It's October now and it's been a year since the power went out. We have canned or dehydrated everything we could get out of the garden. from foraging and from butchering some of our livestock. The guys have been adding to our larder by hunting and fishing. John, Dave and the guys went one day to the damn and came back with 8 large king salmons. Mike is smoking three of them and we are canning the rest. I have learned to eat fish, while not one of my favorite foods I can eat it now. I never would eat fish before but you have to learn to be more open to things you would not do before. Life is a lot different now. Better in some ways not so much in others.
We are going to have a Halloween party for all the neighborhood kids. One of the neighbors got a bushel of apples from a farmer and a group of us ladies are going to make carmel apples and candy apples. We are also making cookies and popcorn balls for the kids. There is going to be a contest for the best home made costume, apple dunking contest, and a pumpkin decorating contest. Most of us in the neighbor hood grew pumpkins this year because I had enough seeds to share. We are going to let each kid have one pumpkin to decorate how every they wish. A lot of us are using old clothes and fallen leaves to make scarecrows. It going to be a real home made Halloween and fall harvest celebration. Two neighbors have volenteered their lawn tractors to give the kids hay rides. We are going to use ours to. A bunch of the men in the neighborhood went on a scavenger hunt and found enough junk to build three wagons to pull behind the lawn tractors. One neighbor was able to get some hay bales to put on the wagons. The kids are going to love it.
Some one came up with the idea of making game booths and having a real harvest fair to go along with the Halloween celebration so booths are being made. Prizes for the booths will be homemade candy and other small items that can be made by hand. Word has gotten out our plans to other neighborhoods and they are wanting to join in and are offering to make booths, prizes and items for the kids to collect. So now the celebration is being moved to the school yard that is just a block from our house. Some of the area farmers have found out about the planned celebration so they are bring corn for a corn roast, more apples for people to make their own carmel apples, and their wives are making pies, cakes, pickles, bread and fresh made jelly to have to eat.
The celebration has seemed to taken on a life of it's own. As word is spreading and more farmers are finding out about it they are offering donations as long as they can come to the celebration to. One farmer offered a whole beef for roasting. Two more farmers have offered pigs for roasting. One farmer hearing about the pumpkin decorating contest is bringing a load of pumpkins so none of the kids get left out of the contest. All kinds of candy and treats are being made and tables will be set up for the kids to actually get to trick or treat. They are going to love that. We have also decided to have a swap trade. People are allowed to bring things they no longer want and try to trade them for some thing they want or need. I have no idea how that is going to go.
Today a bunch of the men in town are down at the school yard digging pits in the sandy area to place the firepits for roasting the beef, pigs and corn. Torches are being placed on the chain link fence that encloses the whole school yard to light up the night. There are plans for a softball game between some of the area farmers and the towns men. Horse shoe games are being set up and scarecrows, corn stalks and carved pumpkins are being set up all around the school to decorate for Halloween. We even have fresh garden produce such as apples, gourds and more coming in for fall decorations. What started out as a simple block party has now transformed into a town celebration. Since a lot of us are worried about leaving our homes people are bringing in horses and rural and town folks alike will be riding the horses around town during the celebration to make sure the homes are safe. No one will be on guard duty the whole time. There is enough people to take turns so everyone can enjoy the celebration.
The whole community is excited about the celebration. It's all the talk in town. I hope everything goes well. The kids are going to get their very first old fashion harvest fall festival and Halloween celebration. Some thing only the older adults remember from their childhoods. I am 56 and I can barely remember them from my childhood as they fell out of favor when I was a small child. Once the candy companies started commercializing Halloween it was never the same again. And true fall harvest fesitivals were all but forgotten.
I feel like a kid again and am eagerly awaiting tomorrow and the start of the celebration.
We are going to have a Halloween party for all the neighborhood kids. One of the neighbors got a bushel of apples from a farmer and a group of us ladies are going to make carmel apples and candy apples. We are also making cookies and popcorn balls for the kids. There is going to be a contest for the best home made costume, apple dunking contest, and a pumpkin decorating contest. Most of us in the neighbor hood grew pumpkins this year because I had enough seeds to share. We are going to let each kid have one pumpkin to decorate how every they wish. A lot of us are using old clothes and fallen leaves to make scarecrows. It going to be a real home made Halloween and fall harvest celebration. Two neighbors have volenteered their lawn tractors to give the kids hay rides. We are going to use ours to. A bunch of the men in the neighborhood went on a scavenger hunt and found enough junk to build three wagons to pull behind the lawn tractors. One neighbor was able to get some hay bales to put on the wagons. The kids are going to love it.
Some one came up with the idea of making game booths and having a real harvest fair to go along with the Halloween celebration so booths are being made. Prizes for the booths will be homemade candy and other small items that can be made by hand. Word has gotten out our plans to other neighborhoods and they are wanting to join in and are offering to make booths, prizes and items for the kids to collect. So now the celebration is being moved to the school yard that is just a block from our house. Some of the area farmers have found out about the planned celebration so they are bring corn for a corn roast, more apples for people to make their own carmel apples, and their wives are making pies, cakes, pickles, bread and fresh made jelly to have to eat.
The celebration has seemed to taken on a life of it's own. As word is spreading and more farmers are finding out about it they are offering donations as long as they can come to the celebration to. One farmer offered a whole beef for roasting. Two more farmers have offered pigs for roasting. One farmer hearing about the pumpkin decorating contest is bringing a load of pumpkins so none of the kids get left out of the contest. All kinds of candy and treats are being made and tables will be set up for the kids to actually get to trick or treat. They are going to love that. We have also decided to have a swap trade. People are allowed to bring things they no longer want and try to trade them for some thing they want or need. I have no idea how that is going to go.
Today a bunch of the men in town are down at the school yard digging pits in the sandy area to place the firepits for roasting the beef, pigs and corn. Torches are being placed on the chain link fence that encloses the whole school yard to light up the night. There are plans for a softball game between some of the area farmers and the towns men. Horse shoe games are being set up and scarecrows, corn stalks and carved pumpkins are being set up all around the school to decorate for Halloween. We even have fresh garden produce such as apples, gourds and more coming in for fall decorations. What started out as a simple block party has now transformed into a town celebration. Since a lot of us are worried about leaving our homes people are bringing in horses and rural and town folks alike will be riding the horses around town during the celebration to make sure the homes are safe. No one will be on guard duty the whole time. There is enough people to take turns so everyone can enjoy the celebration.
The whole community is excited about the celebration. It's all the talk in town. I hope everything goes well. The kids are going to get their very first old fashion harvest fall festival and Halloween celebration. Some thing only the older adults remember from their childhoods. I am 56 and I can barely remember them from my childhood as they fell out of favor when I was a small child. Once the candy companies started commercializing Halloween it was never the same again. And true fall harvest fesitivals were all but forgotten.
I feel like a kid again and am eagerly awaiting tomorrow and the start of the celebration.