On Hallowe'en I rushed out at lunchtime to buy things, and rushed home after work to do things. All the rushing was accompanied by a wheezy cough, but hey, it meant that by 6pm I had some Beastly Bats on the window (but not in the belfry), and parcels waiting for any trick-or-treaters who might turn up -- big flouncy black-and-purple parcels (binbag and tissue-paper) tied up with a gold-ish ribbon. Inside the parcels were a few of these scary beasties:



Plus a couple of handfuls of monkey nuts, some sugar-free "Cyber Chews", some mini-Pringles, and a silly plastic snake.

I think four sets of T&T'ers turned up in the end: from the two embarrassed-sounding teens in scream masks, to the two tiny boys dressed as vampires (with their dad hovering nervously in the background). My favourites, though, were two other tinies who both shouted "Thank you!" when I gave them their parcel, but then as they walked away, one of them said reprovingly to the other, "You didn't say 'thank you!'" (though I'm sure she did) ... at which she turned round and shouted "Thank you!" again, just to be sure.

No tricks, though, and no unpleasantness; just a few giggles and a few snacks (of which I'll gladly eat the unused remainder). And hopefully now a few of the local kids know that the weird woman at number 61 is not actually very scary, though she does have this weird habit of wearing her Hallowe'en clothes at other times of year as well.