Happy Halloween! As of this writing, on Sunday, the forecast for Friday isn’t looking the best, with another inch or so of rain predicted. Here’s hoping that it moves in earlier than expected and will be over before the trick-or-treaters are out and about. At least it isn’t supposed to be snow.
In my time as a mom of trick-or-treaters, I remember just about every kind of possible weather occurring on Halloween—rain, snow, sleet, and cold temperatures that caused my kids to shiver in their costumes, as well as a couple of unseasonably warm years when a homemade costume made of fleece or fake fur was uncomfortably hot.
Speaking of rain, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map for Maine released last Thursday, 93 percent of the state is suffering from severe or extreme drought, with the remaining seven percent experiencing moderate drought conditions. The swath of extreme drought conditions that crosses the map from west to east now encompasses about 36 percent of the state, including nearly all of Oxford County.
The map released on Thursday was accurate as of Tuesday, October 21, so it included the approximately three inches of rain that fell on Monday, but not the additional inch we received on Wednesday.
Still, according to Sarah Jamison, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, even after last week’s storms, Maine needs another ten to 12 inches of rain, or about 50 percent more than we usually receive in the period between now and winter, to fully relieve the drought and fill dug wells before the ground freezes. That’s in part because the ground hardens as it dries up during a drought, requiring more rain than usual to penetrate the soil. (Thanks to Molly Enking, climate editor for Maine Public, for the information on the drought.)
Here are some of the things happening in our area over the next several weeks:
Thursday, October 30, at 4 p.m. at the West Parish Congregational Church, 32 Church Street, Bethel: To Your Health presents “Mental Health Conversations for Older Adults” with Tori Tracy, Manager of Community Engagement at the Maine Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI). This program is free and open to the public, and all ages are welcome. The snow date is November 6.
Friday, October 31, from 4-7 p.m. on Broad Street, Bethel: “Trick-or-Treat Broad Street.” Volunteers at the Bethel Library, the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, and the Hastings Homestead will be handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, and there will be a haunted house in the Twitchell Building at the historical society.
Sunday, November 2, at the First Universalist Church of West Paris: Acclaimed musician and fellow Unitarian Universalist Jim Scott will be leading the Sunday morning service at 9 a.m. Later the same day, at 2 p.m., he will present a concert at the church. His concert will be a tribute to Pete Seeger, with whom Jim collaborated in the past. A $20 donation for the concert is suggested, but the event is open to all.
Saturday, December 6, from 12-5 p.m. at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, 10 and 14 Broad Street, Bethel: “Christmas at the Mason House” and Holiday Open House and Bake Sale. More details to come as the date approaches.
Sunday, December 7, at 2 p.m. at the First Universalist Church of West Paris: The Oxford Hills Ukulele Group will lead a Christmas carol sing-along to get everyone into the spirit of Christmas. This is a popular event that the church has hosted in the past, and always lots of fun.
The Greenwood Farmers’ Market at the old Town Hall on Main Street will be held from 4-6 p.m. on the following Fridays: October 31, November 14, and December 12. The Holiday Wonderland, in the former office space to the left of the entry, will be available for people to “free-shop” during the market. This space is for distribution only, but if you have holiday items to donate, you can contact Lynn by email at cobblynn12@gmail.com or leave a message for her at the Greenwood Town Office, 207-875-2773.
Tony and I enjoyed a short visit from granddaughter Lila on Saturday afternoon, while her mom and other grandmother attended the football game at Telstar, where Katie’s cousin, who is a senior at Traip Academy, was playing in the last game of his high school career.
Lila was eager to see what surprises the residents of the Enchanted Forest had left for her, and excited to find that the fairies and gnomes had not only “magicked” the trees so that lollipops sprouted from their trunks, but also set up a “spooky tea party” in the log cabin playhouse, complete with “sandwitches,” Halloween cookies, gummy eye balls (provided by their zombie friends), and green witches’ brew to drink.
After Lila left, Gramma and Grandpa, who are both still in recovery mode from our respective medical procedures, took a nap!
If you have news or events you’d like included here, email me at amy.w.chapman@gmail.com or call 207-890-4812. The next print edition of the Citizen will be out on November 13, but you can read the Locke’s Mills column every week, with bonus online content, at amywchapman.com, or go to the website and subscribe for free to have it emailed to you each week.
“When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, ‘’Tis near Halloween.’” – Anonymous
Happy Halloween to the entire clan. And I hope the rain contines to fall.