To: Grove Lake HOA

Image courtesy of Sarah Brink on Unsplash.

To: Grove Lake HOA

From: Katie Kennedy, Secretary

Re: Holiday Preparations

Greetings my fellow Grove Lake residents! Katie here with a few friendly reminders as we head into the Autumn holiday season. Yay!

First, please do not roll your garbage cans out until Friday morning. Cans that get put out Thursday evening attract wildlife and other critters. Cassie spotted a mama bear and her triplets (yes! adorable triplets! photos on the Grove Lake site!) digging through her trash can last Thursday.

Second, please remember to bring your pets indoors at night. The temperature is dropping fast, and not all doggies and kitties have thick enough coats to stay comfortable outside overnight. Be responsible mommies and daddies of your four-legged furbabies!

Third, the new Hampton Creek development across the highway has apparently displaced several families of gnomes. Please remember: they may be small and hairy and ugly, but they are not dangerous! If you spot them, do not ask them to pose on your lawn for a picture. Just leave out some fresh fish. They are just passing through on their way to Mount Bybee.

Finally, decorations! Please remember to be respectful of others’ beliefs this time of year! Skeletons, zombies, jack o’lanterns and so forth are all fine. No dead witches crashed into trees, please! We do not want a repeat of last year. Fred was still coughing up newts and salamanders at the neighborhood Thanksgiving party.

Email me if you have any questions, comment, or concerns! And everyone have a safe and happy Autumn!

Katie

[Author’s Note: a slightly different version of this story was previously published on T. Gene Davis’ Speculative Fiction. Unfortunately, that site is no longer in operation. As such, the story is being offered here for those who might enjoy it.]

[Rebecca Buchanan is the editor of the Pagan literary ezine, Eternal Haunted Summer. She has been published in a wide variety of venues, a complete list of which can be found on EHS.]