Dear Reader:

Isn’t it hard to believe that a whole new month is upon us? Since I love Autumn… I want to freeze/frame this month.

October left yesterday taking Jack o’lanterns with it… but leaving pumpkins; witches and ghosts flew away leaving bright colored happy mums and leaves… and soft heavy sweaters. Traces of summer weather begins to vanish leaving warm crackling fires behind. The tug of war between summer and winter is now felt more strongly on the winter’s team .

Flossie, one of the young characters, in the book I am reading ( The Whalebone Theater) describes a November in England-” There is a kind of skitteryness about November. It is a month both ominous and nervous. The crisp displays of October, all its smart oranges and yellows, have been spoiled and scattered about as November rushes in, dragging winter behind it like a trail of rattling cans. ”

In the Lowcountry we are blessed to keep more October autumn-like weather than impatient encroaching winter weather-like our states to the north… or Flossie’s English weather.

It is time to turn our thoughts to thankfulness and giving-the cornucopia feast is coming. And what helped preserve the corn or maize for this famous dinner? Scarecrows!

That’s right… Squanto not only showed the pilgrims what to plant together( like the Three Sisters) but how to keep the scavengers away!

Native-Americans, like the Creek natives in Georgia and South Carolina , literally moved into their straw huts to live within the fields to scare off crows and other threats to their livelihood or males would build tall wooden platforms to scream and jump in the midst of the flocks… trying to eat the sugar from corn. The pilgrims began taking night watches to do the same… but soon the idea evolved into making straw or wooden characters instead… they were called scarecrows or bird scarers.

Scarecrows go back in history as far as the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman empires. Even though materials changed in their making -the basic idea is something scary in the fields to ward off predators-the difference in survival… keeping the plants alive-food!!!

Look at these new computerized ” scarecrows.” They attack with threatening sounds!

Japan uses store mannequins…

So until tomorrow… Let us give thanks on this All Saints Day for those who came before , not to judge, but by example show us the true path!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Actually last night was fun… since I live on the street one down from the club… most of the trick or treaters arrived in parent driven golf carts! My first trick or treaters were these precious two little boys…

But suddenly the street was filled with a caravan of golf carts that appeared to cover up Rainbow Road…for just a moment… I felt like what a scarecrow must feel …when the birds start descending on the fields… Help! I was scared I was going to give out of candy…

Whew! Time’s almost up… think I am going to make it… and speaking of treats -Vickie showed up with this delicious treat-chicken enchilada and fried red rice! What’s a girl to do with this culinary ” Saint” … say Thank you and gobble it up!!!!

After Mollie sent this picture out… the rest of the family had to admit the children looked terrific… but what were they? ( Eloise was Evie from Disney movie-Descendants, Rut was ” Meowscles” from a video game and Lachlan was a ” Halo”character from another video game. The times… they are a’ changing!

It is the first day of November… we all need some good luck this month… so remember first thing today say … ” Rabbit! Rabbit”

The Turners went ” military” this Halloween-a lot of watching Top Gun!

Lights out! Another fun Halloween! ( Psst! Is it just me or do you see some strange blue ” lights” on the porch and steps? )