halloween gonna hurt this year

When I lived in NY State, we had an average of 80-100 come to the house every year. Since moving to this place in NC, if we have 2 or 3 it's a big year and all from other homes on this street. We've had zero in the past 5 years. All of the ones from the street are full grown and gone now. My driveway is about 600' long and the house faces the lake and not the street, so even if I turn the lights on nobody on the street can see them.

One year, back in NY, my kids used some of my old clothes to make a scarecrow to put on the front lawn. Halloween night just as it was getting dark, I took the scarecrow into the garage and put the clothes on, with an old undershirt over my face with a face painted on it that had been on the scarecrow, but I cut eye holes in it before putting it on. I used some of the straw from the scarecrow to stuff in the ends of my coat sleeves to make me look more like him and wore the same gloves. The scarecrow had a straw hat on, so I put that on too and went out and sat down on the lawn next to the sidewalk where the scarecrow had been. Then I waited for the fun to start.

One group came up the street and somebody said "that sure is a real looking scarecrow", but another said I wasn't, so they went on up to the door. I got up and followed them. When they got their candy from my wife, a little guy turned around first and saw me. He started yelling and jumping up and down. Then the others saw me and they all started flying off the porch in every direction possible.

I went back to sitting on the lawn. Others came by and were treated to the same surprise. Then my neighbor's wife came with her two kids, and all three had seen the scarecrow sitting there every day for about 2 weeks, but when they started past me I stood up. They all yelled and headed for home, so I chased them. She let go of the kids and it was everyone for themselves from that point on. I chased them to their front door, and then laughed all the way back to my lawn position.

It was a fun night, and I heard about it through my kids who's friends I had scared, but also from my neighbor and his wife several times when we got together after that. I nearly froze, sitting on the wet ground for 4 hours, but had a lot of fun doing it.

Another Halloween night, my oldest son of about 15, rigged a photocell on one side of the porch with a light beam from the other side. Whenever someone stepped through the light it set off a
Klaxon horn (think buzzer used for basketball games) in the side of the porch trellis at ear level.
It scared everyone that came to the door. Later, about 9:30 PM, when there were less coming to the house, my wife took our kids across town to visit friends, so I was left alone to hand out candy to any late arrivals. I was watching TV when the buzzer went off. I got up and picked up the bowl of candy, then opened the door, and the poor young woman with little girl in hand was still coming down, she had jumped so high. The little girl was noticeably scared too, but I guess too afraid to run. I gave them both extra candy. Then I turned the lights off after they had reached the street.

Charley
 
One year, back in NY, my kids used some of my old clothes to make a scarecrow to put on the front lawn. Halloween night just as it was getting dark, I took the scarecrow into the garage and put the clothes on, with an old undershirt over my face with a face painted on it that had been on the scarecrow, but I cut eye holes in it before putting it on.

Good thing you didn't run into a crow :O

1667089228429.png
 
When I lived in NY State, we had an average of 80-100 come to the house every year. Since moving to this place in NC, if we have 2 or 3 it's a big year and all from other homes on this street. We've had zero in the past 5 years. All of the ones from the street are full grown and gone now. My driveway is about 600' long and the house faces the lake and not the street, so even if I turn the lights on nobody on the street can see them.

One year, back in NY, my kids used some of my old clothes to make a scarecrow to put on the front lawn. Halloween night just as it was getting dark, I took the scarecrow into the garage and put the clothes on, with an old undershirt over my face with a face painted on it that had been on the scarecrow, but I cut eye holes in it before putting it on. I used some of the straw from the scarecrow to stuff in the ends of my coat sleeves to make me look more like him and wore the same gloves. The scarecrow had a straw hat on, so I put that on too and went out and sat down on the lawn next to the sidewalk where the scarecrow had been. Then I waited for the fun to start.

One group came up the street and somebody said "that sure is a real looking scarecrow", but another said I wasn't, so they went on up to the door. I got up and followed them. When they got their candy from my wife, a little guy turned around first and saw me. He started yelling and jumping up and down. Then the others saw me and they all started flying off the porch in every direction possible.

I went back to sitting on the lawn. Others came by and were treated to the same surprise. Then my neighbor's wife came with her two kids, and all three had seen the scarecrow sitting there every day for about 2 weeks, but when they started past me I stood up. They all yelled and headed for home, so I chased them. She let go of the kids and it was everyone for themselves from that point on. I chased them to their front door, and then laughed all the way back to my lawn position.

It was a fun night, and I heard about it through my kids who's friends I had scared, but also from my neighbor and his wife several times when we got together after that. I nearly froze, sitting on the wet ground for 4 hours, but had a lot of fun doing it.

Another Halloween night, my oldest son of about 15, rigged a photocell on one side of the porch with a light beam from the other side. Whenever someone stepped through the light it set off a
Klaxon horn (think buzzer used for basketball games) in the side of the porch trellis at ear level.
It scared everyone that came to the door. Later, about 9:30 PM, when there were less coming to the house, my wife took our kids across town to visit friends, so I was left alone to hand out candy to any late arrivals. I was watching TV when the buzzer went off. I got up and picked up the bowl of candy, then opened the door, and the poor young woman with little girl in hand was still coming down, she had jumped so high. The little girl was noticeably scared too, but I guess too afraid to run. I gave them both extra candy. Then I turned the lights off after they had reached the street.

Charley


a few years back my great nephew through marriage was around 13. they were here on a halloween that fell on a saturday. his little sister came here to trick or treat with all the small kids on the block.
but my great nephew had on a scream mask with the long black robe. I have 2 adirondack chairs in front of my house next to my front door. we put a michael myers dummy with mask and all on one chair. he sat still, stone still in the other chair.....when older kids came once it got dark, as they walked by him, hed jump up and some of them were so scared......but they all loved every second of it....they were taking p;ics with him on his lap, hugging him....everyone had a great time.

this is the first year I will get to take my grandson around to a few people we know during the day, since they start coming here around 5 ish.

hes a fireman this year. all my treats are laid out on the table this year....my wife and sisterinlaw make fun of me....how I lay everything out and its 2 days early.

i dont expect a b ig rush this year.....if temps keep it warm enough maybe 100=150? we could end up with 25 also, we never know, but it seems as soon as the parents get home4 from work they start coming out in b ig groups.....
The school did not have a parade this year nor did I go into my daughters class to hand out treats.
we were there yesterday with the baby and they lket him p;ick out a pumpkin....the pta buys pumpkins for every kid in school and during their lunch break they go into the p;umpkin patch to get one.....I offered to p;ay, but they wanted no p;art of that......they knew I donated alot of wooden dogs and wooden flowers this year for fundraisers. and Ive donated many cutting boards over the years that were added into baskets as p;art of raffles.


I grew up in farmingdale NY when I was a kid. in the 60s, we used to get freshly baked cookies , cup;cakes, we go in to homes, theyd hand out milk , homemade candy apples, and assorted homemade foods
those days are gone forever in our new world......they are never coming back......but it was always my favorite holiday and I was never a b ig candy lover.....
 
Well I'm ready for the kiddies

Since I'm too cheap to spend money on expensive Halloween decorations
I have an 80 foot blacktop driveway which as soon as I finish this large café I'm going to write happy Halloween and draw some pics with sidewalk chalk
Bring em on

My beautiful grandson he will be a fireman prolly mentioned that

The good thing is I found around 20 dozen more bracelets for girls and I still have around 500 hotwheels left
I'm good for a few years
Candy is always an option for bigger kids
 

Attachments

  • 29387C58-84FB-4E5B-A00E-CBA88D05BE30.jpeg
    29387C58-84FB-4E5B-A00E-CBA88D05BE30.jpeg
    160.9 KB · Views: 18
  • 109C4452-0BAB-4BD1-B7B5-97BDE8676ECB.jpeg
    109C4452-0BAB-4BD1-B7B5-97BDE8676ECB.jpeg
    209 KB · Views: 18
  • 2C2E2D8C-A26D-45D9-99C4-98BABA68CF33.jpeg
    2C2E2D8C-A26D-45D9-99C4-98BABA68CF33.jpeg
    350.4 KB · Views: 18
I do remember. My grand daughter Abby was mentioning that a few months ago


My next trip I will have better quality goodies as the kids grow they like better stuff
There's no where to park in Manhattan anymore
Tolls are crazy and I think there is now a 23 dollar charge or they are trying to vote it in for congestion pricing coming into the city during peak hours
Add on 40 bucks to park for 2 hours it's an expensive excursion to look for goodies
Plus I don't have a carry permit anymore and nyc has become a cesspool so I'll have to carry a bat with me since I'm too fat to fight
 
My next trip I will have better quality goodies as the kids grow they like better stuff
There's no where to park in Manhattan anymore
Tolls are crazy and I think there is now a 23 dollar charge or they are trying to vote it in for congestion pricing coming into the city during peak hours
Add on 40 bucks to park for 2 hours it's an expensive excursion to look for goodies
Plus I don't have a carry permit anymore and nyc has become a cesspool so I'll have to carry a bat with me since I'm too fat to fight
Those tolls, etc. are crazy!
As for the bat - don't forget to throw in a ball and glove so when you get stopped they won't accuse you of carrying the bat just as a weapon.
 
he refused to put on his firemans costume this morning when we went onto local ave where stores are and my coffee and bagel store is.
i tried to explain if he had on his costume he will get candy. he was a very unhappy camper this morning......the boy needed his nap. but his cutemess got him a bag full of cany anyway, no costume.
so his breakfast was an avacado, a buttered bagel, and a twix bar.he finished the twix bar...but we wont tell his momma
hes napping so I think he will be in a b etter mood soon and then we will hit the trick or treat houses.

babysitting a 2 y/o is the hardest job Ive ever had in my life.
 
I got yelled at for giving him a Twix bar for breakfast so for lunch I made sure he had some protein and gave him some Swedish fish

75 kids so far

And he left here and went trick treating with his cousins and their cousins
The kid likes to party
 

Attachments

  • 5D2E3675-2E6E-4784-96AB-51D45F52174E.jpeg
    5D2E3675-2E6E-4784-96AB-51D45F52174E.jpeg
    190.3 KB · Views: 9
  • 8BD98E0E-B05C-48E1-A065-4BCC8BD622A5.jpeg
    8BD98E0E-B05C-48E1-A065-4BCC8BD622A5.jpeg
    235.7 KB · Views: 9
Last edited:
babysitting a 2 y/o is the hardest job Ive ever had in my life.
Back in my first marriage after my son was born and was about 2 years old or so... the wife decided that in order for her to stay home, we should open an in home day care... we licensed and opened up... since I worked a night shift guess who did most of the baby sitting, then the wife went back to work and guess who had a day care center. I had an occasion where I needed to go to the airport for something, but had 4 or 5 toddlers between about 2 and 4.... bundled them all up, drove to the airport, got all of them out of the car and onto the crew bus to get across the tarmac to the terminal... herding a flock of toddlers is much like herding a flock of geese.... get behind them and try to keep them all in a group... :bonkers:
 
160=170 all together.....after 7 it was mostly large groups of early teens, but they still like candy and bracelets.im glad to see the older kids b ack out again since covid seems they all dissappeared. and it was in the 60s today.
 
Top