Orange Boa at the door

We had some worries for Halloween.
How to give out Halloween candy to visiting trick or treaters, keep Liam safe inside while repeatedly opening the door.
How to shield kids and parents from Liam's leaping licking affectionate self.
How to give the working, non-retired Paul the day to himself.
How to afford me the opportunity to read, watch TV, text, email, drink tea, do laundry while concurrently functioning as the Chief treat or treater meeter/greeter.
The Internet provided the answer. I read a tip on one of the dog websites, possibly on a Facebook page. The tipster addressed the trick of how to keep your dog inside, and how Halloween can be a treat for the home owner. The suggestion was to remove the front upper screen from the outside door. Some homes have an inside wooden door as well as an outside light screen door. In the following photo you will see our inside door is to the left and our outside door to the right Our screen partition was still in; we had been looking for a day to change it out for the glass that takes its place in the late fall and winter. The idea is that you remove the screen and use this open window as an opportunity to dispense Halloween candy through the aperture-the treat for the home owner is sitting and multi tasking, enjoying the parade of costumes, delivering candy without constant door opening disruption. stress. For those of the baby boomer generation, go back to your memory banks for the show Mr. Ed. He was a horse who always stuck his head through the door, while keeping his body inside allowing his head only to be seen while he conversed with visitors. Yes, a talking horse, he was
I was an updated Mr. Ed last Saturday on Halloween. My setup consisted of a too tall kitchen stool that at 30 inches was 6 inches too high for our counter. About six months ago, I had finally admitted that hunching over the counter to eat was not ideal and that I had miscalculated the height of the counter. So the two leather very comfortable, elegant kitchen counter chairs had been replaced by the correct height for our counter, 24 inches. See photos -too tall on left-new one on right The too tall stools had been looking for a new job I commandeered one for my Halloween gig -it would serve as my perch at the front door for the offering of our M&M's to the witches, and goblins of the day.
I sat on the the black leather backed swivel top placed my blackberry, water gun (to be explained later) and tea (a Druid brew) on the shelf-see next pic. put the bowl of MM's on another stool, turned on the TV to HGTV stuck my head out of the opening of our door. "Yoohoooooooo, over here kiddies." My Halloween outfit was a mishmash of mismatched shades of black, accented by orange socks and an orange boa. Liam is a tad too short to reach the opening by just standing on his hind legs. With a few leaps though he might have licked a few kids, so I had my orange (must coordinate) water pistol to squirt him with if he leaped too high and too accurately.
The day moved swiftly; is strange, fun, The warm weather delivered swirling breezes full of mismatched leaves and autumn crispy smells. It seemed that my presence in the door caused surprise, delight and confusion. Some kids ran up the path eagerly giggling appreciating the whimsy of me in the door; others cringed hiding behind parents, some just pointed and moved on. No one seemed to have seen anyone attempt what I was doing. I even think I scared a few kids. Why approach another door closed, dark and unwelcoming when I am here soliciting and offering M&M's in my paws? Was it my protruding bodyless head framed with orange feathers? Was it the sound of the invisible barking Liam? Maybe kids do not like to see the person inside as they approach but rather like the surprise of the ringing of the doorbell? Maybe a good premise for a psychological study. I refused to be deterred and hung in tenaciously. During the 5 hours I was at my post, I read the NY Times, Newsday, Time magazine, half a novel, answered and initiated texts, emailed, did the laundry and watched some TV I so love multi-tasking. If I had to leave my post, Liam barked to signal a visitor and only once did Paul have to give treats; when I was in the basement switching the laundry loads.
As darkness fell, and the visitors stopped coming, we moved out of the doorway, the glass partition went in and our Halloween "head in door opening" experiment ends.
There were only a few drawbacks. The windy day blew leaves through our living room; acorns pelted me as gusts gathered them from the high oaks and flung them through the door opening. My orange boa shed its feathers in communion with nature.
The positives far outweighed the negatives and we are all looking forward to next year. Perhaps a new trend of "heads out of doors," great way to meet the neighbors.
We had 67 guests-I know because I knew the total candy count at the outset was 150 and at two per person means 134 pieces were distributed. Only had to send 16 pieces to work with Paul.
and oh, yes, thanks Internet suggester, very creative and successful! Kudos to you.
Liam and Paul share a healthy treat of popcorn for Halloween.
Woof, woof.

Eve Of All Hallows

We are celebrating Halloween this Saturday, 10/31/09. There are rituals in its commemoration that are devised to scare and they are more true to its origins than the funny costumes. Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts lived about 2000 years ago, in an area that is now Ireland, United Kingdom and northern France. The Celts celebrated the New Year on November 1, marking the end of the summer and the beginning of the dark, cold winter The Celts believed that the night before the New Year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the worlds of the dead was blurred.The night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain (pronounced swo-in); when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead hung around and caused trouble The Celts wore costumes, built bonfires and sacrificed animals to get these annoying and sometimes evil spirits moving along.
Samhain was definitely pagan and several attempts were instituted to have it overridden by Christian celebrations: All Saints day, Nov 1 and All Souls' day Nov 2. These two days were put in place to supersede Halloween or at least diminish it in importance. Halloween continued to be celebrated along with All Saints and All Souls day-the following-Snap-Apple night, painted by Irish artist Daniel Maclise. depicts a party in Blarney, Ireland in 1832-you might spot Liam in the foreground waiting his turn for bobbing apples, he can do it, just like sticking his head in a Starbucks latte
Halloween is becoming bigger than ever. The souls, fairies, demons, witches that were part of early rituals are represented in the costumes we buy at Party City, CVS, Walgreens or ones we make at home.
And for Liam, there are dog costume parties, dog parades, dogs going trick or treating with their owners.
I found no references about dogs being in costumes in the early days. Since many costumes were made of animal skins, dogs might not have fared too well back in the day-maybe they were the the sacrifices to the dead. Halloween is probably the scariest day of the year for dogs. According to Bark Busters more dogs stray or die on Halloween than on any other holiday. Think of it. The doorbell keeps ringing, disguised persons in costumes come to the door shouting for food The instinct of one's dog is to protect his family from strangers and these goblins and witches are strangers. He runs away, hides, the gate is open, the flight instinct takes over.
There is candy around. Chocolate is toxic to dogs, could result in an upset tummy, vomiting or death.
I have our candies in the trunk of the car so as not to tempt Liam before Saturday. Actually, the truth might be that I might get into one of the bags before Saturday. I figure if the bags are in the trunk of the car, they are safe from Liam and me. I have not yet walked to the car for food at night.
The idea of trick or treat is to bribe the dreaded evil souls by placating them with a treat. Current favorites of kids seem to be Skittles, Starbursts, Gummy bears and other horrible candies like Kit Kats. How can they expect to send the evil spirits away with such candies? If I were haunting the living the offer of Skittles would cause me to stay through the weekend at least in hopes of some better candy. Where are the Maryjane's, Milky Ways and Snickers of my youth?
Liam attended a Halloween party yesterday Or Howl-o-ween as it was billed. I appreciated the play on words and I looked forward to it. The dogs had the option to dress in costumes and be rewarded with prizes. Liam is not a costume dog nor will he wear a baseball cap, sweater or booties.
Liam was the only dog who would not pose for his Halloween photos. My fault. He hates to be held and I forgot that.
He was the only dog who was not afraid of the staff in costume-he licked and leaped on all-saw right through their disguises.
He did not get into the group play, sort of watched the others This upset me-Liam, not social!
Paul told me that I was projecting my fear of being left out on Liam. Is that possible? He is a Leo! Supposed to be the life of the party.
Liam says
I still love parties but not Howl-o-ween
I want to lick and leap when at a party, not get dressed as a bride or a baseball player.
I want to lick and play with the trick or treaters when they come to the door.
I want to be given treats as often as the strangers get them.
I was not my usual self at the Halloween party. I thought the party would interfere with the Yankee game
I am not afraid of the dead wandering around; I am afraid all the Yankee hitters who are playing dead.
Sh ssh don't tell Daddy Paul. He is rooting for the Phillies. I sit and watch with him The Yankees lose. A sad nightWoof. Woof.
see me looking possessed-no costume needed arooooooooooooooooo

Making Strides in a Storm

We had planned this for a month, our team of Federal retirees; fundraising, online, offline any way we could. I had many pink wardrobe accents: gloves, vest, crocs, socks, and bracelet. We were doing the Making Strides against Breast Cancer Walk at Jones Beach, Long Island on Sunday, October 18, 2009. In my fantasy, I would be yanked from the walk by a Newsday interviewer and asked my reason for participating. My story "I am walking for my niece, Liz Nikol, a Survivor." I go on to add "and of course for all men and women and all cancers." Only a Leo would have such a grandiose, global and humble mission statement. I dreamed that Anderson Cooper rides by on his bike and stops for a special CNN interview with me.
"Are you serious, you all ask?" Not really, but New York is chock full of possibilities.
As the week prior to the walk began, some dire forecasts also began. Not one, but two nor'easters were predicted. The second arriving right around the time of the Sunday morning walk. I found it challenging to think of persevering through a storm, but Paul harbored thoughts of us being sucked from the boardwalk in tornadic winds and tsunami like waves. Any mention of coastal flooding introduced high levels of anxiety into our home. As I continued to accrue donations, Paul monitored the weather activities on the TV, radio, newspapers, and the Internet. Whenever I logged on to our PC, the weather channel popped up. Bookmarked and shortcutted on our desktop.
We awake early Sunday to wind and rain. Liam looks from one parent to the other-where are they going, why so early, can I come? we load the car with slickers, blankets, water, the NY Times (in case we were stuck, we needed reading material) I choose to wear my North Face jacket, many pockets, so many in fact, a map of where they are comes with the jacket.
We set out. I announce that the weather is not so bad. A dangerous comment, as Paul is not eager for this adventure. I keep my rising feeling of exhilaration to myself. Walking in a near nor'easter with like minded folks in a united cause is exciting to me. As we near Jones Beach, the traffic slows. Thousands are crossing the parkway, stopping traffic, arms linked, chanting slogans and names of loved ones. The storm seems to rev up its velocity, picking up energy from the crowd, the throbbing sky and the peaking waves . My eyes fill with tears. I love this! We wait to turn into Parking Field Five. I connect with our NEPSC team via cell, meet at the rendezvous place. Our Captain asks "Ready?" Silent assent. We set out on our walk.
The conditions are fierce. Wind, sideways rain, floods on the boardwalk, the sea and sky the same color grey.
People are wrapped in pink blankets sodden and heavy with water
storm from Newsday Others are wrapped in plastic. A few defiantly wear shorts absurdly paired with slickers and scarves. Many pairs of Uggs will never regain their shape. See Liam on the left in the next photo. He made it!
The total walk is five miles and at the halfway mark a wall serves as the turnaround point. On this wall, walkers have placed photos of loved ones, signs, slogans, names of those lost and those surviving, hats, pins-water cascades over and through all these mementos- the wall evocative of those that sprung up after 9/11. We touch the wall, tap it reverently, pause to reflect, then twirl around to begin the second half. We are slapped with a lacerating wind, pebbled with hard rain. I need goggles. My face is under water. I had applied mascara, eye shadow-even darkened my eyebrows for my hoped for Newsday interview. What was I thinking? All my makeup is gone.
I put on my sunglasses to shield my eyes from the elements, causing many smiles as I walk.
The crowd surges forward as if it were a sunny dry day. I know I am soaked through my jacket, my arms feel heavy, as if weights are attached.
Our team joins in the collective crowd cheer echoing through the underpass as we emerge from under the parkway and head to the finish.
We did it.
I find my way back to the car. My crocs are making squishing noises, with each step water gushes out of each one, the weight of my waterlogged clothes make it feel as if I have a backpack and two suitcases to carry. If I squeezed my jacket, I probably could have filled a bucket with water.
I find the "H' section and our car-my hands frozen into locked position Paul has gallantly been my driver and has been waiting patiently while we walked. He says that he has called me about 20 times, concerned that I had been the victim of coastal flooding. Too much weather channel. I had my blackberry tucked away, protected in a zip lock bag, impervious to any incoming calls.
I was in a surreal, almost spiritual mental state and not ready to return to the world of expected required explanations.
I feel euphoric from the palpable passion and shared mission of the day.
I walked for a Survivor and I survived some weather. I have earned immunity. No idol necessary.
No chores this day, I read the NY Times and drink some red wine, relive the Yankees win the night before watch the Amazing Walk, whoops I mean Race.
Woof, woof relax and be safe.

Autumn Trips

This year our annual fall trip was often rescheduled as well as eventually shortened to one day from three. Things happen. Bad weather, SATs, work obligations. And since Liam's vacay's are contingent on ours, his stays were changed in accordance with our changes.
We did in fact go on our fall trip to Morristown NJ, home of George Washington's two winter stay, (1779-80) this past Sunday, October 11, 2009; so many Revolutionary War sites, George really did stay in many homes Our day trip was packed with history, pumpkins, lakes hills, hot cider and even some fall foliage.
Northern New Jersey is hilly, charming, stylish and the most historic place for the Revolutionary War history in the Northeast. I grew up summering on the Jersey shore. Never knew that Northern NJ resembled Switzerland, Michigan and Vermont and Canada! A wonderful area.
We could not leave Liam for such a long day, so we had booked him into his beloved pet motel, Best in Show. Paul and I set out early Saturday afternoon, Oct. 10, 2009 to drop him off. Liam knows he waits by our doorWe were due there in the morning-we paid for the day, but we rationalized our dawdling by saying to each other " Liam is enjoying quality time with his parents."
Liam has his travel bag and packed were some red Kong toys three greenies (these are like edible toothbrushes) his pillow and bed. He rents a deluxe room midway between Super 8 and the Hilton. The next level of rooms are called suites-for very rich dogs- the highest, the Presidential suite-there is only one and a great Dane usually resides there. These have a TV, with shows such as Animal Planet and the Dog Whisperer, classical music, ice cream treats, satin sheets.
Liam cried this time at our leaving which put me into a tailspin of grief and "Bad Mommy" syndrome
Saturday night was lonely without the little guy. We have a fake Liam who sits in his chair to fill the emotional and physical hole. The twin replacement Liam also scares us every single time we enter the room as we think it is him.
Sunday's trip departure time was early and with our wonderful friends and variety of activities, Liam was not in our thoughts; we are not that nutty to miss a dog so much.
Okay, I have an album with Liam's pix as well as current ones in the camera.
Our day trip ended Sunday evening and we were back home. Another night without Liam. I always ask Paul "What is Liam doing now?" he always replies "sleeping" This is what I have to hear and Paul obliges by supplying the answer I must have.
Liam had to stay over through Monday as it was Columbus Day, a staff Holiday and hotel was closed for pickups. I fantasize Liam is manning the desk; I envision him as having leadership qualities, like George Washington.
Paul returned to work Tuesday. I waited for the day to play out as I could not get Liam until late afternoon-he was getting a full spa exit treatment-bath , pedicure, teeth cleaning- Liam has very white teeth of which I am very proud. The staff says he always has his mouth open-guess he is showing them off.
I drove over to pick him up. As I take care of the paperwork and the checking of his suitcase, verifying all his belongings are inside, I puff with pride reading his report card with his photo-yes, he did well and yes, his mouth is open. The staff assures me that he has been a great guest. I hear his crazy bullet like footfalls and the whoosh of air as he shoots out from the back, I turn for my usual sloppy greeting, No. Nothing. What is this? I have waited all day to be loved by my dog. Rejected, Forgotten Rebuffed. Embarrassed.
So strange, No hello leap. No licking. Just looks past me, struts to the door, no backward glance and waits for me to open the door for his grand exit. At home at first he stood like a statue staring at me. Then he slept all night This cold paw treatment continued all night and into Wednesday morning.
The spell was broken when our housekeeper arrived. Liam went crazy with joy, licking and jumping on her. We had barely calmed down when a dear friend arrived for our play date.
Again all his pent up emotion came out. I had to take out the water guns to calm him. I did not arm all of us, one seemed to be enough.
My friend brought a baby seat for grandniece Kiera. I placed it on the couch, its intended delivery was Thursday. We left Liam with our lovely housekeeper. He helps with the chores.
We left for our outing in the wilderness in my friend's new roadster.
Later in the day when I returned, I found Liam sitting in the baby seat watching "General Hospital." He seemed to be saying that he was the "baby" of this house. He spent the rest of the evening guarding the baby seat
Today's semi nor'easter has brought him back to me. Guess when faced with driving rain and gale force winds, hanging with Mom wins. He also had a bone to pick with replacement Liam twin.
Liam confronts fake Liam give me that sweater!
Woof, woof