~:: All Hallows Eve ::~

Getting the decorations out. In time.  Not at the last minute. Bought the pumpkins and the corn stalks from a farmer up the road a ways.  The horse blanket is NOT part of this.

The lovely iron pumpkin bought at Swiss Days.  A local guy. Woo-hoo – we can get as many as we want whenever we want. But then, how many iron pumpkins do you need?

One crazy black cat.

Another crazy black cat.

The scary porch.

The scary dog on the scary porch.

I love, I love, I love to shoot this scene through this door –

This door –

This door.

Scary fish on scary porch.

After the front came through and the leaves came down like shredded heaven.

The sweet scary dog.

Through the living room window. My mom taught me to put black cat and pumpkin silhouettes in the window. I loved it – back in LA when I was little and dressed as a fuzzy cat. I still love it. These are the same cats and pumpkin we’ve had for the last twenty eight or so years.  A little delicate now, but still serviceable.

Do not ask me about the scary deer.  I don’t have time to explain.

But there – now you can see them better.

Bats, hung from the porch roof.  Look closely at the one on the left.  He looks like he’s spinning in a high wind, but really, he’s absolutely still.  Somehow, his fishline tether froze at this amazing angle, and there he stays.

The terrifying spider on the front gate.

Oy – the cats are back.

And here’s Bob. I did not make Bob. I bought Bob.  At the Farmer’s Market. Because I loved him. Actually, I bought him for Meridee because it’s so much easier to spend money if it’s for someone else. But I knew, with every step I took homeward, that I had NOT bought him for Meridee – and that, now he was bought, I could admit this to myself. Which I did.  Tucker is not impressed.  I bought someone else for Meridee.  The next week. Not Ralph. I can’t remember his name, darn it =-

Actually, Tucker is not that impressed with the corn either. I tried to explain that it’s actually INDIAN corn and that, when you discover the little cobs hidden on the stalks, they come in all kinds of dramatic, pearly colors. He didn’t care. But I LOVE it.

Scary man doing something in the scary dining room.

Scary TV.

Scary front hall.

Scary front window.  With dog bowl.

Bob, when he’s home.

This is not a sign in my house. None of the signs in my house say anything close to this. Not even the ones in the kitchen. I shot this when we were at a youth conference in the Los Alamos LDS ward building.  This is an actual sign on an actual custodial closet in an actual place. I do not believe there is another city in the country that has signs like this. Maybe in the world.  I hope nobody ever has to open this closet.  Scared yet?  Yeah. I am.

On to the finer things. This is Chaz, as a sort of puck person.  She carries it off, jah? I am showing you this as a segue-way.  We are moving on, here, to Chaz’ birthday, which is associated with Halloween for two reasons: it happens in October, and her party was a costume one.  An AVENGERS costume one.

Before the party, last minute seaming and adjustment to costumes. Remind me to tell you the story this reminds me of.

Thor, who is actually Chelsea, with extra attitude. Captain America, who is actually Captain America.  At least, we think he is.

See?

And here is Dani, as Kid Loki.  Kid Loki is evidently not a Wild West character.  That’s how old I am.

This is our dear Kathy, bringing the cake she made for this party.  It is a cake in three costumes: Thor, Iron Man and Captain America.  The middle layer has no cherries in it.  In case you needed to know.

Kathy is a brilliant artist. She has done every major cake in our family’s history. The wedding ones were a bit more elegant and a little less tech-y.

And finally – the BIRTHDAY GIRL.  Who is actually Loki, or the other way around.  She is very intense, and every tiny piece of metal detail on the lapels? Individually attached. This costume is NO JOKE.  See the face?  Not joking.

But she can’t hold it for long.

Trying again. Serious. Misunderstood.  Tragic.

Yeah.  It’s not going to stick.

Here is Dr. Who.  Don’t ask me which one.  I have no idea.

And I know that the girl in the scarf is not Rose, because Rose didn’t run with a guy in a bow tie.  But he has a sonic screw driver –

Chaz opens her presents.  A LOKI My Little Pony.

I know.  We’re a weird family.

But how can you argue with that face?

Okay – is this so COOL? This is just a regular old yellow ball.  But the way the sun hit it – SUPER HERO stuff.

I think Kaitlyn’s The Hulk. (Spelled your name wrong, right?) Whatever, I’m not going to get on her bad side.

Here’s the whole crazy bunch. Ah – brave new world that has such people in it.  Wait, where have I heard that before?

Big brother Thor. Nemesis Loki.  And Dani, who stuck her face in there at the last second.

Our own four heroes.

And Melissa, there at the end of the line – costumer to the Great and Marvel-ous.

CHAPTER THREE: Meridee’s Witches’ Tea.

I am not a witch person. In fact, the concept of witches makes me wince. But I unbend for this Tea, because the ladies who come – having designed their own magical hats – are so far from being dabblers in darkness, we hardly have to turn on the lights. Here are just few pictures out of many – a sample of the fun:

The founder of the feast. The head hat-woman, herself.  And a crazy black cat.

Melissa, who dabbles in literature, children and culinary arts.

Don’t let this sweet face fool you – this one is a spit-fire!

Chelsea – how neatly the thief becomes a witchy-type.  I knew that about her.

The cake maven. You wouldn’t want that look turned on YOU, would you?  Uh-huh. Thought not.  So sit UP.

One of my personal favorites.  I give you two pictures of her. Another eye I’d just as soon was focused on someone else, thank you very much.

And remember this sweet thing?  Double, double – boil and bubble –

Another very elegant Loki, which isn’t technically a witch thing – but – you know.  Why not?

Meridee’s house is a study in Halloween. Wonderful things in every nook and cranny – a woman who knows how to keep Christmas as a Lord Mayor’s household should.  So to speak.

This woman does not eat children.  She showers them with books. She IS books. Full of wonder.

This woman DOES eat children.  No, she doesn’t – she TEACHES them things.

And this woman? She pounces. Now THAT’S a look that promises a lot of fun.

This is the dignified version.  The original image was a little sassy, I gotta say.

Come into my parlour, says this lady – an elegant hat, but what intent lies under it?

This is the tea part. Except I think it’s hot chocolate in that cup.

The Maven and the grasshoppers.

Terrible shot, I know. I was going around the house, recording all the lovely details, so I wasn’t focused on the table, which was full of delights.

Especially loved this wall.  Not the skulls, though. I prefer my faces a little more fleshed out.

Daughter of the maven. One Be-bootiful hat. And there were more wonderful hats and faces and terrific witches – as I said, just a sample –

CHAPTER FOUR: today, the eve of All Hallows.

Melissa throws a party, and Andy the Ladybug shows up there.

And so does Obi-wan.  He’s only in it for the food.

We used to carve so many pumpkins – but now it’s down to two.

Carefully done.

The pumpkin carver.

We’ve lived in this house for thirty four years. Some of the trick-or-treaters who show up on the porch are the children we knew when they were small, who are now bringing their own children to knock at our door. This moves me. And here are our own grandchildren, being shepherded by a ninja and a lovely medieval lady.  I wonder how they met.

We snuck out, one at a time, to visit our children’s houses. Chaz had rented a cotton candy machine, and here Loki and friends serve up the stuff.

I had a flash shot of this, but the ghostly blur is so much more evocative.

Captain America ran me down in the street and offered a photo op.

At Cam’s there was a scary tunnel filled with ghostly smoke. We brought these children up right.

And last of all = I thought I’d gotten out of the witch hat photo shoot by being the camera.  But Meridee cornered me in my OWN house and made me put on my plain old hat, ordering me to give it up for the camera. So I did my best. Do I look scary?

Yeah. Maybe a little too much so.

Anyway, there we have it – another October closed out and in the books.

And I think I’m pretty well satisfied.