Happy Halloween!

It’s Halloween and the costumes you see around the shore area today will be a bit different from the past.  Instead of witches and warlocks, skeletons and bumble bees and werewolf’s and Indian maidens you’ll find many in jeans, sweatshirts and boots.  They won’t be saying trick or treat but rather “we need to find another place to live” or “boy what I would give for a hot cup of coffee.”

Yes Halloween 2012 will not be remembered for what your children brought home but more just the fact your children are still with you.  For many they will wake up this morning (if they slept at all) for the second straight day without power, having lost it sometime Monday when Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy delivered a knockout punch to the shore area.

Many are not waking up in their own home but rather that of a family member or friend or even in one of the many shelters in and around the area.  While the worst of the storm is over for some the reality of what’s next has not yet been felt.  They home they own or apartment they rent may be damaged or destroyed…their possessions may be ruined.

What do they do and where do they go. What happens now? Those are the questions being asked and not “how many Snickers bars did you get” or “let’s trade a Kit Kat for a bag of pretzels.”

While some spent part of yesterday cleaning up, others were still being evacuated.

The focus of course has been on the shore area but places like Forked River have had more than their share of problems and the eastern portion of Toms River near Bay Avenue was easier traveled by kayak than car.   A popular picture circulating yesterday showed a small shark swimming in Toms River and not in the ocean.Today is Halloween and there will be no treats…unless you get your power back.

There is talk locally and around the state about a day next week in which kids can dress up and go trick or treating.  It seems frivolous but might bring joy…something we could all use.

Most schools remain closed and there is speculation that this weekend’s high school football games could be cancelled with the season extended by a week and the playoffs starting later than scheduled.  Again frivolous to some but as we’ll soon find out we will need some normalcy in our lives.  So Happy Halloween….whatever that means.