Happy Halloween

Jan’s most recent artwork depicts a little boy and girl out trick or treating.

THAT’s as close as I’ll get to trick or treaters tonight but, just in case, I played it safe and purchased a box of individually wrapped Oreo Halloween cookies that will go to the Community Room table, marked “please take” tomorrow, if none of the grandkids visiting relatives knock on my door.

I don’t know what happened with the haunted house across the street, but it just never came to fruition. Days ago, the black tarp covering the windows was removed, the Halloween motifs on the outside of the building painted over.

As for the patio contest, it appears that, when I saw the Tyrant taking photos of downstairs neighbor corner unit across the quad’s patio (I've not yet thought of a name for her), it was for a positive purpose, not negative. The Grapevine says he gave her Third Place in the patio decorating contest.

I didn’t think to ask what the prize was (probably a gift certificate for the corner market), but I did say, “I’m surprised. I thought she’d get first place”.

The Grapevine (the Talker) said neighbor got knocked down to Third Place because "There’s another spooky one over there", and she directed me to go past the building she pointed to, and to zigzag “this way, go that way”.

In spite of the twisty turny directions, I found myself standing in an area I'm familiar with, as I usually stop by to see what the resident has put on her patio for past Halloweens.

After the Tyrant decreed "family friendly", I'd expected she'd be reluctant to put up her usual skeleton but noooooo. She not only ignored his decree, but went above and beyond.

That creepy doll and witch over to the left, are new additions to her usual display, as are those two creatures over to the right.

The skeleton I recognize from past Halloweens.

The heads, along the railing, also new, are actually Michael Myer heads — the character from the Halloween movie franchise.

This resident was in it to win it ... and the Grapevine is speculating she did.

I won't know for sure that patio is First or who won Second Place or where it's located on the complex, until I see the official announcement in the Monthly Calendar, which I expect will be posted to our doors tomorrow, but Third Place is confirmed.

In fact, I ran into the Talker on Friday, when I was returning from the pain cave. She was on her phone and, when she hung up, she said that was my neighbor telling her that the Tyrant had just called, saying she'd won Third Place.

That's got to be a record in how fast someone on the Grapevine delivered information to me. LOL.

Hopefully, I can get a photo of Second Place before the resident takes it down.

So, now downstairs neighbor corner unit across the quad knows who her competition is for next year. She's going to really have to step up her game to beat out the patio the Talker and I think is the First Place winner.

Downstairs neighbor corner unit across the quad also now knows, as we all do, that the Tyrant is full of horse manure and speaks with forked tongue when he caused some residents to not participate, afraid to put up their skeletons, with his "family friendly" decree and then chose displays with skeleton and bones.

And btw, the Tyrant better not take credit for this event, better not go thinking he's finally had a success, because we've always put up patio displays. The only thing he did was to take what us residents have always done — decorate our patios for Halloween and Christmas, and turned one such into a contest.