Former Rock Ridge Road residents Irene and Harold Schwartz were up from Palm Beach recently, I hear. They were on a mission to retrieve a piano out of storage for delivery to their son, Danny, in Boston. Nice time of year to take a break from Florida, anyway, and enjoy the crisp New England weather.

Mother Nature has been busy painting the scenery around Newtown. Bright oranges and yellows are dressing up the trees all over town, and it looked last week like someone had tossed a can of red paint onto the trees surrounding Hawley Pond. The roar of lawn blowers has been in the air, too, as residents try to keep ahead of the falling leaves. Personally, I prefer the “Scratch, scratch, scratch” of rakes taking up leaves. Maybe that’s just a cat thing….

It was a double celebration at St Rose School on September 30, when Monsignor Robert Weiss ordered 500 blue cupcakes to celebrate the school’s prestigious Blue Ribbon Award it recently received — and the monsignor’s own birthday. (We won’t count the candles…) First and second grade students sang “Happy Birthday” to Monsignor Bob as the cupcakes were unveiled, and I understand that more “blue” celebrations are in store for the school during the upcoming year. Congratulations to the staff and students of St Rose, and to Monsignor Bob, as well!

When I think of cake, I think of ice cream. The Ferris Creamery will be winding down for the season the end of this month. It could be a long winter without any of the locally made ice cream, but fear not — it is possible to order containers of your favorite flavor before the end of the month. Stop by and place your order, or pick up an order form. That way, when that late night craving for 302 Chocolate Moo or Bada Bing hits you in mid-February, you’ll be all set.

Here’s an idea to kick around if you are looking for something to do next Thursday evening. Newtown High School’s boys’ soccer program will hold its Soccerfest Thursday, October 15, during the varsity team’s 7 pm game against Joel Barlow High at Blue & Gold Stadium. The Soccerfest was originally scheduled for this past Saturday but was washed out, along with the game against Holy Cross, by heavy rain. (The Holy Cross game has been rescheduled for October 17, at noon, at Blue & Gold Stadium.) Soccerfest fun will include a cotton candy machine, face painting, and inflatable soccer ball kicking competition. Funds for the soccer teams will be raised through a silent auction on gift baskets and donated items, as well as raffle tickets.

If that’s not enough fun for you, slip into your biking shorts and check this out: The annual Grapes of Wrath Mountain Bike Race will be held at McLaughlin Vineyard on Albert’s Hill Road, at 1 pm, this Saturday, October 10. Mountain bike racers and spectators are welcome. Prize is $1,000, and that can buy a lot of kitty food. The Sandy Hooks Vintage Base Ball team will be playing and there will be an Ultimate Frisbee game on the grounds. For information, visit sandyhookcycle.com or email terrence.ford@glacialenergy.com.

Leave it to NVAC EMT Ken Lerman to come up with a thrifty way to keep everyone at the ambulance garage healthy. With the cost of hand sanitizer hovering around $60 a gallon, Ken found a formula for hand sanitizer, bought some small bottles, and stirred up “Ken’s Brew Against the Flu (With Agent 729)” for his fellow corps members. It’s got the regular ingredients and alcohol, plus Ken throws in a little something special — vanillin, to balance the traditional medicinal aroma. I wonder if patients aren’t going to get a strange craving for baked goods when the ambulance crew is on hand?

If you’re seeing pink this month, it’s not just a toned down version of seeing red. Pink is the color of Breast Cancer Awareness, and October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Lots of women (and some men, too) are making it a point to wear pink during the entire month in support of the need to find a cure for breast cancer. Local real estate agent Jackie Zvon has even gone so far as to add pink highlights to her hair for the month! Nearly 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer have been diagnosed in the US in 2009, and one in eight women can expect to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer in her lifetime. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, although early detection and treatment means that fewer women are dying. There are 2½ million breast cancer survivors in this country. To donate, visit abcf.org. A little can go a long way in changing someone’s life.

A sure sign that autumn has taken hold is that the final Sandy Hook Organic Farmers’ Market is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13. Then we have to wait a whole ‘nother year for the creative crafts and uberfresh fruits, veggies, and other local products sold there each week. The market is open from 2 to 6 pm, and is located behind St John’s Episcopal Church on Washington Avenue. For more information, call 313-9908. Take time to stop by, do some shopping, and wish the vendors “au revoir,” ’til next year.

As for me, it’s just “au revoir” until next week, when I’m sure you will…. Read me again.