Ghost Upon the Floor

 A brief post. This weekend, I will be off in Sleepy Hollow, NY, for the first time in my life. I could not be looking forward to getting there more, and I do plan on blogging as much as I can while I am there. If, for some very possible reason, I don't get to blog while there, I know I will have a photo or two to blog about when I get home.

 This here pumpkin is the first I've bought this season. None of the pie pumpkins or jack o'lanterns I tried growing in the yard made it, and so I have broken down and begun buying pumpkins which seem to be good carving candidates. I have a few ideas what this may become.

For the last few years, I've done some major carving projects, but only one or two a year, and always on Beggar's Night and Halloween itself. My goal this year is to start carving them earlier-- but not too early-- this year. Perhaps next weekend?

 Well. Halloween 2011 is almost over. I have my usual regrets, larger it seems than many years past. The month and life got away with me, and I barely had time to decorate a haunt. Next year I will work faster, smarter, harder on the haunt-- beginning November 1. You really do have to stay on top of these things a year a head of time, or you will find yourself overwhelmed.

 I did carve this pumpkin. With another three left uncarved. So. I did do many great festive things-- the haunted houses, constant stream of horror movies, reading (and seeing a dramatized version of) Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw," started to read "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury. And I have much material for cemetery posts, in the coming weeks.

 Until then, I wish you the Happiest, most Haunted of Halloweens.

First pumpkin, 2011

This is my attempt at an Edgar Allan Poe Jack O'Lantern. I slipped twice on his nose and made it far too small. But I nevertheless trudged ahead and finished him, and here he is. Carved on Halloween 2009.