BOSTON Four hours before first pitch at Fenway Park on Sunday, a bright clear Boston morning in late summer, I noticed Chicago Bears Men Jersey a woman moving quickly down Yawkey Way nearly empty, at that hour, but for a few scattered peanut hawks and doing something rather unusual.

She was scattering fairy dust.

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I wouldnt have known it, either, except she was telling everyone she met. Hey. You there. Move out of the way. Ive got to scatter this fairy dust. And then shed bend over, shake some dust out of the jar she carried with her, and move on to the next door.

I just had to talk to her. How could you not? It turns out her name is Karen Potter of Worcester, Ma s. and shes one of those people you cant help but like instantly. Quick, sharp, white-hairedand funny, she was wearing a bright red polo shirt matched with a faded Red Sox cap covered in button after button of Sox miscellania.

What follows is a lightly edited transcript of our entire conversation.

Sporting News: So, tell me what youre doing here at Fenway on this fine Sunday morning. I think I heard something about fairy dust?

Karen Porter: I scatter this she raises a small jar, labeled Fenway Fairy Dust, high up in front of her with the air of one readying for battle at the openings all around this building. So that anybody who goes in or comes out has this Fenway Fairy Dust on their shoes for good luck.

SN: Right. That makes perfect sense.

KP: It makes perfect sense to me. And Ive actually proven this to Marqui Christian Jerseys be correct. One time when a pitcher who shall remain namele s was doing poorly, I happened to have some really good seats near the warning track, and I sprinkled some on. Instantly the game turned around. So I think, you know what, if nothing else is working in the bullpen right now, maybe this will do the trick. So we here she gestures to another woman younger whos been standing to her left, arms cro sed, with big sungla ses and a bemused smile. Her name is Jackie Walker. came from out by Worcester this morning to sprinkle.

SN: To Walker Is this your first time doing the dust?

Jackie Walker: Yeah.

KP: She drove.

JW: Thats all I am, the driver.

KP: Shes a good one.

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SN: How long have you been doing this?

KP: About five years, actually.

SN: And has it worked every time?

KP: It has worked better than not doing it. I wont say its been the only thing thats worked.

SN: So not a true randomized control trial you dont have a comparison group.

KP: No, no, no, this is just HIIIIIIIIII!

At this point in the conversation, Karen stops talking and rushed to embrace a woman whos just come up behind her, beaming, and tapped her on the shoulder. This, it turns out, is Sheryl Erwinof Boston.

KP: One of my Facebook friends came out to meet us! Shes part of the She Loves Red Sox group on Facebook, and

Karen pauses again, because shes spotted something. She beckons the group now growing and gathering around her to come in close, and gestures to a young man oblivious to us some 20 feet away. Hes maybe 16, fresh-faced, in a Red Sox fan services polo shirt and khakis. Hes entering Fenway through the club door on Yawkey Way.

KP: See this man, see this man didnt know it this young man going in over there, he doesnt know it, but hes carrying good luck into the park on his shoes.

The crowd falls impre sively silent.

SN: Hes an accomplice.

KP: A Dick Butkus Jerseys known accomplice, yes. An unindictable co-conspirator, as we used to say in the '60s.

SN: To Walker Whats your view of all this? Are you convinced?

JW: How could I not be convinced? The proof is in the past five years. Is she not convincing you?

KP: We actually sent a package of this with a Red Sox flag out to little Maverick Ed note: Maverick is a 6-year-old boy suffering from a heart defect and lung disease who, the previous year, had come out to Fenway to meet his hero David Ortiz . I dont know if hes gotten it yet, because hes pretty sick, but he could use a little Fenway Magic too.

SN: So whats in this magic dust?

KP: Well, it all started from the original batch. And when that worked, we mix it in with the new batch. If it doesnt, we chuck it. And its got green for hitting, gold for fieldingand silver for pitching. And she adds, no le s importantly its non-toxic.

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Chicago Bears Kids Jersey SN: So did you put extra silver in now because youre trying to help the bullpen?

KP: I think we need bats as much as we need anything else, OK. And I think it will help if they dont wear those damn jerseys. Ed note: The Sox had just lost back-to-back games to the Orioles, 16-3 and 7-0, wearing garish Players Weekendjerseys. I say give Chris Sale back his sci sors. And they should let us pick the nicknames on the back of the jerseys. That would be funny.

Sheryl Erwin: Nodding That would be wicked funny.

KP: Reflectively Were not at chicken and beer yet. This is still really a great season. Were still up, even though the Yankees won last night. Were still up. Im not we just want to be sure. One of my my Facebook friends was laughing at me this morning, and I said, you know, I dont care if its chicken feet and voodoo, holy water, or Fenway Fairy Dust. Here, her voice rises and elevates like a preacher getting into a rhythm with a congregation. That stuff is going at the doorways of this ballpark, and if it works it works.

SN: You have to, right? Its baseball. What else would you do?

SE: Exactly!

KP: Why do you think the pitchers dont step on the first base line when they return to the dugout? Because youve gotta be sure. Youve gotta be sure.