I most enjoy decorating for Halloween. I've accumulated a number of "magic" doodads, especially from Joanne Fabrics; their day after sales are full of hugely reduced miscellany and other stores however unrelated in theme sell such things too if only at check-out.

My favorites: the haunted mirror (it reflects you with some kind of backlight that replaces your everyday face with a realistic skull. Brrr!; several small witches on broomsticks, especially the one that cackles; a haunted doorbell that lights up, then rings upon being pressed after which a spooky voice intones "Come IN....if you dare" (cackle); a super realistic disembodied forearm worthy of a med student borrowing that I hang above that doorbell as if straining to reach it.

Last year I had a great internal struggle with myself in Rite Aide about purchasing a realistic jointed, glow-in-the-dark skeleton dog (about as big as a large beagle) - a nearly irresistible bargain at a mere $5.99. (My decluttering conscience narrowly won, though I still miss it). I always have my haunted house tape playing in the background - a voice similar to the haunted doorbell recounting grisly warnings and tales of the fates of those who fell into its trap.

I appreciate the house in a few blocks away in our village, whose otherwise ordinary yard is bedecked with assorted tombstones and the other householders who go to the trouble of setting up special Halloween deco. It's fun.

I hope you'll share some pictures. I never knew anyone who was more into Halloween.

I harvested the pot-o-herbs yesterday. 30 individual packages of herbs, each vacuum packed and frozen.

Packages like this cost some $4 at the grocery store so I should save enough to pay for the pot.

Do they keep well frozen? I have lots of parsley, basil and rosemary to store if so. I do have a vacuum sealer.

Not specifically a fall thing, but garden-related....I just went outside and saw a bunch of moths sipping nectar from the few remaining flowers on the butterfly bush.

Who knew?

quote:

Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
Do they keep well frozen? I have lots of parsley, basil and rosemary to store if so. I do have a vacuum sealer.

The internet says they should keep well, but this is the first time I’ve tried it so I can’t really say.

This is The Year of the Maple.

First up, the sugar maples:





Neighbor's parkway tree. It's an Autumn Blaze, a cross between a silver and a red maple, neither of which usually gets very good color. But the hybrid is stunning, and the color seems to happen every year:



Even the lowly silver maples, not known for good fall color, are giving it their best shot:



And a fothergilla I planted in the front years ago, and that usually only goes a golden yellow, is doing this:



We're going to get a frost in the next few days and that will accelerate things a lot. I'll be up to my eyeballs in leaves soon...

Well, it's goodbye to fall for the next few days. Temps are barely reaching the 40s for daytime highs (should be in the 60s) and there are wind gusts of up to 40 mph coming from the NW today. Brrr....

Oh, and we had snow flurries this morning.

Indian summer arrives over the weekend, with highs in the 70s.

I wish Mother Nature would make up her mind.

You can't fight Mother Nature. Or at least that's what they say.

It seems the beginning of the cold front has arrived here but the real drop in temperature will happen tomorrow.

I was watching my local weather reporter and he was going on about dew points and comparing them to changes in humidity. He said to pay attention to the dew point.

Well I don't really know about dew points and why they matter.

I'd appreciate it if anyone could elucidate.

I'm told that Indian Summer is the time to prepare for winter. I need to cover the patio furniture, empty the post and cover them, and bring things in the garage that can't be frozen - like glue and paint. Right now it's 40 degrees and raining but this weekend is supposed to be in the '70's.

I also need to replace the battery in the truck. It works fine now, but it's a 36 month battery with 60 months on it. I don't want to take a chance.

What have I forgotten?

Meanwhile, the fall colors are very nice and I can see why everyone likes fall so much. The "Burning Bushes" are particularly showy - I've never seen one before:

It's glorious, isn't it?

Good move on the battery.

Disconnect the garden hoses. And shut off/drain water if the sillcocks aren't freezeproof. Also pressure washers if you store yours in the garage. We didn't realize the one we had trapped some water inside, which froze and broke a plastic piece that we had to replace the following spring when we went to clean the deck off and water went spraying everywhere.

Maybe not right now, but a few weeks down the road...

Don't know if you do outdoor Christmas lighting, but if you do and it's DIY, look for a warm day in November or early December to do it.. Way better than trying to put lights up in cold weather when your hands and the wires are stiff from the cold. And get your snow thrower started at the same time. Better to be troubleshooting in half decent weather.

quote:

Originally posted by wtg:
Disconnect the garden hoses. And shut off/drain water if the sillcocks aren't freezeproof.

They are freezeproof and in fact I had one replaced and two new ones installed yesterday. I had to order the kind I wanted on line (Arrowhead) as the ones I could find locally were all pretty crummy. It will be nice not to have to drag hoses all over the yard this Spring.

quote:

Also pressure washers if you store yours in the garage.

I don't have one but may end up getting one for the Lake House. Midges and such make quite a mess over there.

quote:

Don't know if you do outdoor Christmas lighting, but if you do and it's DIY, look for a warm day in November or early December to do it.

I don't normally do Christmas lights because I don't like holes in the house and this particular house would require a minimum 10' ladder. I don't like ladders much these days and would prefer to ignore the whole thing.

Sharon has other ideas - maybe I'll hire someone.

I'd say I moved the bounce house to the basement but in fact that's where it was installed originally for Jack's (rainy) birthday party. Looks like the man cave will have to wait.

Got the sidewalk installed before it snowed - I've been waiting for months.

Now I don't have to step out of the truck on to the grass and the Amazon driver will have a path to the front door that I can keep clear.

Nice!