To all my loyal and snickering readers, I thank you for your patience. Raising all thing young uns', even in as nice a place as Lawton, is a full time job.

But, every so often I just have to speak my mind. And apparently that's done some good, 'cause I noticed that the City Council is re-thinking the trash pickup rules, and those permanent arches make for a clear entrance to the park and should help get folks tuned in to where they are supposed to go by the time the next Holiday in the Park rolls around.

Which is good because it's going to be in use before next season. The International Festival Committee has announced that it's moving from downtown Library Plaza to Elmer Thomas Park this year. That will be on last weekend in September, if memory serves me.

All those Boy Scouts last summer who camped on top of the prairie dog holes did a wonderful job cleaning up after themselves. The park was neater when they left than when they arrived. Now let's just see if the festival-goers and city crews do as well as those 7,000 12-year-olds.

The International Festival also has those evening street dances (Will they now be call hillside dances?), so there will be nighttime activities, as well as all day. Early word about the schedule is that the activities will be very much the same.& ...

OK. You know you need to talk about it. You can’t get your two cents worth in the paper, on TV or the radio. Come sit down, have some tea and roots and let’s just get this out.

Does anyone know what the rules are about trash pick up in Lawton?

Lord knows I’ve tried to understand.

The other day, my cans got stood up on their date with the sanitation engineers. I thought it was because the cans were filled slightly over the top. But, no. I later discovered stickers on the handles that said they were more than 35 gallon containers. Say what? Now I’ve had these cans so long, there’s no writing left for me to know how much they hold. And apparently I’m not the only one. Half the cans in my neighborhood did not get picked up.

So I called a city government official. Using my kindest squeak, I inquired, “Why &%$## lazy (*&^$ taxpayer *&%$@# come election time _+)*&%!!!

To which I was told: 3 cans max, 35 gallon max, or 6 kitchen can-sized bags. Bags cannot be overstuffed.  Cans may not weigh more than 75 pounds each. Must be either cans or bags; cannot be a mix by the curb.

Luckily I was writing this down, because I wasn’t sure I heard correctly. Cans may not weigh more than 75 pounds? What am I supposed to do? Go outside with my bathroom ...

Well, mercy me, sorry it’s been so long but I had no idea that I was going to have so much company before Christmas!

In case you’ve been living in a hole (pun intended) and didn’t know, there is a lights display in Elmer Thomas Park. It’s called Holiday in the Park, and I suppose it is for some, but for those of us that live out here, it’s quite a distraction.

Now I’m all for getting into the holiday spirit, but I think this is one Hallmark card that needs to go back to the drawing board.

To begin, where do you enter this thing? The City of Lawton starts blocking off parts of Ferris Avenue and Cache Road between Second Street and Fort Sill Boulevard at four o’clock each day. In addition to regular traffic detours, and those driving around trying to figure out the entrance to Holiday in the Park, those going to evening functions at the Museum of the Great Plains and McMahon Auditorium are really screwed. I mean we’re talking about a group that is largely senior citizens driving battleships in the dark trying to find the one entrance to park at these facilities (It’s that road that runs along the East side of the Lawton High track off of Ferris, by the way.) When the event is over, they can only exit onto Cache Road and then only turn right. This requires getting onto Second Street and then deciding w ...

But, we were kids once. We didn't have much when we were growing up and some years we couldn't afford a costume, so Mom would tell us "Don't look so cute and go as a gopher!" I did have a scary costume one year. Went as a hawk. Plumb terrified the neighbors. "Knock, knock, squuuuaaak!" You should have seen them squeak and run.

But if your cubs do go shake down the neighbors (according to iVillage, www.ivillage.com, 44% of parents surveyed will allow their kids to trick-or-treat their neighborhoods), here are a few tips to keep it fun and safe.

• Remember that cute muffin Mayor Purcell has decreed that the official hours
  to grab it and bag it are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Halloween Night. 
• Another tunnel to take is to throw a Halloween party at home. 
• Instead of just cavity-making candy, you may want to have the
  kids scavenge for other prizes, say ...