Sunset on the year

As I've said before, my favorite New Year's movie is 'Flower Drum Song'.  In it the patriarch of the family pays all of his bills before the start of the new year.  I liked the idea so I've made this my New Year's eve tradition.  No outstanding fines or books at the library - check.  Mailed out payment for monthly bills - check.  Paid rent on my safety deposit boxes at the bank - check (though I forgot it until this morning.)  Paid my property taxes - check.  The town treasurer sends a list of days she'll be at the town hall if anyone wants to pay in person.  All of her collection dates were in 2017 except for today, Saturday the 31st, from 9 - 11 a.m.  I bopped over this morning  to pay and maybe pick up a little gossip.  Michelle said she came to the town hall on Friday just to turn up the heat and get things set up in her office for the next day.  However, before she could leave, people started showing up wanting to pay taxes.  She didn't have the heart to turn them away.  It was 1 p.m. that Friday before there was finally no one else waiting outside her office.   Exactly how that many people would have known she was there and, on an unscheduled day, decided to come in to pay their taxes is a mystery to me.  However, this is the country and nothing escapes notice for long.