Trick and treat

The trick came a night early. Last night Brian helped me figure out that the strange little noises were coming from the ceiling light/fan fixture. He turned the light and the fan off and on (the latter brought more 'crackling') and that seemed to fix it, whatever it was (an electrical short?).

At bedtime Dozer didn't want to leave the cushy dog bed in the great room, so I didn't shut the dogs in the laundry room like usual. Sometime in the middle of the night, I was awakened abruptly by a clamor at our bedroom door. I jumped out of bed, processing that it was probably Jackson needing to be let out – and was met by my dog entering our room! I don't know if he actually figured out how to open the door (we have lever handles), or if he just got lucky while panicking; he's never opened a door before in his life. I suspect that the sound started again, and it did occur to me that he might have saved us from an electrical fire. There was no sign of a problem that serious, but I did cut the power to the fixture completely and it – and my dog – have been quiet ever since.

A shaggy mane 'shroom sprouted in the gravel near the house and deliquesced to an appropriately creepy stage for today.

Inside, I made this seasonally-colored stew for our supper; it was tasty!


Late this afternoon and well into the evening, Brian treated me by tackling a big job. He raked all the leaves that have fallen in the arena so far. I went down and helped him load them into the back of the Ford Ranger, which he off-loaded onto the ashes of the burn pile. There are more leaves yet to fall, but I am so thankful for the head start on this big annual task!

And yes, I spent some time on the Chuckie Channel today. 😉

That's it for All Hallows Eve at . . .