Wednesday 31st October 2018

All Hallows Eve (USA, Canada, and rest of the world after 1990. Not Chez Jelltex).

I have no problem with Halloween, I mean really, it was a story arc on my Scooby Doo episodes, and Hollywood films, but for the young Jelltex, growing up in deepest coastal Suffolk, it was a mystery how this apparently ordinary autumnal day could be so magical. At least in America.

I moved to Germany. Or rather I was posted, married to a Catholic, and found that All Saints Day was a thing too, and this was linked to Halloween. Who knew? Not me.

Since then, trick or treaters have been seen in the areas I have lived, even if I have never, never, gave out anything other than apologies when kids knocked on my front door.

Now we live along what I could describe as a street for mature people, in that there are no young families along here, just people my age and older. So, no trick or treaters, no pumpkins carved. Nothing Nada.

Just the football on the radio, if I stay awake.

Before then there was, well, the working day, starting with breakfast, coffee, second breakfast, putting the office together and actual work. While outside the sun shone brightly, and the sunshine was warm, so warm it made the house warm enough to warrant me opening a window to allow some cool air in.

The cats were out all day, saw nothing of them, and no small songbirds were harmed in the production of stuff for the whole day.

Yay.

And that is pretty much it. Other than I went for a walk. You know, one foot in front of the other, step after step after step. Right to the end of our street, over the fields to Fleet House, past the Pig's Copse and to the top of The Dip.

Nothing really other than some fresh air, and to see if the Dip was passable as I have to go to the doctors on Friday, and so that way might not be too clever.

I saw no butterflies, dragonflies and only a couple of birds. A few flowers were clinging on, keeping the summer alive.

I walk back, into the setting sun, already low in the sky at half three in the afternoon, it set less than an hour later and was dark by five.

7 I make dinner; breaded chicken, corn and some rice. I flavour the rice with some tikka curry powder and is a resounding success, we might have to add tikka powder to everything now. Except a cuppa.

Of course.

More footy in the evening on the radio. And ice cream. Perfect really.