I'm nearing the finish line on my decorations this year. The winds have been a bit brutal. I've had to chase down a few gravestones already but everything is secure for the most part. Last minute cobwebs, some "treasure", and window projections still need to be tested. I'm also having a technical difficulty with my main audio effects but I'm sure I'll get it worked out tomorrow.
Here's a few pictures of what I've got so far:
-------------- If I'm going to be lost, in the woods is where I want to be...
Dang, I need to put my spiders and webs in the window and buy a couple of pumpkins. The boys were just realizing today they need to figure out costumes (I thought they were too old, but they say lots of the high schoolers dress up, and pointed out that adults do too. Gets harder every year, though.
-------------- Bits of writerly thoughts and random short fiction found at The Ninja Librarian Blog
I'm glad that people still get into it. Since I "rediscovered" Halloween a few years back, I'm really enjoying it again.
I figured out my audio issue, found my "good" sound track, finished my skeleton and his treasure, and helped the kids carve a few pumpkins today. Tomorrow, I will make a new video projection for our bedroom window with some added smoke effects and pick up the other projector. I'll also be baking a few things for Halloween early so I don't have to be slammed at the last minute. I'm also expecting my Contact lenses to show up in the mail (crossing fingers as they came from London). I have an appointment with a mask maker to get a casing of my head made so I can make my own masks and facial effects in the future. I am going as an undead pirate this year so I need some skull stuff made. I may just go with makeup effects this year because I don't feel like spending $50 on a mask so I can cut it up for parts. Overall, I'm finally on schedule for once. Usually, I'm sweating on the day and having to do twenty things at once. This year, I'll have done a dry run of my costume a day early, have all food cooked a day early, and have nothing but my own pumpkin to carve, put up the last cobwebs on the house, and buy candy for the kids on Halloween. I almost wish Halloween fell on a Saturday because I've never been this prepared.
-------------- If I'm going to be lost, in the woods is where I want to be...
That's going to be really good with the right audio.
For the first time, I've decided to reuse the same soundtrack from last year. In the past, I've created a Digital surround track based upon the speaker placement.
However, I'm starting to realize that the only one who notices the audio placement...is me. Most people that come through just notice that there is a distinct background audio with "freaky" sounds that come from different directions. They couldn't even pick out where the sounds are coming from. So, my effort to ensure the guy who screams in the coffin or the witch that flies overhead is really not worth much.
Next year, I will be giving it a major overhaul though because I'm going to switch everything up. I'll be starting a solid month earlier to create a whole new batch of decorations. I'm almost more excited about next Halloween than this one...
-------------- If I'm going to be lost, in the woods is where I want to be...
Another great decorating job, Tigger. I always enjoy your pictures of Halloween and Christmas decorations. Thanks for sharing.
-------------- “He who knows the most, he who knows what sweets and virtues are in the ground, the waters, the plants, the heavens and how to come at these enchantments, is the rich and royal man” -- from Nature, by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Just to put things back in perspective for us normal people, here are the pumpkins that we carved this year. Don't try to make sense of them--they are mostly abstract, especially the warty one on the right.
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-------------- Bits of writerly thoughts and random short fiction found at The Ninja Librarian Blog
My daughter entered an online contest in an attempt to win a $1,000 scholarship. The rules are pretty simple, decorate a pumpkin using different color duct tape. Here are her results.
We had about 200 kids this year,down from the normal 300 to 350.Halloween in the middle of the week sucks.Why can't we celebrate on the last Saturday in October every year? You should not have to go back to work or school the next day. Here's a few pics from our neck of the woods.
Here's a few pics from our neck of the woods.
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