My husband settled down in the foyer from six in the evening until just past eight as he usually does on Halloween night, to respond to the door bell as neighbourhood children came around trick-or-treating. He had the patience which I lack, to do this; his reaction to the children is spontaneous and appreciative; mine is strained; figure that one out. He settles down, reading his latest book choice (Diana Mosley: a Life), awaiting each fresh arrival.  This year he estimates that about fifty children rang the doorbell for their chocolate treats. One bumper year we had twice that number, but the presence of  young children has been steadily diminishing as home owners grow older and their children leave childhood behind.

Jack and Jill barked their fool little heads off with each ringing of the doorbells, so we had to keep them confined outside the foyer to make certain that no small  children coming to the door would be frightened. The night passed uneventfully. I could hear, from where I was busy blogging at my computer station in the family room, the bright and cheery repartee that passed between my husband and our evening callers.

The next morning we found other callers; the doves have returned to spend their winter around our neighbourhood, drawn by the bird feeder that my husband keeps well stocked. The feeding station for furry wildlife will be maintained throughout the winter months, but it will be a more modest, ruder station, utilitarian but approachable; this time without a roof.

The bluejays are continuing to come around to the feeder, as are the cardinals, redpolls and various types of sparrows. Nuthatches and chickadees are frequent visitors. They all reward us through their entertainment quotient, where we watch their comings and goings. Even Jackie and Jillie have become accustomed to seeing them gather; no longer barking furiously at the appearance of other animals on what they consider to be their inalienable turf.

The antics of the squirrels remain a never-ending source of amusement, as they pursue their serious take on territorial imperative; the tiny reds chasing the much larger greys and blacks, themselves not averse to taking exception at seeing their own kind taking advantage of the seeds-and-nuts spread available for all of them.