Halloween Season

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. First, it was my father's birthday so he was always in a good mood that day and we could actually joke about it and the joke was on him.

It was also the biggest event of the year at Givens Elementary School. It was CARNIVAL in all ways. There were balloons to pop with darts, silent movies, auctions, dramatizations, and lots of games of chance. I think my favorite event centered around the classic silent films. Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Keystone Cops--those were hilarious. I still remember a car chase where two headlights are coming at you on a bridge. You expect to have a head on collision but instead they are the headlights of two motorcycles that go on either side of the car you are in. Another favorite image is from a Keystone Cop film where a Model T convertible is driving with it's wheels on either side of a ditch. There are convicts in the ditch with pick axes. As they bend over to pick the car drives over the top. The last convict in line raises his pick to quick, it engages the bumper of the Ford and he is swung up and lands in the back seat.

To this day I marvel at that stunt and how they pulled it off.

Anyway, Henderson is a place where we seem to celebrate the season. There are lots of skeletons and creepy things around. It's almost enough to make me want to dress up. Almost.             Maybe next year.