TRICK OR TREATING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

This is the time of the year when kids are given by the parents the chance to indulge in all the sweetness in the world. Candies and chocolates and everything that is sweet, including their colorful and scary costumes.

In my neighborhood, the tr eaters starts ringing the doorbell after school at around 4:00pm. Kids will be coming to the neighborhood, running and sweating because they have been walking to so many blocks in the neighborhood, carrying their heavy load of their goodies and treats that they have received from the neighborhood.

The police department will issue a bulletin telling all the neighborhood, if they will participate in giving treats to the children to turn on their porch light or the garage lights and have the security door open so that the children could come to the houses and ring the doorbells. The children has been advised in advanced from the school, that if they will be going to neighborhood and it is already dark, they have to be accompanied by an adult or their parents. Children are also being given in formations and lectures never to accept any open candies and those goodies that they think are already opened and seems to have been tampered with. Parents are also being asked to check the treats their children have received.

The children with an adult or their parents when going around the neighborhood and if its already dark, to carry flashlights and something to be reflective so the motorists could see them. The motorists are being asked to look after the children and not to drive fast. Likewise, the children has been advised thru the school that the Trick and Treating is only from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. At 7:00pm, the homes and houses will turn off their porch lights and garage lights to signal that this is the end of the Trick or Treating.

My neighbor from across my house is the favourite place to visit by the children. They have a big bell at the porch of their house and each children to receive the treat that they needed had to ring the bell hard so that the entire street block could hear it. It was a nice thing for the children to do. Another neighbor of mine is a dentist and instead of giving out candies and chocolates, he is giving away toothbrushes. Some gives out pencil or crayolas and coloring book. Whatever one might think will be liken by the children. I go for the traditional sweets of candies and chocolates.

And so Auntie Patti Koh, the celebration has ended, there are some teenagers that goes around the neighborhood with the traditional eggs that has to be thrown and shaving cream that they spray to their friends. It was a very nice and festive occasion. I love to see the children having fun.

Wish you have seen it.

Sincerely Yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM

WHY ARE THEY STILL HERE IN THIS COLD PLACE???

This is the south fork of the Deerfield river that will join the Chicago River.

Dear Auntie Pattie Koh,

The sun finally showed up this afternoon and it was not so cold yet, so I went inside the forest preserve by the river and I saw all these geese. I cannot understand why they have not left and flown to some place warm in the Southern States. I guess even the fowls are confused with what is happening with the weather.

I was also confused about the weather in my place. October is supposed to be cold and windy, but the weather is changing and last week we have 70 degrees weather and some people are wearing their shorts to school and some office workers are eating their lunch at the park, not inside any deli or restaurant that they usually have their lunches.

It is so nice to watch all these geese in the water. They are also wondering around golf courses to eat some of the weeds and move around the parks and other places where they can lay their eggs. The geese are so used to people that even in the soccer filed they go marching during the play and everybody has to stop to let them pass. Nobody tries to harm them when they cross the street.

And so Auntie Pattie Koh, I was so relaxed this noon time when I was inside the forest preserve by the river just watching all the geese and the birds. The whole area is so quiet an so peaceful I wish you have been there!!

Sincerely yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM

THE COLORS OF FALL FROM INSIDE DEERFIELD FOREST PRESERVE

This is the entrance to the forest preserve of Deerfield.

This is an old Maple tree that is showing three colors at a time.

This is the road side of the forest preserve that leads to the Deerfield river.

This is the interior of the preserve heading to the horse trail.

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

This noon, I was passing by the forest preserve near my work and decided to take my lunch inside the preserve. There were only few cars inside the forest preserve. As I have counted it, there were at least 6 cars parked at the parking lot facing the Chicago River North fork of the Deerfield Forest Preserve.

This was a former Indian Reservation and it is still being kept by the Forest Preserve people in good order and shape. No trees are being cut and the animals are still left to roam around. It was so beautiful and the colors of fall is so bright and colorful.

I love the entire place. It was so colorful watching the leaves being blown by the wind and then it falls on the ground. It looks like every minute and every hour the leaves started to change its colors and starts to fall. It was so quiet in this place, very tranquil and so nice to do some meditation.

I was watching the flow of the river where I parked and so some geese floating in the water waiting for the weather to change so that they could fly south.

And so Auntie Patti Koh, I had a nice lunch break and was able to do some meditation inside the forest preserve of Deerfield. I wish you had been there also.

Sincerely yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM

I LOVE THE FALL FLOWERS

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

I planted these mums last August to catch up blooming for fall. I prefer the white mums because they are not very gloomy to look at. There are plenty of colors to choose from but they are so dead colors for me.

I planted some of these mums in big pots infront of my house and at the steps so that it will brighten up the front step of the house. The problem is that there are so much flowers in one of the pots that is closer to the glass door of the house, and everytime we open up the glass door, somebody hits the flowers and the stems of the mums easily falls off. Anyway, I did not know that the flowers will bloom so much that it is about to explode from the pot.

I have planted some in the planter box by the oak tree. I did not plant much on this planter box flowers because the squirrel when they climb up the maple tree always steps on the flower beds especially the mums. Likewise, the jackrabbits also play in this planter box so I decided not to plant too much flowers on it. But at any rate, it has bloom so much flowers and I like it very much. In one side of the planter box, last year's mum came out again and I was really surprised about it. Not bad looking color side by side with the white mum.

And so Auntie Patti Koh, Fall has come and the big oak tree infront of the house has started changing its colors and the leaves has already fallen onto the ground. The hybernation starts and preparation for winter.

I hope I am prepared for the upcoming winter of snow.

Sincerely yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM