There’s a full Harvest Moon rising Saturday night and I intend to go prowling in the corn field to catch a few mice while the rest of you are out in your gardens picking those tomatoes and zucchini. Have to start fattening myself up for the coming winter, especially since the Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting more cold and snow than usual. Hate to think about what that might do to energy prices and heating bills.

Speaking of energy –– the paranormal kind –– those storied Center Cemetery ghosts were out again on Monday night as the Newtown Historical Society put on terrific encore performance of “Newtown Notables, Gone But Not Forgotten” inside the Newtown Meeting House before a packed house of brave souls. Event Chairman Patty Graves set the mood with slides of gravestones as she introduced each of the ten famous ghosts. “See and feel the energy,” she told everyone. “The cemetery gates are open and the spirits invite you in.” Even I felt a little chill as one by one they “apparated” (Harry Potter verb) onto the stage and spoke in front of their monuments.

The ghost of Ezra Levan Johnson (1832–1914), town historian during the town’s bicentennial in 1905, remarked at how much things had changed in 100 years and how town historians do come and go. “I hear you’ve got a pretty good one now. David, or Donald, or is it Daniel, Cruson, I believe?” The audience laughed out loud, and Bart Schofield playing Ezra enjoyed a chuckle at Dan’s expense.

I hear Governor M. Jodi Rell was shopping for a running mate for the 2006 state elections.

I don’t know about you, but I think Dr Bob Grossman and the governor look pretty good together. I think the good doctor would get the gov a few votes in Newtown. This photo, by the way was taken by yet another doctor, David Charash, at the Labor Day Parade.

Newtown’s notable conductor Richard E. Servagi apparently shines on the links too as he made a hole-in-one at on the eighth hole at Newtown Country Club last week. He was playing with Joe Humeston who reports that the shot was made with a seven iron.

Another great event in motion, the annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, steps off this weekend to raise money for Dana-Faber Cancer Institute. There will be three Newtown residents among the walkers. Amy Cameron and her daughter Riley, an eighth grader at the middle school, will be walking in honor of a friend’s daughter who was treated for cancer. Paul Knapik of Platts Hill Road, who used to be a runner, also will be participating. They promise to report their results next week.

Speaking of runners, the Reach the Beach runners from Newtown might be more than just tired when their 24-hour stint is over. They could end up a bit on the soggy side, too, if the tail-end of Hurricane Ophelia decides to dump on them as they traverse the 200-mile course from Bretton Woods, N.H., to Hampton Beach, N.H., this weekend. The Reach the Beach Relay, which benefits New Hampshire State Parks, attracts runners from all over the world, including Karen MacKnight, Kevin MacKnight, Jack Weber, Tom Muhrta, Keith Radcliff, Tracy Van Buskirk, Debbie Burkhardt, Greg Ritzinger, and Dan Germain, all of Newtown. Are they ready to take on the rugged terrain? “Well, we’re a little nervous,” says Tracy Van Buskirk, “but we’re really excited!”

The corrugated birthday cake out front of Dr Gellert’s Church Hill Road office might not have “taken the cake” at the Labor Day Parade, but it is a cheerful reminder that while the Labor Day Parade is over, there are still three more months of Newtown’s 300th anniversary to celebrate.

All of the huffing and puffing at Dance, Etc. studio on Route 6 lately isn’t from the lithe dancers taking lessons there. Pat Babbidge’s Priority Fitness classes resumed this month after taking a break during August, and her faithful followers are discovering forgotten muscles. Ouch.

If you see Peg and Stretch Forbell, be sure to wish them a happy 50th anniversary this week!

We were supposed to get some pretty good downpours at the end of this week, but most of the summer has been so dry that the trees have started chasing the dogs. Paul Miles tells me he was doing some landscaping work recently in Southbury and dug a four-foot trench. He noted that there is was not moisture to be found anywhere. The bottom of the trench was powder dry.

Well, it’s the bottom of this column and I’m running dry here, but I’ll be full up again next week, so be sure to…

Read me again.