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Happy Sunday & Welcome to October

Autumn Landscape
Charles Rondeau (publicdomainpictures.net)

 

Happy Sunday everyone. Summer officially came to an end with the Autumnal Equinox  back in September. Some areas, in particular in the American Northeast are seeing the fall colors in full bloom. So much so in some cases that people are traveling long distances to see them in sometimes remote locations, small towns, and often to the distress of locals their own property. A few small towns have decided to limit traffic into their areas due to the large crowds trampling about, causing delays in traffic, and since their are no toilers nearby some choose to relieve themselves in private land.

In most areas signs of Autumn and Halloween are everywhere. Houses are being decorated, pumpkins are being carved, spooky hayrides are taking places, and Haunted Houses are open. That perennial favorite-the Headless Horseman-is supposedly making appearances as well. But appearances of the next holiday season-Christmas-are also being seen. My local grocery store already has the Christmas decorations out and set up displays to merchandise for the holiday. The minute Halloween is over, those items go into the sale bin and replaced. But for the moment we can enjoy the fall even though in some places it is still hot as summer.

October Information

October is the 10th month on the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Under the old Roman calendar this was the eighth month and retained its name. October in the Northern Hemisphere begins the full transition to Autumn while in the Southern Hemisphere it is Spring.

Autumn harvests are underway this month with apples, artichokes, cranberries, pears, and pumpkins becoming widely available in many areas. Pumpkins are important this time of year as decorations and the source for pumpkin pie and delicious roasted pumpkin seeds. Oktoberfest is a major event in Munich, Germany but has spread into Europe, the United States and South America. It began in 1810 to honor a Bavarian royal wedding and now is in many places like a carnival with rides, lots of German themed food and of course beer. Beer of all kinds, especially craft beers find their ways to such events to be judged. Octoberfest usually goes from mid-September to October (it used to end on the first Sunday in October) but it usually goes on later these days. One figure estimates the consumption of beer to be around 1.85 million gallons (7 million liters) of beer. Now that is a lot of beer!

Daylight Savings Time comes to an end in Australia and Europe this month. In the United States, that will occur on the first Sunday in November. Though legislation was passed in the U.S. Senate to change to Daylight Savings Time for the entire year, the House of Representatives did not pass it due to multiple objections. So the United States will remain on using both Standard and Daylight Savings Time.

What used to be a day to prepare for the feast of All Saints Day now has morphed into an event primarily for children to put on masks and ask neighbors for a treat. Haunted House exhibits are open, hayrides through a haunted landscape, and of course scary movies to watch. We get the obligatory Halloween themed commercials and lots of scary themed promos. Many parents opt to have simpler old fashioned celebration with friends and children assembling for food, entertainment, and of course hearing very spooky stories.

First Sunday in Autumn

Autumn Landscape
Charles Rondeau (publicdomainpictures.net)

Summer is gone and Autumn has officially begun here in the northern hemisphere.  The hot breath of summer is still blazing in many places though. Once again Death Valley topped out on Saturday at 107?F (41? C) with a low of 20?F (-6? C) at both Bodie, CA and near Mackay, ID.

Bodie is today a ghost town but started in 1859 as a mining camp. The discovery of gold would lead to a boom in 1876 and by 1879 its population was somewhere between 7,000-10,000. The boom lasted until around 1880. Then the discovery of gold elsewhere began drawing people away. The mines kept producing gold and a smaller community thrived in the town for many years. Most who stayed did so because they wanted to settle down. By 1910 the population was 698. The city newspaper folded in 1912. The Standard Consolidation Mine was closed in 1913, was bought up and reopened and for a while made some profit. It was not enough to stop the decline though. In 1917 the Bodie Railway stopped running and the last mine closed in 1942. The 1920 census showed a population of 120. People would still live there until after the end of WW II, but it was mostly a ghost town. In 1961 Bodie was declared a National Historic Landmark and the following year the Bodie State Historic Park was created. Today you can visit the once boom town and see, from the existing and surviving buildings, what it was like back in the late 19th century to live in a Gold Rush boom town.

With October coming up soon, Halloween decorations are appearing along with the usual Halloween themed commercials on television. With the fall harvest comes the change in produce. More apples appear since they are harvested in late summer and early fall. Artichokes, cranberries, pears, and pumpkins are also available during this time. In areas with lots of wineries, grapes are harvested for both wine and table use. No more grapes from Chile!

Photo:David Wagner(publicdomainpictures.net)

Although Covid restrictions have eased, supply issues and higher costs means a lot of Halloween candy and other items are more expensive this year than before. This may lead families doing simpler Halloween activities. There was something to be said about dunking for apples, caramel covered apples, roasting pumpkin seeds and making lots of popcorn. And with a lot of cleverness, you can make easy decorations without having to buy them at the store. Many people are relearning how their great-grandparents got through the Great Depression by keeping costs low and at the same time keeping their families fed.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

WELCOME TO FIRST SUNDAY OF AUTUMN

Autumn Landscape
Charles Rondeau (publicdomainpictures.net)

Summer is now gone and Autumn has officially begun here in the northern hemisphere. Summer is still throwing its hot breath though in many places. On Saturday it was a blazing 107 in Death Valley, CA while the low was 27 at Estcourt Station in Maine.  Be sure to click and read the article about that border town in Maine. Not unlike those who live in Point Roberts in Washington state but not as bad. The town is at the southern tip of the Tsawwassen peninsula, 25 miles south of Vancouver. While you can travel by air or ferry to Washington state, you have to cross an international boundary (twice) by car.  You have to cross into Canada and then enter the U.S. at Blaine, Washington (and then in reverse going back).

Already signs of the seasons are appearing in stores.  Halloween decorations are starting to appear along with boxes of costumes, food, and related items. Sadly because of Covid-19 restrictions, Halloween will be a less festive affair in many places. Halloween parties will be discouraged, trick or treat limited (probably people putting candy out on tables so you do not need to come to door). Candy makers are not expecting sales to be as high as last year. Expect them to say it means more candy for you! I guess many will have Zoom Halloween parties this year.

That means my old favorite, the Headless Horseman, will have fewer heads to stalk for.  Not to worry though, he probably will branch out to major cities where a lot of people are out on the streets protesting these days. Haunted Houses sadly will be limited in some areas but now will be virtual. Or parents might get creative and set up scary spots in their homes. Perhaps the old treat of roasted pumpkin seeds might make a come back. Trust me. The smell of pumpkin seeds roasting will make the kids want them.

Have a nice Sunday everyone.