Oiche Shamhna Shona!

That's "happy Halloween" to all you non-Gaelic speakers.


I was the only one who dressed up at work today.  Not that I minded; that's happened to me before.

Grace O'Malley, pirate queen of Ireland

We don't get trick-or-treaters around here, but I still decorated.  I went all out this year - there's a green light above the banshee, strobe lights at the foot of the scarecrow and the headless horseman, in the horseman's skull and the banshee's head, and in the pumpkin on the fencepost.  I plan on leaving everything up until All Souls Day (November 2), or possibly until Saturday.

Welcome??

 

 

 

Good thing I don't get kids coming for candy - they wouldn't be able to get to the door!

I leave the porch light on until I go to bed, but she still flickers all night long, thanks to the strobe light installed in her neck (Lightning Strobe Light by Pumpkin Masters - three small LED lights on a round base that flicker to simulate a flickering candle); if you're up close to her while the light's on you can see the flicker.

Her eyes and mouth are lit from inside by the strobe light

The horseman (minus horse - I'm not that talented!) guards my fence, axe at the ready, skull in hand.

The first night I had him out I put a green glow stick in the skull, but then I switched it out for a strobe light.  The skull originally came with a light and sound board, but it was touch-activated, which wouldn't work, and the flickering and sound didn't last long.  Funny thing - while I was working on the horseman, trying to get the fingers of the glove to hold the skull, I accidentally triggered it, and it said in a very plaintive voice "Help me!"

Green glow stick (obviously)

Strobe light - where's his lower jaw!??

The poor scarecrow got spun around in the high winds we had yesterday, and tangled in one of my rosebushes, so I had to retie his arms and move him further from the fence.  Since he's built on an old TV antenna tripod, I use tent stakes to secure him.  His pumpkin had a green glow stick in it the first night, but it was hard to see, so I put a mini strobe light, at the fastest flicker setting, at the base, aiming up at his head.  Very cool effect, which is hard to capture on camera.

I carved my pumpkin last night.  Took me an hour - it was a 26 pound pumpkin!  I used my favorite template, which is called Ichabod's Fate.  With two pumpkin strobe lights inside, flickering out of sync of each other, it's a very creepy effect!

The last thing Ichabod Crane saw

I'd love to be able to add a horse someday, but that would take a lot of money (for supplies) and construction skills I just don't have.  So I'll settle for a miniature version of the banshee and the dullahan coming to call on a quaint little Irish cottage...