Greetings faithful readers. Well, we finally got our first KILLER FROST of the season. As I write this column on Thursday morning, November 2nd, it is 25 degrees. The annual plants I don’t plan on moving indoors are now dead. I covered my geraniums that are gathered on my front porch with some old sheets and this weekend they will be moving indoors for the winter. My late Grandmother Margaret Brown used to move her geraniums in the barn during the winter. They were along the windowsills, in front of the cows. I have a few more daffodil bulbs to plant this winter. The deer have already gotten into my pumpkins. It appears many of the Canada Geese have flown south already. Last week I heard some geese high up in the sky, honking, but it was cloudy, and I couldn’t confirm that this was the case. Local Canada Geese don’t fly that high up in the sky, migrating geese are high up in the sky. My dark-eyed juncos arrived the other day. These birds migrate south to our area during the winter months. I have started to put out suet, for my red-bellied woodpeckers, but a bear showed up the other night and tore the suet holder to bits. I have several banged-up suet holders, due to bears trying to get to the suet. I understand that Bufflehead ducks landed on Mallory Pond earlier this week, as they migrate south. They also stop on our local ponds in the spring. 

In case you didn’t know it, Election Day is upon us!  I think the Town of Bethel wins first prize regarding campaign signs.  Some people say that signs don’t vote and don’t place that much faith in campaign signs. I beg to differ. I think that campaign signs are a sign of the candidate’s interest in the position (no pun intended). The Kenoza Lake United Methodist Women will be hosting their annual Election Day Soup, Chili & Krispy Kreme doughnut sale. This year, the sale must take place in the upstairs kitchen at the Kenoza Lake firehouse as the Board of Elections requested that we not have our sale downstairs, as in years past, due to voter privacy reasons. So please be sure to stop by before or after you vote and help support our Kenoza Lake United Methodist Women. No need to cook on Election Day. Who doesn’t like homemade soup or chili? Tell me the name of any person who can resist a Krispy Kreme Doughnut.

Thanksgiving is super early this year. I just called the Bethel Market Café and Thanksgiving pie orders are due on Saturday, November 18th. Tara & Courtney make the best pies in the county.  The phone number is 845-583-3130. They have a large selection of pies and cakes. If you are a Thanksgiving Day guest, you can bring a pie or if you are hosting the dinner, make your life a little easier and order one of Tara and Courtney’s pies. 

Get well wishes to Janet Terwilliger and Pastor Bridgette LeConey, who I understand is day-by-day making progress with her recovery.

It is scam season out there.  Sheriff Mike Schiff just released a press release about an “Officer Johnson” scam regarding jury duty and someone saying that they are with the Sheriff’s office. SCAM! The other day my mother, Marguerite Brown received a call from someone saying that they were with Spectrum cable company, and she had to change her modem in two days, otherwise she would have Internet access.  The other day I accidently did a google search for Chase and clicked on a scam website.  Suddenly, my computer screen got locked. There were bells ringing. Scary stuff out there. I was almost the victim of a gift card scam. Someone emailed me saying that they were Greg Goldstein. The person became belligerent. I finally spoke with Greg Goldstein, and he confirmed that it was a scam. But the person sent an email with Greg’s name. (Upon further investigation, the person created an email address close to Greg’s actual email address.) VIGILANCE! Scam, scam, scam! Please alert your loved ones, especially our elderly family members, friends, and neighbors. 

In case you are not aware of it, the annual white-tail deer rut is upon us. Bucks are chasing does like crazy now.  Be careful, no matter what time of day you drive. All caution is thrown to the wind when the rut is going on, as bucks have only one thing in mind, breeding. Most of the does will be bred by Friday, November 17th, the day before rifle season begins.