There was very little spookiness for this year’s observance of the pagan new year (for some of us) or Halloween (for others). Tomorrow I’ll walk through the metaphorical door into the darkness/introspection/changes and we’ll see what happens next.
Lee and I drove out to Temple to get me some bird feeders/seed at Wild Birds Unlimited, but it’s gone. So I managed to find substitutes at Lowe’s and Tractor Supply. Now that winter’s coming I want to supplement my stump feeder with a couple of hanging ones. All the winter sparrows and friends might enjoy variety. The House Sparrows won’t care.
We visited the antiques store area in downtown Temple, and I found two purple tea light holders from PartyLite, where I used to get a LOT of candles a few decades ago.
We also went to a very fun kinda goth antique-ish shop that I’m pretty sure is where my kids hang out. Lots of macabre and odd items. We enjoyed it, other than the incense, which messed Lee up.
The day wasn’t entirely un-creepy, though. Everywhere we went today there were way too many Grackles way too close to me. I’d try to look at a cabbage plant, and out would pop a Grackle. Lee nearly stepped on one, too. Sure, Grackles are common near retail outlets, but these were extra! Then, when I complimented a sales person in one of the stores for her feather earrings, she explained that she was dressed to evoke the spirit of a Grackle. Black feather necklace, feather print wrap and even iridescent eyeshadow. Time to go back to the ranch, where more sedate Grackles live in reasonable numbers.
Then I scared myself. For context, we’ve just finished this season of the Scariest House in America show with the marvelous and sartorially splendid Retta.
In the show, people talked about hearing noises and invisible people talking in their haunted homes. This appeared to stick with me, because as I was walking back from horse feeding, I kept hearing sounds like a gate opening. Then I heard a woman’s voice, but couldn’t identify it. Eek! I even called out, “Hello!” As if that would help.
Only when I scurried into the house did I realize my phone (in my back pocket) was playing an ad. My phone is usually on silent, but I’d turned it up to change Siri’s voice and forgotten to turn it down. I butt tuned something! Gee whiz. I set myself up for that!
I hope you had/have a good holiday weekend. El día de los muertes is tomorrow. I’m gonna ask my dad to watch out for me. it can’t hurt.
