bob

The fellow pictured above is my good friend, Bob. Bob makes it down from the attic every October to help us celebrate Halloween. I’m not sure when he started his annual appearance, but I think it was about 15 years ago. Bob is looking a little worse for wear this year. His right arm is missing so he won’t be able to hand out candy to trick or treaters.

Most years Bob is somewhere in our front yard. Sometimes he hangs from the flagpole next to the front door. Sometimes he’s waving from the front window. This year he is sitting in a camp chair in front of his tent.

I’ve noticed a lot of Bobs in our neighborhood this year. Some of them are ten feet tall. Some are little bitty and there are a dozen of them in the trees. There’s one that appears to be pole dancing. (I don’t think my Bob is old enough to go to that house.)

Bob is just one of the decorations we have had through the years. Before they all burned out, we had a large collection of orange lights. At one point we had a little remote-controlled broom. It came with a little dish to put the candy in, and we could guide it down the sidewalk to deliver candy to the neighbors. I worked really well until one kid stepped on it and broke it. One of my all-time favorites was the little miniature Bob who was locked in a cage. It came with a motion sensor so that when someone came near, Bob would start screaming “Let me out of here!”

Some people don’t care for the whole Halloween thing. Some believe the day undermines the Christian faith. I’ll leave that for the theologians to debate. For me Halloween is day to dress up, go out with friends, and collect your favorite candies. Bob will be on duty Halloween night until about 8:30, when he has to go to bed. Hope you can come by!