’re napping in a canine pile on the sofa. Didn’t need them underfoot on the competition.
I nodded. That made sense.
All of us climbed up onto the flat mattress and headed out for 4 Corners.
Entry two.
Simply outdoors of the East gate, they arrange paddocks for the livestock. Sheep, goats, hogs, chickens, and cattle have been staged for slaughter. One other space was arrange for processing.
There have been pumpkins in every single place round 4 Corners. Some conventional carvings. Others, ornate carvings like cats, ghosts, witches on broomsticks. Others with outrageous and foolish expressions. They have been so good that Sean instantly arrange a Blue Ribbon set of judges to award ribbons to the best-in-show pumpkins.
There was an enormous bonfire throughout from Sean’s shack. Sean was sitting on a wooden log, strumming his banjo.
Mr. Miller introduced cured and smoked bacon. He took the bacon to some completely different cooking fires for them to make use for no matter they have been making. There have been stews, pot pies, somebody was making hamburgers and would add the bacon to the highest. An entire hog roasting over a pit of crimson coals. Skewers of every kind. Apple pies and, in fact, pumpkin pies.
Jack had three kegs of beer and two of blackberry wine. He arrange subsequent to Sean’s shack as Sean strummed his banjo. Jack tapped a keg of beer and one of many blackberry wine. He poured one for Sean, one for Rae, after which one for himself. Dad declined, however Mother had a wine. Mr. Miller and Justin took a beer every. Another person had made exhausting cider, and others had mulled cider warming in pots.
Others gathered round for a drink or to talk. Because the afternoon solar started to sink within the west, Sean introduced it was time for the youngsters’s Trick or Deal with. All the youngsters have been ten years of age and youthful. Lots of the older ones didn’t really feel it was their place to take part. They didn’t wish to take any treats from the youngsters. Moreover, there can be leftovers.
Everybody unfold out alongside Outdated River Street to the North and South, arrange in their very own area to let the youngsters come to them, allow them to say the normal “Trick or deal with!” of their sing-songy voices. Everybody would touch upon how nice their costumes have been after which drop no matter they needed to give into the whole lot from plastic orange pumpkins to previous pillowcases, and one pair of kids had small picket buckets with actually neat carvings of toothy-grin pumpkins.
Mother, Dad, and I nonetheless had snack-sized sweet handy out.
Rae made mini-loaves of a German bread known as Stollen. It was a wealthy mixture of dried fruit, raisins, honey, cinnamon, and slivered almonds. They have been sufficiently big to make for a hearty breakfast or a snack for 2. She instructed the youngsters and their mother and father after trick or deal with, she can be having story time by the bonfire.
As soon as the youngsters had made their rounds, the youngsters, their mother and father, and various who didn’t have youngsters gathered across the bonfire. Rae stood on a log with the bonfire behind her and commenced to inform a narrative a couple of magical pumpkin patch.
“In that patch was an odd being. Tall and thin, whose physique was made out of a skeleton and straw.”
Rae held out her fingers claw-like.
“It had an extended black coat, black pants, and black boots. And a pumpkin for a head!”
A number of the youngsters’s eyes went large. Sean had quietly supplied Rae with background music from his banjo, sounding menacing and playful on the similar time. When Rae introduced the unusual being had a pumpkin for a head, he gave his banjo head a slap. All the youngsters jumped, and a few of the adults did, too. Even I did. A chuckle from the adults rolled by means of the group, however the youngsters sat in rapt consideration to Rae. Rae shot Sean a look and nodded, and so they each continued.
“On Halloween evening, a younger boy and lady went into the pumpkin patch to see if they might get a glimpse of this unusual being. It was a full moon, clear sky, stars by the hundreds of thousands may very well be seen so far as the attention might see.”
Rae appeared concerning the sky.
“The younger boy and lady heard one thing from behind them. Then to their aspect. Then the opposite aspect.”
Rae glanced behind her. Then rapidly to the left, then the best.
“Then, the unusual being rose from the pumpkin patch to its full top proper in entrance of them.”
Rae knelt down and slowly rose up.
“It towered over the younger boy and lady. Scared, they hugged one another for consolation.”
Rae leaned ahead, appeared round in any respect the youngsters, and in a gradual, low, rumbling voice mentioned,
“Have you ever been a very good boy and a very good lady?”
“Nonetheless scared, they nodded rapidly,” which Rae simulated with eyes large, which bought laughs from the adults and some of the youngsters.
“The unusual being then straightened, with one hand reached behind its again, after which pulled one thing out.”
Rae reached behind her again.
“It held its skeletal-like hand out to them with a nod.”
Rae held her hand in like a claw and reached out earlier than her.
“Confused, the boy and lady held out their fingers, and the unusual being dropped sweet into their fingers.”
“Good boys and good ladies are rewarded with sweet,” Rae mentioned once more within the deep voice.
“Then, in a flash, it was gone.”
Rae flashed her fingers out.
Lots of the youngsters clapped, just a few needed extra, others had questions. All of the adults applauded.
Sean performed a light-weight and pleasant tune.
Nightfall was rapidly approaching. Regardless of the youngsters’s protests, lots of the adults took their youngsters residence to mattress. Some can be again later to affix within the competition themselves.
It was good to see the youngsters of their costumes, smiling and laughing.
The competition started to wind down simply wanting midnight. Some had packed their belongings and headed for residence. Those that lived in 4 Corners made their technique to their shelters.
Billy mentioned they have been going to hitch up the flatbed and saddle the horses and can be able to go in ten or fifteen minutes.
Jack requested those that nonetheless remained across the bonfire to boost their drinks and take a second to consider these we had misplaced over the previous yr. Solely the sound of the hearth may very well be heard because the second of silence unfold. After a second, Sean raised his mug of beer and mentioned merely,
“Cheers.”
Others responded.
“Salute,” Jack mentioned.
A number of mentioned silent prayers.
A couple of minutes later, Billy returned. It was time to go residence.
Entry three
Properly, Diary, it seems I’ve come to the tip of my first Composition ebook. I’m considerably shocked I stuffed the entire thing! We’ve come a great distance since these first days. Our neighborhood. 4 Corners. Even me.
What’s going to the subsequent yr carry? I really feel each optimistic and a way of foreboding on the similar time.
Diary, see you within the subsequent pocket book!
About 1stMarineJarHead
1stMarineJarHead isn’t solely a former Marine, but additionally a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter.
He presently resides within the nice white (i.e. snowy) Northeast along with his spouse and canine. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, often hogs, cows and generally geese. He grows numerous veggies and has a bizarre fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys studying, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, goal capturing, and is presently increasing his woodworking expertise.
