A month or two ago I started a version of the Neighbourhood Zoo that I call the Gifford Street Animals. It has been interesting to see kids and families interact with it each day. I often place a question with the animals to prompt conversations such as “What are you thankful for?” or this week “What is the animals favourite treat?” for Halloween. In the photo you see the question and animals early on Halloween Day.

It rained heavily through most of the evening making it a wet chilly night for trick or treating. The rain continued through the night bringing down many leaves, destroying the cardboard sign and covering the animals with dirt and leaves. It was a mess.

I am often struck by the conversations going on out there and when neighbours add animals to it, but this morning was amazed and delighted as a young boy and his father cleaned up all of the leaves, dusted off and reorganized the animals and pieced the sign back together.