Just a quick Halloween-themed pic from today, that I really should have had up earlier but other activities took precedent. Once again, this is a marbled orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus) out in the yard, being far too shy for something the size of an acorn that looks like it eats halflings.
The trick-or-treaters have already come and gone, and we did the All Hallows Read thing again this year, to great reception – only one child didn’t seem that delighted to have a book, while the rest were gratifyingly enthusiastic. It says a lot when they hand the candy over to the folks to carry while they clutch their books possessively. I can’t recommend this practice enough, but it’s a lot easier if, like The Girlfriend does, you keep this in mind well before the holiday and collect books from thrift stores and bulk outlets. And the parents all remember us for this, too. It helps make up for the weird guy out at all hours of the day or night, prowling the yard for, you know, spiders and such…