end of October

 If  you are arachnaphobic, quick, scroll down two photos before you realize what you're looking at.  Quick, now!

If you're not, look at this golden orb spinner.  Isn't she big?  Friends from Oz, this is as big as they get around here. Honest to goodness.  I've seen pictures of your huntsmen, and they creep me out immensely.

Summer is over and this spider is on her last legs(as it were) and getting ready to go to that great web in the sky, or I wouldn't get my finger so close to her.  We have little spiders, because they freeze out every winter.  This one has had a web on the front porch, and has been a meticulous housekeeper, cleaning out the after-dinner mess and repairing the structure every day.





There's a house in the neighborhood that decorates like mad every halloween.  This year, they have added a giant spider, about a meter and a third from head to abdomen.  The eyes glow in the dark and the darn thing waves its legs.  And in the groundcover underneath, they have  a set up that will flash a pair of red eyes at you, then the lights disappear, the leaves rustle as if something is scurrying beneath them, and a pair of red eyes flashes from somewhere else.

But nothing jumps out to frighten you,and there is no gore or overt violence.  Just mega-creepy atmosphere.

 We are much more moderate for the season.  I carve a few pumpkins, and we leave the porch light on.

I use my linoleum knife to carve the skin away, but leave the underlying flesh intact.  Of course, I have to cut off the top and clean out the seeds.  And, since the pumpkin is pretty much air-tight when I put the lid back on, I cut two air holes in the back - on top and one bottom.  If I used those battery operated led I wouldn't have to do that, but I'm anold-fashioned girl.  Sometimes I have to scrape the inside of the thicker-fleshed pumpkins to get to the translucency point, My favorite tool for this is a steel serving spoon with a wide bowl.

I made a little lantern out of this one, with simple geometric designs, but it looks cool in the dark..

I have a collection of stencils for the other designs.  I always do the kitty every year, and then something appropriately spooky as well.  This is the first year I have done the reaper.

We have 90full sized candy bars.  Last year, we had to turn out the light when we ran out of candy.  We had 70 kids and I was giving out Hershey's kisses at the end, because I had some for baking.

I haven't really planned on a costume.  Maybe I'll use up some old eyeshadow and paint my face like a butterfly.

Hope your all saint's eve is fun!