halloween in brooklyn rocks

Garrett the fireman and his station dog, Caleb.
(Or, as Garrett puts it, "I a fireman and this Caybuh my fireman dog.")

The older I get, the less I like Halloween. I don't much care for the spooky aspect of it. But, even so, Halloween in Brooklyn rocks. I know I've said that before, and I'll probably say it again next year, but seriously, everyone should get a chance to experience this holiday here, if only for the trick-or-treating.

It's taken me 4 years to fully figure out the ins and outs of trick-or-treating in this neighborhood, but this year I think I finally got it. Homes generally welcome trick-or-treaters, but apartment buildings generally do not. But why wear little legs out hiking up and down steep stoop stairs to knock on doors when you can just walk up and down the avenues in the business districts going from store to store collecting candy? Also, why wait until it's dark outside? Trick-or-treating here happens right after school lets out, and earlier when the holiday falls on a weekend.

First the boys and I went to a few stores on our street where people know us: the laundromat, the grocery store, Mary Ann at the copy shop. Then we hopped over a few blocks to meet up with Emily and her brood so that Garrett and Caleb could go trick or treating with Elizabeth (also known as Foofa). We walked along several blocks and stopped in nearly every store -- even the liquor store (shhh...don't tell the bishop). We also hit up one block of homes known for good trick-or-treating. By the time we reached the end of our route (and, in the case of the boys, the end of their ropes), everyone had more candy than they knew how to handle. ("My bucket so heavy!" Garrett complained, to which Caleb echoed, "Bucket! Heavy!") In all we walked both sides of about 6 or 7 blocks. It was perfect.