Halloween- Minneapolis Surprise!!!

DJ hit the nail on the head.. Halloween ranked right up there with birthdays, Christmas and the last day of school as a "look forward" date.

I recall one year that mom and dad asked us if we would like to go to Minneapolis and trick or treat. Minneapolis, home to Auntie Nell, Auntie Mae and "Uncle" Bud. We loved going to Minneapolis because it was where we always went for Christmas, so how could Halloween not be awesome. However, there was one thing tied to this trip, it was to be a surprise. the aunties did not know we were coming.

Dad timed the 9 hour or so trip from Rockford to Minneapolis to get us there just in time for normal trick or treating. We were very excited to pull one over on the aunties.

It was already dark by the time we parked a house away from 4608 Ewing. Hastily, we put on our costumes and yanked out our paper/pillow case bags and the four of us clambered up the walkway to the door. We rang the familiar doorbell while singing out, "trick or treat!". Auntie Mae came to the door and gave each of the four masked young people a treat and graciously closed the door. Hmm, she didn't recognize us, so moments later, we rang the bell again. Auntie Mae came back to the door and was obviously perplexed and a bit "put out", from the stern expression, that we were back. That is when we said ( in unison),"We get better treats than this in Rockford!" It took a moment, but as we removed our masks and screamed "trick or treat" again, Nellie came running to the door. Both were shocked and overwhelmed. It was great and we all laughed over the prank as Uncle Bud unloaded and put his WWI carbine back in the closet muttering something about how much he wanted to use it again and this was a missed opportunity. This was truly the beginning of many more Jensen kid pranks to come.

Halloween in Rockford circa 1957

Booo! Ah yes, memories of Halloween in Rockford.....where to start? Costumes were always homemade and a bit cheesy as we got older. Being a "Bum" was a popular outfit....old, torn clothes, cork-blackened face, and an old broom handle over the shoulder with a bag on the end. A "ghost" was another easy costume...sheet over head with holes cut for eyes...voila! Soldiers and sailors were also popular since everyone's dad had an old uniform...a bit baggy, but who cared?

In those days we didn't have any fancy-schmancy bags or pails for our loot, just sturdy paper grocery bags. We'd put our name on it just in case.....but we never really had to worry as it was never out of sight. RJ and I would be running from house to house....no walking, not time....we were on a mission to collect the most candy we could in the 3-4 hours allotted. Heck, we would still be trick or treating at midnight if we could. In addition to the usual candy bars, we'd get the occasional popcorn ball, apple or orange (yuk!), or homemade cookie. No one worried about peanut allergies, razor blades or poisoned food, and we never heard of anyone having problems like that. The candy would last for days....neigh, weeks if properly rationed and if mom didn't raid it while we were at school.....hmmm

As we got older, we did less treating and more "tricking".....soaping car windows, throwing eggs at houses, and my personal favorite: the bag of dog poop on the porch, then lit on fire, ring the doorbell, and run like hell! Beautifully creative and it always worked like a charm!

Ahhhh, today's kids don't know what they missed......

Brookfield Zoo

Donna and I went to Brookfield Zoo today – a gorgeous warm October Sunday without a Bears game. Everyone else within a 3 state area must have had the same idea. It has been 2 years since we last went there and there have been changes…..mostly for the better, but we reminisced about what is no longer there.
THE BAD:
• Long gone is the great steam train that used to run a circuit around the park
• The Reptile House is now the Swamp House, but still has the crocs and alligators and same pungent aroma
THE GOOD:
• More and better food concessions and picnic areas. This is a big plus.
• Moving the polar bears and grizzlies to their own more spacious area (Bear Wilderness)
• A new nature trail around Indian Lake near the Salt Creek
• The carousel is still there and is beautiful……. By the way, who are the people that wait to get on a carousel and then ride in the stationary seats or the horses that don’t go up and down? I never could understand that. It’s one of the first things you learn as a kid: look for the horse with the pole that goes up and down and race like hell to get there first.