Halloween 2007
Page 2
 

 

This witch figure is new this year.  I got her on-line in early August to make sure I could get it before they were sold out.  It was actually better than I thought it would be.  The whole thing is about five feet tall.  The face and hands are a greenish latex material and quite life-like.  The kettle has a red light in it and a revolving disc that the bottom of the stick fits in.  It has a sensor that activates it when someone comes close.  When it senses motion the disc in the kettle rotates, making it look like the witch is stirring her broth.  The eyes light up and the witch speaks one off several pre-recorded phrases.  It also has a wireless microphone and, if you set the switch for microphone instead of sensor, you can speak into it and it repeats your words.

Here's the front door with the other new addition for this year.  It's also latex-covered and, like the witch figure, has a motion sensor in it and says one of a couple pre-recorded Halloween greetings.

I had a Grim Reaper figure out several years ago at our other house, with a devil mask at that time but the actual body of the figure was one of my old flight suits that I stuffed with newspapers.  It got pretty nasty getting wet over the years and I threw the stuffed clothes out.  This summer, however, I got a set of inflatable mannequins for about $10.00 on eBay and the adult one was perfect under the grim reaper robe.  I used an old costume and mask, putting the mask on a Styrofoam head and fitting him with a plastic and vinyl axe.

Here's another picture of the ghoul coming out of the ground.  This one was taken just as it was beginning to get dark but the lantern has not yet come on.

Here's the obligatory "pukin" pumpkin, somewhat simplified this year.  I've done one of htese every year for the past 4-5 years.  I usually get at least two pumpkins from Cox Farm each year and this is the smaller of the two, though still over 18" tall, but rather slim.  I didn't get particularly imaginative this year since I got a late start with carving and, by the time I finished the big one, I was running out of time.  Also, the pukin' pumpkin seems to look better on a more rounded one and I'll remember that for next year.

This is the bigger of the two I carved this year.  This one was almost 2 1/2 feet tall.  When they weighed it at Cox Farm, it max'd out their scale at 60 lbs.  I would guess it weighed about 80 lbs before the "guts" were scooped out.  I also got two small white pumpkins since the grand children wanted to carve one this year.  This in my grand daughter's attempt (with a little help).

Here's a shot of just about all of the grave yard.  It was taken just as daylight was beginning to fade a bit.  It has the same plastic fence that I've used for several years.  Most of the tombstones are the same as previous years.  I made more than I normally use and occasionally I substitute one with a different epitaph but they all look just about the same.  In the corner of the back of the grave yard is the old Grim Reaper that I bought a couple years ago.  I was disappointed with it when I got it and, while I kept the Styrofoam head for another project, I threw the rest of it away after Halloween.  You can also see the orange role lights that I outline the sidewalk with each year.

This one isn't a great picture.  It was getting dark and I took this without a flash.  It time exposure (the reason the sky looks brighter than it was) was longer than I anticipates and I couldn't hold it still long enough for an un-blurred picture.  Still, it accentuates the lighting.

This one was taken after dark.  You can see the spotlights on the ghost on the left of the picture and on the ghoul in the graveyard on the right.  Also new this year were the orange icicle lights above the bay window.  You can also see the smoke generator at work next to the ghost .

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