Halloween.

11 AM, we are in Salem and ready to experience the magic of Halloween Town!
The streets are quiet, but there is a buzz in the air. Breakfast at Red’s, is a clue to the potential of the day. The line is out the door and we wait with witches and lions and all manner of hungry creatures. ‘Highest quality, lowest prices around!’ The line moves fast and the famous pancakes are slightly bigger than the plates they are served on. Don’t order more than one. You’ll be sorry. We find our Salem contact Ellen and she provides us with our credentials and sets us up at the corner of Washington and Front Street. We are out of the street and on the walkway and immediately the fun starts, taking pictures, explaining our mission -and we are fundraising. The crowds build fast. The time machine is seldom without a crowd. The day flies as we talk and take pictures through the afternoon and into the night. Martys and Docs, fairies and devils. Michael Myers and Freddys. Bananas, and even a Franken-Potter. Everyone out in their finest costumes. Occasional entertainment passes down the street, impromtu percussion bands, unicyclists and the screaming waves. Like “the wave” arm-waving but joyful-wailing screams. The spirits are out indeed. The fund raising was awesome. Dollar after dollar dropped into Mr. Compassion. Every little bit helps. Both Oli and I met amazing people; a 50-year-old man who cares for his 80-year-old father with Parkinson’s, his words, “it’s a mean disease”. A young man tells us about his brother being diagnosed with young onset PD. Ellen stops by again to make sure we’re o.k. and nearby shop owners offer their encouragement and support (and washrooms!). Each event we do is different, and this one was no exception. People were seeking us out to donate. They’d heard from someone that we were there, and they wanted to take part. Word of mouth! The time machine had it’s appeal, however the crowds seemed to really be into the mission! Wonderful people. Around 10:30pm the weather starts to turn colder and rain clears the streets. As we pack up we discover the car battery is dead! Time travel is not always smooth. Finding an outlet, we take a break and charge up while charting a course for the night’s lodging. It was an incredible Halloween, and we share stories with each other about the characters we met. The DeLorean decides it’s time to go, so the engine cranks, and we say goodbye to Salem!