Hi ho, MMMLogerinos!

The Rain Festival Is Upon Us
And I'm in a grey, watery hell. There's water standing around the perimeter of the back yard that refuses to "flow" away since it's already flowed into our yard from the neighbors' yards. We'd planted a filbert nut tree in the wetish corner but on top of a Cahokia type mound--yes, those past life skills do come in handy. There's a growing moat around the mound. Think I'll go buy some water lilies . . .

Halloween '05 Is Dead and Gone
The DH and MMMMM did Halloween treats differently this year. We didn't buy candy and decided that if we were going to get stuck with a bunch of no-no stuff, we'd not go the sugar route. We bought a flat of individual-size bags of chips. The DH put his own righteous spin on our choice and told his sister that we weren't doing candy--too much sugar for the dear little ones. She hoohaaed greatly and informed him that we'd chosen instead to clog their little arteries with trans fatty acids instead. Oh yeah!

The Rain Festival actually started yesterday, as it always does for Seattle's Trick-or-Treaters, who were late in arriving last evening. Probably because they were hoping for that break in the weather that the weather liars had trick forecast. So, our first T-O-Ters were older kids who went into paroxysms of glee about getting Doritos instead of Smartees. They were also each carrying big beach umbrellas, which was a very good idea given the copious wet stuff drenching them.

I had to restrain the Airedale at each ring of the doorbell, which seems to be attached directly to her butt like a Pavolovian dog. When I opened the door with the Airedale pawing the air (I had her by the collar), the tiny little girl in a rat suit froze and her dad pulled her back. I told them to wait while I put the dog in the garage because no way was the Airedale, bred to catch rats, was gonna let that tasty treat get away. Later, another rodent-costumed child wouldn't come up the steps. Her parent said she was frightened of the four foot lump by the door, thinking that something evil was hiding there. (I'd turned the fountain off and covered it with green towels so that kids wouldn't treat themselves to the many pretty stones surrounding the jar or grab a quick drink of the bubbling water which is very chlorinated. In fact, when I removed the towels they were bleached out wherever the water had touched them.)

Treat Critics Abound . . .
Okay, yeah, she came around this year, taller, still as stoic, that curmudgeon masquerading as a seven year old kid. Last year I gave out gummy fangs that everyone loved. But when I'd put fangs in her pumpkin and she promptly handed it right back to me with a, "I don't like that!" Then turned and left with her parent. Last night she was equally unimpressed. "Why are you giving out chips?" she complained. "Because they're cool!" was all I could think of to say. While she didn't refuse them, she gave me the Uh-huh look and left. I have to say that I fear for next year. She'll be back and she'll be older. Oh. My. I don't know what I'm going to do . . .

Ciao, Ciao, MMMMMMMMMMMMelinda