Visiting with Lorna Bater was her sister Doreen Parker of Radisson, and Doreen's daughter and husband Darla and Garnet Price of Holbein. Phil and Lorna Bater spent Thanksgiving in North Battleford with their son and daughter-in-law Greg and Laurie Bater. Visiting with Phil and Lorna Bater and Greg and Laurie Bater were Greg's daughters Brandy and Ayden, Chantel Bater of Bonnyville, Alta., as well as Amanda Bater of North Battleford.
The October full moon has passed and there was an early morning eclipse in the western skies. October's moon is the migrating moon, as squirrels looking back before hibernating. There are a lot of woolly bear black and rust coloured caterpillars about. The wider the band on the woolly bear caterpillars, the milder the winter. A cooler than usual summer is sometimes followed by a cooler than usual winter.
We are well into October and what a wonderful month it has been so far, as it can often be nasty. A little damp in the mornings with fog and a little light rainfall. The high winds have really blown all the pretty coloured leaves about. The trees are pretty bare but a few have leaves yet. I'm sure this is an Indian summer.
A better part of the harvesting has been all done. Just a few late maturing crops left to go before we get more rain and even snow at this late season. The mild days with the warm sunshine are so welcome to the people as well as to the animals and birds.
Big game hunting season has been open in our local area for a while. There have been a few lucky hunters taking advantage of it all. There seems to be a lot of deer about as well. That season will open later. There are still quite a few ducks and geese about and still on the move south. They have pretty well cleaned up all the fields harvested in the local area.
The recreation board for the RM of Glenside has a meeting coming up Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Irene Greer. It is held to bring in some of the last minute happenings and activities.
I would like to thank the Battlefords Publishing group for the invitation to the "Celebrate the Harvest" luncheon held Sept. 25 at Pennydale Junction in Battleford, and the tour of the News Optimist/Regional Optimist newsroom.
Halloween is the biggest night of the year for many of our young ones. Young witches, ghosts and goblins will be making their rounds knocking on doors and yelling the familiar phrase, "Trick or Treat!" Before these youngsters go out Halloweening, it's a good idea that they eat a satisfying meal. This way they will be less tempted to taste their treats before returning home.
Advise children not to eat any treats until they have been carefully inspected. For those supplying treats, individual packages of sunflower seeds, nuts or chips are usually best accepted by parents and children alike.
Halloween is the last outdoor holiday enjoyed each year before the winter season arrives. By putting a special effort into Halloween preparation, we can ensure the festivities are kept safe. At Halloween the children get so excited which quite often leads them to be careless as well. Let's do our best to make Halloween a happy occasion for every child. Happy Halloween to all.
The Story of Halloween: You can thank your lucky stars for that jack-o'-lantern in your window, but make sure it's lit Halloween night. Irish Jack is on the prowl and he's a mean one. Too nasty for heaven, he was kicked out of hell for playing tricks on the devil and wanders the earth carrying a lantern. A smiling pumpkin in the window will keep Jack away but, according to legend, a turnip will do the trick in a pinch.
Of course Jack isn't the only ghostie on the move tonight. There's the witches to worry about and the ghosts. Halloween just happens to be the night the world's witches have chosen to hold their annual spell-casting and havoc-wreaking convention. If that weren't enough, legend has it that Oct. 31 is the night the dead rise from their graves for an evening's wafting around.
Now you may ask, what can a mere mortal do to protect himself, his family and his crops from all of this spiritual interference? To protect life and property from evil minded ghouls, the ancients suggested (1) building an enormous bonfire in your backyard and (2) marching around the lower forty with blazing torch chanting, "Bug off, you creeps" or some such incantation.
If that doesn't work, there's always the old fiery sacrifice gambit. Throwing stones, vegetables or nuts in the bonfire you've started in your yard is said to appease demanding phantoms. There is a catch to this one, though. If the stone you threw in the fire on Halloween night isn't in the ashes in the morning, you'll be a goner for sure before the next year's out. Definitely not for triflers, or for people who never win the Provincial.
Although almost every culture in the world has some sort of celebration at the end of a successful harvest and others to honour their ancestors, we have the Irish to thank for Halloween as we know it. Oct. 31 is the end of the ancient Celtic calendar. On that day, more than 2,000 years ago, people would gather to say goodbye to the summer, offer sacrifices for a mild winter and honour the memory of the dead.
Old customs die hard and when Christianity overtook the ancient Druid religion, a day was set aside for honouring the dead. In the 19th century, the night before All Saint's Day became known as All Hallow's Eve, which was later shortened to Halloween.
Another tradition which grew out of the old religion is tricks or treats. Hundreds of years ago, groups of farmers would move from door to door asking for food for festivities honouring Muck Olla, the god of the Druid clergy. Generous donors were promised prosperity. Tightwads were threatened and cursed. It was the English who started the custom of dressing up for Halloween with boys and girls dressing in each other's clothes and wearing masks.
