Maggie was working on another scarecrow. This one was extra special. It was for her garden. She made them for a living, a meager one, but it helped pay the bills. Farmers around these parts didn’t make a whole lot of money. It helped to cushion their winters. She pushed her golden hair back from her eyes and thought about what clothes to put on this scarecrow. Maybe a dress, yes, a dress would be nice. She went to her old clothes drawer and pulled out a flowered dress with a big sash to tie around the dolls tiny waist. Yes, this one was gonna be real special. She didn’t realize how special it was going to be.

It was all Hallow’s Eve, and George came home drunk again. Maggie learned in the past to stay out of the way but tonight she was so emmersed in her project that she wasn’t prepared for his homecoming. George was not a very patient man especially when it came to waiting for his dinner. He also was not happy that she had not prepared for the Halloween party that they were supposed to attend the next night. It was a big hog roast and bonfire at the Wilkins’ farm, and they were supposed to help with the decorations.

George was very unhappy with Maggie. He was really pissed off that she had not prepared his meal and had the nerve to be working on another one of her scarecrows when she should have been fixing his dinner. He had his ways and his ways were the right ways. He knew how to take care of this problem. She was going to be sorry. She was going to be real real sorry.

The next night as the guests all whooped and hollered around the bonfire and ate plates full of the tender roasted hog and other dishes, they all thought the roasted hog tasted especially good, and the scarecrow, with the flowered dress, looked especially realistic. Too bad that Maggie had to go spend the winter with her mother. Too bad they didn’t know she was never coming back. She wasn’t coming back here anyway.

What George wasn’t prepared for was the scarecrow waiting for him at home. This scarecrow looked exactly like the one that he had taken to the hog roast. Only this scarecrow was raising an axe. Funny how things work out. George never had to explain where Maggie was and why she never came back. Because George never lived to tell about it.

As Halloween approaches, the trees have shed their leaves, but jack-o-lanterns have sprouted up on porches and in yards.

Elise and Louis are getting ready to go out trick or treating for candies and other goodies. Elise is dressed as a witch and Louis as Batman. Their mother has made their costumes. She has remembered to use fire-resistant fabric, which is recommended since it is not easily flammable. And despite the fact that the real Batman and a real witch have a cape, Elise and Louis are not wearing one. Pieces of fabric that trail low to the ground ignite easily if they come into contact with decorations that use candles.

Good, they’re ready! Their dad is going with them to make the rounds. They each have a flashlight and their dad will be following closely behind. Before they leave, Mom has a few last minute reminders: watch for cars and look carefully where you’re walking. If your costume catches fire, do what you learned in school: stop, drop to the ground, use your hands to cover your face and roll on the ground to smother the flames. How about a little practice before you leave? Good, the children clearly understand!

While the children and their father are gone, Mother admires the decorations of the neighboring homes and waits for visits from the ghosts and goblins who will surely be stopping by for treats. The neighbor across the street has set up a jack-o-lantern near the front door. He has used a candle to light it from the inside. The flickering flame creates an eerie glow, but danger lurks in the presence of fire! The jack-o-lantern should be placed away from flammable material. Fortunately, the jack-o-lantern is not placed near the bales of straw that decorate the front yard. Mother has decided to use small lights for her decoration and has checked the current capacity of the electrical outlets and extension cords. She has chosen to avoid using candles. What’s more, some children have loose fitting costumes that could catch fire instantly. And although the cat of the house may not be black, it can still bring bad luck if it topples over jack-o-lanterns… so could the wind for that matter!

The neighborhood has truly gone all out this year and everyone has used their imagination: gravestones, witches in trees, ghosts in windows, skeletons, spiders and other traditional ghoulish inspirations. Dried flowers, corn stalks and crepe decorations can be very ornate, but also extremely flammable. If you use them, make sure that they are not placed near flames or heat sources such as light bulbs and indoors, keep them away from electric baseboard heaters.

The front yard of the house at the end of the street is teeming with decorations. Bales of straw and a scarecrow take up most of space on the front doorstep. The owner must be unaware that exits should remain free of decorations or objects that could cause obstruction if the occupants have to flee from their home in a fire. This should be pointed out to him. If a fire starts in all that, he will have good reason to be frightened!

The end of October is also a time when we set our clocks back an hour. This gives us a little bit more time to sleep in the morning. While we are taking the time to change our clocks, we should also check our smoke alarms and battery.

Oh! The goblins are here with their bags. They’re so adorable. You can’t tell them that of course… they’re supposed to be scary!

Happy Halloween!

***NOTE***Be sure to play this Halloween Safety Game with your children to make sure they are being the safest they can be on Halloween.