In the northern tier states weather is looking super-seasonal - there will be a freezing cold snap that moves into the upper reaches of the south (touching Arkansas but not Louisiana, etc.) The long-range forecast here is a high of 78^o on Halloween, so now that most people have little concept of the COVID risk, there may be trick or treaters. I will again keep the lights off, turn off the motion-detector lights on the front and side doors, and hunker down with the dogs.

I lost 45 pounds this year. I don't bring junk food into the house much these days, and am not about to shoot myself in the foot with Halloween candy. Munching even the little pieces adds up to a slippery slope to weight gain. In past years I've bought things I didn't like to give out, but it's too much of a barking scrum at the door and I don't want to lock the dogs in a back room to hand out unfavorite treats.