When the cold front came in on Sunday afternoon, the strong winds came with it. Most of the leaves on our rose bushes came off. The maple tree in the next yard began shedding its leaves. There were leaves all over our street. Hubby moved all the pots of impatiens from the yard onto the porch. Hopefully that will protect the flowers for a few more days.

Back to our Cape vacation: I mentioned that there were some beautiful trees all along the way to the Cape. On the Cape itself, there are so many evergreen trees that we didn’t see as much color there. I read some interesting facts about leaves. 50 percent of all the nutrients extracted by the tree’s leaves, are still contained in the fallen leaves. Composting is the perfect way to return these nutrients to the soil and start the process all over again. I was amazed to read that the chemical change in leaves that leads to bright fall foliage starts around June 21. The Greek philosopher and naturalist Theophrastus (“Theo,” for short) wrote about falling of leaves but had no idea what actually caused them to fall.
After signing in at the front desk at Red Jacket, we found our room easily. (We’ve been going to the resort twice a year for 22 years.) We were sorry that our pals Elaine and Joan were not able to join us this time. It seemed so funny to have the adjoining room’s door closed to us. We sat down for an evening of TV. At 7 p.m., Hubby drove to the closest Dunkie’s and bought coffee to have with our large sub from D’Angelo’s. We cut the sub in half and that was just enough food for us. We watched the 10-O’Clock News on Ch. 56 and were asleep before 11 p.m.

The next morning, we were up early and had breakfast about 8 a.m. There was a women’s conference at the resort that weekend so the women were meeting in a room on the upper floor. The dining room was not yet very busy. Out we went to do some more shopping. We went first to the Christmas Tree Shop in West Dennis, which was the first one that we ever went to, “way back when.” There are still some special deals at that store so we love going there. Close to that Christmas Tree Shop, in the 60s, was Cuffy’s. Cuffy’s, in the beginning years, had outdoor tables filled with t-shirts. Our kids would help us look for t-shirts for themselves at just $1 or $2 each. We next went to the Dennisport Post Office to get some stamps. There are such nice employees at that post office. The two gals manning the desk were so helpful that day.

Next, we drove practically across the street to the Job Lot Store that now occupies the building that once housed Bradlees. It was still quite early so there were few shoppers. We discovered that there was a Dollar Tree Store where there formerly was an A&P in that same plaza. Hubby ran in and bought some earphones that daughter Sue needed for school.

From there we headed up Route 134 to the Patriot Square. What a lovely Hallmark Store there is there, called Holidays. I had to go in and get some cards. Hubby went into the CVS to get The Cape Cod Times so we’d know the local news. He also picked up two bottles of soda, a caffeine-free one for me. Off we went to Burger King and had lunch. On the way back to the Red Jacket, Hubby ran into the Benny’s Store. He always finds something on sale there. We dragged ourselves back to the Red Jacket. We had a few hours to rest before we went to the 4 p.m. Mass, at St. Pius the X Church.

After church, we went to the Hearth & Kettle Restaurant. We asked for a table near the windows so we could see the waterfowl usually swimming in the pond just under the restaurant’s windows. I was only able to see two ducks on Saturday. I understand that the restaurant feeds the waterfowl every day. A few years ago, a woman driver killed some of the birds as they were crossing Route 28 in front of the restaurant. She never stopped but witnesses were able to get her license number and she was cited for not stopping after she struck them. There will be a little more about our Cape escape next week.

Usually daughter Sue joins us on Saturday when we are down the Cape. This year she was unable to join us because she was to attend her 30th High School Reunion at Mount St. Joseph Academy that Saturday evening. As Susan entered the building, she was given a big hug by Mrs. Kathleen Heitman. She also was happy to see another teacher, Mrs. Jeanne (Ms. Cleary) Smith. Sue came in at just the same time as Susan (Hurley) Tevnan and they enjoyed sitting with each other for the rest of the evening. The festivities began with Mass. Other local graduates attending their 30th reunion were Maureen Sullivan, Margie Harrington, Eileen Campbell, Cheryl Calderone, and Elizabeth Corbett. (Maiden names are used to ease recognition.) Sue had a wonderful time at the reunion. She is already looking forward to her 35th.

Bravo to the Knights of Columbus, Dorchester Council 107, for collecting $2,500 selling Tootsie Rolls over the Columbus Day weekend. The council is sending the money to the Massachusetts Special Olympics. Anyone interested in joining the Knights should call the Grand Knight at 617-288-7663.
Here is a phone number that you might need during the next few months: the Butterball (Turkey) Talk Line is 1-800-288-8372. During the months of November and December, the staff manning the phones gives advice on cooking turkeys to 100,000 callers. I have called the Talk Line several times in previous years and received helpful advice.

Bravo, also, to the seniors at the Keystone Apartments. They gave 10 bags of groceries to St. Brendan’s Food Pantry. All the local parish food pantries need non-perishable food now with Thanksgiving and Christmas so near. Some, like St. Brendan’s, are also collecting warm clothes for needy men. St. Brendan’s gives these clothes to the Long Island Shelter. Also, at the Pope’s Hill meeting last Wednesday, Chris Whittemore mentioned that her school, the Edward Everett School, at 71 Pleasant St., near Uphams Corner, is collecting coats and winter jackets (men’s, women’s, and children’s) for the needy. Jordan’s Furniture and Anton’s Cleaners will take these clothes and divide them among 15 family charities. By the way, if the school collects a large number of coats and jackets, the pupils will be given a pizza party by the corporate sponsors. You may bring any coats or jackets that you no longer need to the school itself or you may bring them to the next Pope’s Hill meeting. That will be a combined November/December meeting on Wed., Dec. 1, 7 p.m., at the Leahy/Holloran Community Center, 1 Worrell St. Chris will take these items to her school. The students at the Everett School are also collecting non-perishable food for St. Ambrose Family Shelter. The students are doing such great things for those in need.

Hubby and I didn’t know that “Old Ironsides” would make a turnaround cruise on her 213th birthday, October 21. We listened to the 21-gun salute from Fort Independence at Castle Island on WBZ radio. We should have been at Castle Island to see her.

Speaking of ships, last Wednesday, Hubby and I drove over to Summer St. to see the Queen Mary 2, which was berthed at the Black Falcon Pier. She is such a beautiful ship. Hubby jumped out and took a few photos. Closer to the street, however, was a magnificent ship called the MSC’s Poesia. She seemed to be even larger than the QM2. We drove down First Street toward Castle Island. At every opening in the fence along A Street, Hubby jumped out and took photos of both ships from their sides. What a gorgeous sight they were.

We had very few children on Halloween evening, perhaps a dozen or so. Sometimes we think that our street is so small that the kids overlook it. We now have a bag and one half of Tootsie Pops left. Hubby loves to buy candy corn. We heard, on TV, that the Brach’s Candy Company is the leading maker of candy corn. If all the Brach’s Candy Corn pieces sold this year were laid end to end, the candy would circle the globe four and one-half times.

Earlier on Halloween, we went to St. Christopher’s Church to participate in the Fall Festival. There were many kids both inside in the church hall and even outside the church where they were bobbing-for-apples. Some of the kids, with their parents, were carving pumpkins that they had brought to church. Others were doing arts & crafts. The little children looked so cute in their costumes. Two of the children—and their Mom—were dressed in beautiful ladybug costumes. Father George, Louise, and Sister Elizabeth were going around the hall making sure that the children were having fun. Hubby had a cup of warm cider and even sampled two of the pies that were on the dessert table. (Our friend Joan Hill had brought a mince pie from Greenhills Bakery to Mass on Sat. for the festivities.) Some people left at the same time that we did so we would be home for the Patriots’ game. The kids were also ready to go home for Trick-or-Treating. It was a fun afternoon.

I liked this saying: “People don’t plan to fail; they just fail to plan.” (anon).