Samhain Squirrel

She sat there for ages, not seeming to mind the misty rain, then suddenly sprinted along the fence toward our neighbors' bird feeder.

Beneath her was the Green Man plaque that watches over the back garden.

I relished these quiet moments, knowing that our doorbell will ring for several hours tonight and we will be in thrall to cries of "Trick or Treat!"

(Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival celebrated from sunset on October 31 to sunset on November 1. I find Samhain much more appealing than Halloween, for which estimates of $2.6 billion spend on costumes for adults, children, and pets (!!) and total spending, including candy and decorations, is expected to reach $6.9 billion in the United States, according to the National Retail Federation.)