Tonight was a spectacularly lovely Halloween evening. The warmest in recent memory, it hit nearly 70 degrees here in the upper midwest.

The kids got to put on their costumes without a coat over them (or three sweatshirts under). The candles all stay lit in the pumpkins with no wicked breeze to continually blow them out.

Our next-door neighbors took advantage of the evening by putting lawn chairs in their driveway and starting a fire in their portable chimney. They had a cooler of beer, candy, and a couple of extra seats. They invited us over. We sat outside for a couple of hours, engrossed in conversation and imbibing just a bit in a variety of ales and wines.. occasionally handing out handfuls candy to the small (and not-so-small) costumed darlings who came trick-or-treating. Their parents in tow, we spent time talking to them as well, acquainting ourselves with neighbors old and new, and made some promising connections.

We are now planning some informal cocktail-ish get togethers, and I am looking forward to it. Good people, sharing space and taking time out of their busy schedules to develop relationships.