Dear Shirley,
Dot.Com, my black-and-white dachshund, is not a happy camper this week. She doesn't like the cold rain, snow and sleet. She resists going out in the backyard for her daily duties. And that means I have to stand out on the back porch and monitor the dog. It is a matter of her will against mine. I try to psyche her out by saying, "Good dog. Good dog." And I wonder whether it will be late March or April before I can swing the back door open and have that little creature go leaping again through the grass with careless abandon.
Other than that, life is moving along well in Grand Forks. The first wind, slush and sleet storm of the season is winding down. The whole outdoors is lit up for Halloween. Sometimes I think children enjoy this holiday more than Christmas.
One of my favorite Halloween places is on 18th Avenue South, just off Cherry Street. There you see a whole front yard full of witches, ghosts, goblins and a wedding scene with a skeleton playing the organ. It is eerie and spooky, Shirley. There's a boogeyman that will get you and a werewolf that is everybody's favorite. I found the homeowner, Kelly Straub, out in front the other day, and she told me she was into Halloween decorating when she lived on Maple Avenue before the flood. Since then, she has been rebuilding her stock of Halloween decorations. She has 50 to 100 people coming by every day, and last year, she figures there were 1,000 around on Halloween.
Kelly doesn't buy much for decorating. She just creates things. She did pay $200 for an old coffin that someone had found by the side of the road.
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She says the decorations will come down right after Halloween and go into the storage area behind her house. Before long, she will bring out the Christmas decorations. All year long, she has a western village in her backyard. Her home is at its liveliest on Halloween.
And she keeps saying, "So many people. So much fun."
Well, Shirley, I don't know if you will go out for tricks or treats in Tucson. But I am gearing up to be a witch and help out at the Legends of Terror for children Sunday afternoon at the Myra Museum on Belmont Road. Some of my friends say it won't take much for me to dress up as a witch.
Oh well, the whole idea of Halloween is to have fun, and if you can't do that, you deserve to have someone tip over your outhouse! Legends of Terror begins Friday night and continues all weekend. A gentler version for children is planned for Sunday afternoon.
Love from your sister, Marilyn, stocking up on Mr. Goodbars along the banks of the Red River of the North.
P.S. This week's wet, sloppy weather is bound to get the geese and the snowbirds heading south. Anyone going down Highway 76 toward Denver should stop at Fort Morgan, Colo. When we were out there a couple of weeks ago, we found a great place to eat and the cheapest gas you can find for miles and miles. The gas was $2.56 at Western Convenience, 825 Main St. The restaurant, at 725 Main St., is called Memories. It's connected to a Best Western motel.
It was such a pleasant place, Shirley. We had driven over there to meet a friend for lunch, and we enjoyed the Southwestern style food. We ended our midday repast with a piece of raisin cream pie that had meringue stacked and inch and a half high on top. It was a rare treat. And the prices were right.
Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or by telephone at (701) 772-1055.
