Greetings to all! Faithful readers of this column know that I lived and worked in France back in the 1980s and 1990s. France is known as a Catholic country, even though the country has become very secularized. November 1st is All Saints Day and in France and it is a public holiday. Many French people go to cemeteries on November 1st to pay their respects to deceased loved ones. As you may know, Halloween is tied into All Saints Day as it is the Eve of the Hallowed. November 2nd is All Souls Day.

The only other Kenoza Lake columns this month will run on November 8 and 22.

Last Sunday I had a nice chat with Tom Puerschner about blue birds. Tom wanted to know when they are in the area. Unfortunately, even though blue birds are my favorite birds, I rarely have blue birds on Pucky Huddle Road. I am lucky if I see three blue birds a year on Pucky Huddle Road. I suggested that Tom speak with my cousin Leah Waldron and Linda Loughery as these two ladies have many more blue bird sightings than I do. I will also ask Carl Lindsley. It seems like the blue birds are here almost year-round birds, however I will check on this. A few years ago, I had a blue bird on the Otto back deck in January or February, where I had some sprigs of the gorgeous red winterberry on a table.

It is rut time for the white-tail bucks, who are busy running around looking for hot does. Beware of deer flying across the road as the bucks through caution to the wind and the does play hard to get. Also, beware of the wet leaves. The oak trees are not the same color as the maples, but various shares of burnt orange, and have their own beauty. The Japanese maple trees are gorgeous.

Still no killer frost! Still time to plant bulbs. Lisa Schick, of L & M Farms, Route 17B, Bethe, (near Hector's Inn on Dr. Duggan Road) still has bulbs for sale, as well as apples and pumpkins.

Those of you who have red oak trees on your property will note that there are lots of acorns this year. This is known as a MAST year. I have been picking up red oak acorns for weeks now, from the huge Red Oak tree that graces the Otto residence Pucky Huddle front lawn. (By the way, deer prefer acorns from white oak trees as there is less tannin, than red oak acorns.) I read however that that the acorns attract more mice, who really carry more of the Lyme disease tick than the deer do. It is crazy, but we have not yet had a killer frost so beware of deer ticks! Vigilance is the key word.

The annual tribology of roast beef firemen dinners is now done for the year. I believe, not 100% sure, that the Lutherans will be having their annual pork dinner on Sunday, November 3rd. This is a delicious meal, check the community calendar to verify.

The Kenoza Lake United Methodist Church preaching schedule for November is as follows:

November 3rd Dr. Allen Wachter (communion will be served), November 10th, Linda Simmons, November 17th - Paul Thompson, November 24th, Joseph (Bud) LeConey. If you haven't attended church recently, you should really plan to stop by and hear one or all of the preachers. We are truly blessed to have the various lay preachers in our pulpit, who all, in my humble opinion, deliver excellent sermons. The Kenoza Lake United Methodist Women will be having their annual Election Day soup & chili and Kripsy Kreme Election Day sale at the Kenoza Lake fire house. The United Methodist churches of Kenoza Lake, Livingston Manor and Jeffersonville will take place on Monday, November 4th at the Jeffersonville United Methodist Church, 7:00 pm. Our new District Superintendent, Karen Monk is expected to lead the annual meeting.

Thank you to my sister Nancy Neumann for volunteering to plant spring bulbs around Kenoza Lake! Next spring when you see the daffodils, tulips and alliums, you will know who to thank.

Even though I am a Mets fan, I watched with much interest, the World Series. The Mets and the Nationals have much in common including being underdogs and both in the Eastern Division of the National League. Truly Amazin', that is how I would describe the Nationals. What a series, what a World Series!

Good Luck to Susan Harte who will be running in the NYC Marathon on Sunday - running with the Allyson Whitney team.