a brief return . . . for now

So as I sit on the veranda in my rocking chair and ponder the future of this blog, I have come to certain conclusions. First, I am returning the blog to its original plan. Which was seasonal. Halloween seasonal. From mid-summer until some point in November. Or thereabouts.  Back in the heady days of my unemployment, I could focus on Halloween all year long. And write about it all year long. Alas, those days are gone. I'll be back. But likely not until August. Or whenever something wonderfully creepy catches my eye. Like this:

Which brings me to my second conclusion. I've got to get one of these!

farewell

While Halloween decorations are promptly packed away during the first week of  November, I leave the jack-o-lanterns out on the front step for a while longer. It's a way of extending the season. And I figure they'll tell me when it's time to go.

 I think they're sending me a message now.

albino no more

Among my front yard pumpkin crop of eleven, there appeared one pumpkin that didn't quite seem to fit in.  While the others started out green and gradually turned a vibrant shade of orange, this lone pumpkin started out a pale shade of peach. And as it grew, it continued to be . . .  a pale shade of peach. The general consensus was that this was an albino pumpkin. The innocent victim of a seed mix-up.

The pale peach pumpkin continued to thrive and by the time of harvesting had become one of the largest of the crop. And on Halloween night, it took its place with the other jack-o-lanterns on the front steps.

And then something odd happened.

In the days after Halloween, the temperature dropped. And the pale peach pumpkin developed a distinctly orange complexion. But only on top. Like a case of frostbite on its face.  Orange frostbite.

I've left it sitting beside the front step so I can watch for further developments.

halloween night

It didn't look promising.

We weren't in the direct path of Hurricane Sandy. But we got wrapped up in its outer bands. Outer bands of wind and rain and rain and wind. With no hope of sunshine until November. But there was one tiny glimmer of hope in the dense rain-soaked, wind-blown fog. Flickering in the distance. The rain and wind were expected to subside. By evening.

So I waited. And revised plans for outdoor props. And waited some more.  And as if on cue, the wind and rain stopped just as the first trick-or-treaters appeared through the mist. It stopped for almost two hours. Long enough. And then it poured.

So there were some last-minute changes. And there weren't as many outdoor props as I had intended. But it was a successful night. And it was a fun night. And by the end, it was a wet night. But no one seemed to mind. Inclement weather on Halloween night just seems to add to the atmosphere.

When you're standing on a covered veranda.

  

Only 364 days until next Halloween.

countdown to halloween: so many pumpkins, so little time

Happy Halloween!!

countdown to halloween: wind and rain

Watching for Hurricane Sandy through the eyes of a ceramic jack-o-lantern. We are, fortunately, not in the hurricane's main path but will certainly feel the wind and rain of this monster storm. Still too early to tell if Halloween Night will be a complete wash-out.

countdown to halloween: cheesecake dreams

My Halloween is not truly complete until I have baked (and eaten) at least one pumpkin cheesecake. My cheesecake thoughts turn to pumpkin early in October. When pumpkin-based delicacies start appearing in cafes and bake shops.

And before the month draws to a close, I have made my own. With the promise of more than just one slice. On the contrary, as a cheesecake lover surrounded by people largely indifferent to cheesecake, I can count on an excess of decadence.  Pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Pumpkin cheesecake for breakfast. Pumpkin cheesecake for snacks . . .

But then it appeared that someone else has taken an interest in my pumpkin cheesecake.

His interest was short-lived. When I offered him a taste, he just sniffed it and walked away.  I tried not to take it personally.

countdown to halloween: faces

You know Halloween night is getting close when the neighbourhood porch pumpkins begin sprouting faces. And sometimes teeth.