It was a great Halloween night

It was a great Halloween night

Halloween is over, but the sweet memories remain, as do bags full of treats in many homes.

In Scripps Ranch, Halloween night was highlighted by cool temperatures and an eerie sky with a beautiful moon sneaking out from behind a patchwork of feathery clouds. Many neighborhoods were prepared, with residents ready with large bowls of treats for costumed trick or treaters.

Parents and older children accompanied the younger kids on treks through blocks lined with homes in Scripps Ranch. Youngsters, and some adults, displayed their Halloween spirit on this spooky night as they dressed in colorful costumes. There were princesses, butterflies, ghosts, witches, devils, ninjas, goddesses, super heroes, villains, Star Wars characters, Harry Potter characters, animals of all kinds and a few pumpkin suits, shirts and pumpkin pajamas. 

Trick or treaters started on their journeys before sunset and continued a little beyond 8 or 9 p.m. in many cases as some homes ran out of treats or ended treat-giving for the evening. Children seemed to have had a big night, some going on marathon walks around local neighborhoods. The length of their treks was marked by weary children and exhausted parents urging their young trick or treaters to call it a night.

Some residents answered their door dressed in costume. Several homes had special effects including scary lighting and amplified sounds. Most residents handed out treats in person, but some left self-serve bowls of goodies for trick or treaters, hoping they would use the honor system and each take just one item. 

It was a great Halloween this year for many, as a large number of homes participated in treat-giving, and the costumed youngsters seemed to have brought in an unusually large haul. A sampling of treats this year included M&Ms, Snickers bars, Hershey bars, Three Musketeers bars, Tootsie Rolls, Sweet Tarts, Vines, Twix bars, Whoppers and Life Savers. Popular treats for Halloween 2017 in Scripps Ranch appeared to be gummy candy of all kinds; Reese’s cups, ghosts and pumpkins; Skittles; Laffy Taffy; Kit Kat bars; and Swedish Fish.  Non-edible treats included pencils, Play Doh and glow sticks.

Neighborhoods remained calm for the most part, but some drivers drove through streets a little too fast in some instances, especially considering there were dozens of small children on the sidewalks and crossing the roads.

In the aftermath on Wednesday morning, there were traces of the previous evening’s activities with an occasional candy wrapper or glow stick scattered on sidewalks. Fortunately, a small amount of litter was all the mischief left behind, with no acts of vandalism, smashed pumpkins or other incidents reported so far.