State Street, pre-Halloween.

It was a beautiful day here in Madison, Wisconsin, with temperatures in the 60s and bright sun (made fall-like by long shadows in mid-afternoon). Lots of young people circulated along the blocks that would turn into a Halloween party mood before long.

Get ready! Buy some costumes!





Soak up the atmosphere:





Notice any politics? Look closer:



Oh, but who's doing politics today? It's a beautiful Saturday. Let's just hang out and have some latte:



Gotta run now. What? What's this?



While you were hanging out and latte-sipping, politics set up shop on pre-Halloween State Street. Oh, I see they've got a petition they're hoping all the kids will stop and sign. They want a referendum on the ballot here in Wisconsin that would demand that the troops be brought home from Iraq:



The signature-seekers are all middle-aged and older. The pre-Halloween young folks don't go anywhere near them. One man with a clipboard-and-petition goes over to a woman with a clipboard-and-petition and says: "Are you getting many?" She says: "No."

Oh well. Take a break. Enjoy the sun:



The "left wing gear" purveyor isn't doing a brisk business either:



I walk back toward my car. Near the campus end of the street, the city has put up some portable toilets to help out the Halloween crowd. Nearby, an old guy is banging on drums and half singing:

Money, money, money, money
They say the best things in life are free
But try giving that stuff to Mr. B