暖冬cool夏
這裏一年四季溫暖如春，沒有酷暑沒有嚴寒......
正文
十月底了，太陽還是不依不饒。上個星期的天氣都創記錄了，氣溫一直徘徊在90－100度，沒有一絲秋季的涼意。馬路上靠水澆灌的樹依然是綠的，沒精打采地耷拉在熱浪中。下班了，鑽進被太陽烤了一天的車內，一邊開，一邊心裏罵著鬼天氣。快到家時，才注意到邊上的小農場早已經掛起了橫幅，上麵掛著家喻戶曉、呲牙咧嘴的jack-o'－lantern，地麵上則擺著金燦燦的南瓜，一捆捆的麥秸。早已是秋天了，萬聖節也就在這幾天了。
走進社區，拐進熟悉的小路，拐角處的那幾家早就張燈結彩，掛滿萬聖節的裝飾，不外乎的是鬼屋、僵屍、死人頭、南瓜燈籠、蜘蛛網等等。每年到我們社區來要糖果的人總是絡繹不絕，人潮湧動，尤其是去年，停滿了車，那幾家門口擠得水泄不通，一條街全是人，真是少有的景象。記得那晚自己後來糖也分完了，隻好關了燈，趁機去社區轉轉，跟著人群也熱鬧了一番。
不由地就想起女兒，大了，不在家了。記得她小時候，我沒工作在家，萬聖節的下午帶著她跟著一群台灣媽媽和小朋友去mall裏要糖果。我們走過一家家商店，一家家的要糖果。這麽大一個mall，走的都不喊累。晚上還帶著她在附近挨家挨戶繼續要。女兒對萬聖節是既愛又怕，怕的是那些精靈鬼怪，一動不動地站在那兒，等你靠近了，突然伸出爪子，在你麵前晃動，真是靈魂都要嚇出來的。我牽著她的小手，走著，要著，直到走不動了，桶也滿了，才打道回府。如今，那個踮著腳尖要糖果的小姑娘已經長大了，飛走了，我想牽她的手都夠不著了；那雙曾經的小手今日也已經自食其力了。高興乎，傷感乎？
萬聖節從某種意義上說也是糖果節了。據說，今年預估糖果的銷量會達到$2.7 billion。雖然我知道糖果並不健康，可那是孩子的節日和歡樂時光，我想我不忍心拒絕那一雙雙期盼的眼睛，對著他們說，"Sorry，we run out of candy"。得，趕緊多準備點糖果去。
It is late October, when people in the colder areas may expect the season to be ablaze with fall color, we normally don’t have such an expectation. For the whole week the temperature has been hovering around 90 to 100 degrees, a record high for this time of the year. Getting into the sunbaked car, driving along the water-irrigated dull evergreen trees by the road sides, you won’t feel in the fall at all. But a small farm on the street corner, where piles of golden pumpkins and stacks of neatly-cut hays on the ground, as well as a banner of the carved jack-o’-lantern images in the air, remind us it is the harvest time, and that Halloween is just around the corner.
Our community has a tradition of holding annual Best Halloween Decoration Contest, which as a result becomes a well-known destination for trick-or-treating among the neighboring areas. Last year saw the unprecedented crowd, as the winners who sat next to the entrance put on whopping and jaw-dropping Halloween decorations. Spectators, young and old, dressed up in a myriad of costumes, flocked to our community for candies and for the scene. I remember that I bought a big bag of candy from Costco last year, but it ran out unexpectedly in the end. A bit embarrassed, we decided to turn off the light, walked out the house and joined the crowd. As we strolled in the darkness along the decorated houses that were shrouded in smoky and haunting atmosphere with RIP signs, flickering lights, skulls or spooky projected images and music, we did feel the feel.
I was then reminiscent of the old days, when I drove my daughter to the big mall for trick-or-treating, and of the nights when I held her little hand in mine to the neighboring communities for candies. More than once, she was scared to death by the disguised walking dead man, who stood motionless in front of the house until you approached him. But like most other kids, she was excited meanwhile at watching her candy bucket growing full in the end. Now she is grown up and out of nest, I am no longer needed. But maybe it is my time to return the favor, though we did not live here when she was little. I like hearing the doorbells being rung and seeing those cute toddlers or kids in front of my house expecting surprises. Though I know candy is not healthy, it is their fun time and happy moment. I hate to let them down. I am preparing more candies this year.
While trick-or-treating is what may lure most kids, the freedom of putting on any costume they could imagine and being one-night supernatural figure must be equally appealing. Even in the adult world, at least in the company like mine, employees are dressed up for costume contests and shows. Downstairs employees paraded to upstairs, and upstairs people rushing downstairs. Foods, cookies, candies, potluck, and laughters filled the day up. Nobody seems to really care about work. I am looking forward to that day, not as a participant, but more as an on-looker, watching and having some fun in the workplace.
暖冬吃了糖果，要多鍛煉啊！哈哈。周末快樂！
萬聖節我也挺喜歡給孩子們發糖的。看著一個個裝扮成小精靈的孩子，特高興，那種感覺說不出來。
今年來trick-or-treating 的孩子格外的多，有一個非常可愛的男孩對我說，Please，handful，然後看到我給的糖，非常滿意的說，Yes it is handful。
能讓孩子們快樂是一件多麽高興的事。
周末快樂！
俺家孩子已經知道把暖冬的英語文背出來去交作業了。
：（ ：）
萬聖節隨著孩子們的長大，家裏隻是每年往外發糖了。
女兒的學校離家近好啊，菲兒常常可以去看她，更多地參與她的成長。謝謝菲兒臨博！
昨天晚上和老公散步，拍了幾家裝得有趣的房子。
我和老公說，鬼節曾經給我們的孩子帶來過巨大的樂趣。我們雖然沒有裝飾，也要傳承這個傳統，為了更多的孩子們。
明天這兒預計會下雨/雪，可能“討糖”活動會取消。
暖冬的雙語文寫得棒極了，可以拿來當英語課文了。佩服，學習！
We'll be TT-ing tomorrow. Won't miss that for anything!