The Morning After

I love Halloween. I love to dress up. I love to dress my children up. I love chocolate. I love candy. When else can you merely flip on your porch light and have all your neighbors knock on your door? Or, unless you are a Jehovah's Witness or Sierra Club volunteer, knock on all your neighbors' doors- even the ones you've never met or laid eyes upon? Portland loves Halloween. I felt as though I had jumped into a movie set of America forty years ago as I watched children skip past glowing Jack-o-Lanterns, running down sidewalks, and knocking on doors wildly decorated with ghosts and pumpkins. Rynn and Eleanor grew more confident with each house until by the end of the night they were running ahead (or hopping as it may be, in the case of my little rabbit) to eagerly shout "Happy Halloween!" with their bags opened wide. The quote of the night from Rynn, "OK, Eleanor, Let's DO IT!." Rynn organizing and taking stock of her loot.

Our new friend and neighbor Anna (pronounced ahhh-na)

What I do not love is the morning after Halloween. The sugar crashes. Miss and Miss Queen Grumpy who apparently did not get enough sleep. And the inevitable let down of a fun day which is now history. So, in a desperate attempt to redeem the morning, I decided to try a visit to the Hoyt Arboretum to take in the last of the autumn color and sunshine. The Hoyt Arboretum (read more @ http://www.hoytarboretum.org/) is " 185 ridge-top acres about two miles west of downtown... home to a collection of trees representing more than 1,000 species gathered from around the world. " It is a place I've wanted to visit since my mom and I had a quick glimpse back in April. Washed with vibrant colors the Arboretum turned what was quickly becoming a day darker than a Halloween night into a joy filled adventure. And I even met a kind stranger who took our picture (this one's for you Marie!).

my black eyed girl :)