As Paul Bowker points out in his Friday, 14 Sept. column, Halloween is already in the air - or at least in the candy aisles.

Seeing signs of the holiday is not that surprising, with the eagerness of children and corporations alike anticipating October 31. But I started seeing talking pirate heads and spring-loaded skeletons in the second week of August. Even a major All Hallow's aficionado like myself has to admit that could be jumping the gun.

But it did get me thinking: Where do the boys and ghouls in Clay County go come October 31?

I want to work some magic and serious fun, photos and events into the My Clay Sun issues leading up to Halloween, provided Clay County bloggers can tell me where the good stuff is!

Last year was my first Halloween in the First Coast, and I was what you call 'over-prepared' for the season. I stocked up at CostCo with giant-sized Pixie Sticks, bubble gum and Bottlecaps packets, ghost garland and glowing skeleton hands lining the walk to my door, and skull-faced ghouls with chains and mesh hanging from my trees.

The lights were all on. Spooky movies from "Dawn of the Dead" to "Jeepers Creepers 2" were on the TV. I wore a costume for candy dispersal... and yes, so did the dogs.

Total trick-or-treaters: 10. (Not counting the high-schoolers who nearly got a broom to the temple for banging on my door around midnight after the lights were out, the universal symbol for 'go treat elsewhere'.)

I was surprised. I'd thought that here, with the history and notorious tales of hauntings, that there'd be some serious activities as we approached November. Where did I go wrong?

Starting now, I'm going to be soliciting favorite Halloween memories, notices for events in the making, photographs of costumes both adorable and awful, ghost stories from your neck of the woods... anything and everything. E-mail me with your ideas, photos, etc. at chanel.martin@jacksonville.com, and of course, share them here!

Trick or treat!