Come October, the days are bright and clear, the nights cool and crisp, and the apple orchards and pumpkin fields south of town are at their peak. It was a lot of fun to be one of the first to go shopping for pumpkins to decorate the bookstore. The squash and gourds in the farmers’ market almost have personality. They were comical, alluring, slinky, jaunty and mysterious. They were hard to resist. As the end of the month creeps up, the leaves will be falling and little witches will be dreaming up their costumes, it will be time to create spooky pumpkins and stock up on firewood. A warm fire and a good book. A perfect pairing for a chilly fall day.

Happy Halloween!     Bill