Ode to a great neighborhood
Last night, we had new friends from Tin’s school come by to walk with us over to Bounty by the Bayou, an annual kid’s trick or treating event that the neighborhood association puts on every year. The streets are blocked off, free hot dogs are served, and the house and inhabitants are all decked out in Halloween spirit. The neighborhood does this after it does Voodoo on the Bayou, the annual fundraising event at the historic Pitot House. The fact that people around here have the energy and enthusiasm to do back to back events is telling of the kind of neighborhood we live in.
But that is not what I am writing about, instead, I’m talking about my block, where when Tin’s friend arrived we were already surrounded by neighbors who are friends. To my left is the neighbor who decorates the bayou with hay bales and pumpkins where people driving by stop and pull their kids out of the car to take a photograph. To my right is our neighbor who brings Tin seasonal gifts that this year included his favorite, a coloring book with Big Bird along with Halloween puzzles. Or maybe it’s the neighbor on the other side of them, whose kids have adopted Tin as their little brother and who snagged him to come trick or treat at their house. Or next door to them where Tin’s Auntie Jerri lives, whose charming yellow cottage has been a gathering spot particularly as “the boys” as we fondly call them are here from Florida working on it.
Our new friends are here for a short period of time from California as the husband is working in the film industry. Her sister was visiting from California and they were trying to figure out what to do with an infant and a toddler for Halloween and had read about the Bounty on the Bayou event.
They left charmed by more than the event, which is becoming a victim of its own success by the sheer number of kids that turn out, but by the sheer number of friends and neighbors who spend time on a Monday night to thoughtfully costume, who all know and love Tin, and who welcome anyone to their houses to share their bounty.
“I can’t believe how great this neighborhood is,” she said. I agree.
Here’s the Dead Dangermonds, a punk band, and the last time we use Elmer’s glue in our hair – I promise!
