Halloween / All Saints Day

“Linda, would you like to join me tomorrow in giving out candy this Halloween?”  I asked my former late neighbor a few years ago on Halloween Eve as she was walking her wonderful Labrador retriever dog, “Stormy,” in our neighborhood.
 
“Sure,” Linda noted, and I told her we could set up our table in front of our house, across the street from her, to greet the kiddies coming by for candy.
 
“And we need to be prepared for doggy treats too!” ... I noted to Linda for the frolicking fun! - including for “Stormy,” whom I love to take walks with for you when you are out of town!”
 
Lately, with more folks seemingly having pets than kids, we also made sure to have some of these goodies which the canines seemed to relish!
 
“Okay, I'll bring us a bunch of those that Stormy loves!” Linda blurted out.
 
“And I'll have some Merlot Wine for us,” I added, “as well as some mosquito repellent, as those 'squitoes have been tough lately – even with fall starting and those mosquito abatement spraying trucks making their weekly treks through our neighborhood!”
 
As I walked away from Linda, I couldn't help but recall a song that I had made up for my kids many years ago to note about when we would hear an approaching parish vehicle near our house spraying to keep those biting pests away:
 
“Here comes the man with the flashing light … he's gonna spray so we don't get a bite!”
 
One of our kids once told me later, when he was in his late teens, that he really thought that there was a “mosquito-like man" alive at that time!
 
Sometimes, when I still take my daily evening walks in the hood, I've had to dart away into someone's neighborhood driveway as I'd hear the approaching mosquito man coming with dat Malathion mosquito foger going … which makes that eerie humming sound!
 
At times, I would tease our kids around Halloween time with exaggerating the sound that we would hear in our neighborhood when that “humming sound” associated with the abatement trucks would be heard.
 
So back to my story with Linda … the next day after work, I made sure to get home on time to prepare for the official time when you were supposed to “Trick or Treat,” which was 6 – 8 p.m. in our parish.
 
It was fun to see all the weird and varied costumes out and about as we gave out candy to people and dogs alike!
 
One of the dogs even had a mosquito monster theme!
 
That night, Linda and I made some fun Merlot toasts to all the folks who came by our table .... and now, I make a toast to Linda:
 
"Linda (who died a few years ago), we all miss ya, Bob your brother, Stormy and all your family … and on the day after Halloween, like a true 'Yat, I'll honor you, on All Saints Day!"