Showing posts with label pumpkins. Show all posts

A Halloween Night Mini Display

I had to have SOMETHING in the yard on Halloween night! After Sunday's trick-or-treat, we took most of the display down in anticipation of Wednesday's heavy rain and wind. So yesterday, I went out and set up a small display, if for no other reason than to appease the Candy Corn gods. And maybe for one more night of Halloween enjoyment for myself, too...

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Halloween Fun At Szalay's Farm

Yes, just yesterday I said that I would be spending the entire weekend in the Cemetery garage, working away on this year's prop list... but sunny skies and 80 degree temperatures in October in Northeast Ohio was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. So we jumped into the car and headed down to Szalay's Farm in the Cuyahoga Valley to experience their annual Halloween festivities: carton after carton of incredible pumpkins, freshly grilled corn on the cob straight from their cornfields, a market full of fresh fall fruits and vegetables, a hayride, various Halloween photo opportunities, their spinning vortex tunnel, and most of all, their annual corn maze!

The weather brought people out from all corners and the entire place was packed, but the Fall and Halloween vibes were in full swing and we still had a blast. I must have been in an extra good mood because I even shelled out for some expensive giant, gnarly pumpkins for this year's display!

The best, of course, was their corn maze, laid out in the shape of a dragon with eight stations set up with different movie-themed scenes. The corn was tall this year so it almost felt like walking through a corn tunnel as we followed the map.

After walking the entire maze and visiting each scene, we headed home with our goodies. And, I was still able to get back in time to finish up a really great prop for this year's display (I CANNOT WAIT to share this one with you!)

Pumpkin Faces In The Night...

The jack-o-lanterns have been carved and they are ready for the big night. The forecast is finally calling for a dry day and we are ready for a big turnout. The Pumpkin Gods have been appeased...

The Highbury Jack-O-Lanterns!

My jack-o-lanterns appeared in the front yard early this morning! I was able to knock out 13 last night, with a big thanks to my mom who gutted them all before hand...

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#pumpkindump2018

Last year, I came up with the idea to do something creative with my jack-o-lanterns after Halloween instead of simply throwing them all into into the trash. It was a little bit art and a little bit mischief. It even became my submission for the annual The Great Pumpkin Project. A perfect offering to all things Halloween...

This year, I had the same idea lined up and a new location scouted out and ready to go. It was an abandoned house on the curve of a busy local street. I drove by it daily and smiled each time, just imagining how cool it was going to look with a slew of jack-o-lanterns scattered throughout the unkept lot. It was going to be perfect! And then this summer, the trucks showed up...

My plans were thwarted as contractors began to refurbish the house! What was once the perfect location for a pumpkin dump slowly converted back into a livable home. I was crushed...

Fast forward to Halloween and I had to go out for another scouting run. I had a few alternate locations around the city picked out and I drove by each one. Most were eliminated due to exposure or possible security issues. I wanted to make sure that this year's location would be clearly visible to many people, yet have an extended amount of time before the pumpkins were removed. Soon, my list was whittled down to one location...

******

Yesterday I got up early, my sights set on the morning's covert plan: pumpkin dump 2018. My spot was perfect. High traffic and visibility and a lower chance of security or any other kind of trouble. My true objective was still to place them in a spot in nature and the pumpkins, now free from any candle wax or other non-biodegradable elements, would be able to feed the local wildlife population.

As I peered out the bedroom window, I immediately noticed the fresh dusting of snow on the ground. I checked the weather forecast. Current temperature: 24 degrees. Ouch. I should have done this the week before when it was in the 50s...

I quickly loaded the car with all 13 jack-o-lanterns, now all frozen solid from the winter cold and snow, and quickly made my way to the dump spot.

I entered the grounds inconspicuously and parked my car near the rear, trying to remain unseen. The morning sun had poked out and the traffic had already started to pick up. I needed to move quickly, yet stay invisible.

I made 7 trips from the car to the back of the mausoleum. When all 13 were gathered, I quickly set up the final display. Neatly arranged around the cemetery mausoleum's doorway, mere yards from an increasingly busy street. After the last pumpkin was placed, I quickly grabbed my camera and began shooting.

And in roughly 10 minutes, I was gone...

Pumpkin dump 2018 was a success! I had found an amazing, and somewhat obvious, location in one of my local cemeteries. It's a place that I drive by all the time and have actually shot a Cemetery Sundays installment in a few years back.

If you're in the Akron area, I invite you to look for this installment. It's plainly visible, if you know where to look. It's on one of the busiest roads in the city with a traffic light at the intersection, giving you plenty of time to enjoy.

I also encourage all of my other fellow haunters to extend the Halloween season and do your own pumpkin dump. All that I ask is that you use common sense in picking a location. Be smart and be careful. And clean out the pumpkins. We don't want to harm the local wildlife population that will gladly snack on them!

A Proper Pumpkin Send-Off

I'm not sure if this is 100% legal, so I probably shouldn't post this. But here it goes...

Over the past couple of years, I have wrestled with the thought of taking our carved jack-o-lanterns and simply throwing them into the garbage after Halloween night. It didn't feel like the most environmentally-friendly option and it certainly wasn't the most dignified option for something that we took precious time to carve by hand.

So right after Halloween night this year, I came up with a rather fun and mischievous plan to give our jack-o-lanterns a proper send-off.

I've always been a huge fan of The Great Pumpkin Project, but I have always lacked the time to actually place any jack-o-lanterns before the big night. Until now!

My plan was to take the jack-o-lanterns, find a somewhat hidden spot in the local Metropark system that surrounds my neighborhood, and then anonymously place them for others to discover.

I made sure to pull all candles and wax residue from each jack-o-lantern, leaving only the pumpkin. A fully biodegradable, organic material that would also feed the local deer, squirrel, chipmunk and insect population in the park. (So in the off-chance that I did get caught, I could simply say that I was feeding the wildlife!)

I picked the best spot from a list of about 4 or 5, and loaded up the car with all 18 jack-o-lanterns. I quietly pulled into the undisclosed location and quickly went to work, placing each in a firm, yet very visible location all down a rocky stream embankment. It was perfect.

After all 18 were meticulously placed, I grabbed the camera...

When the photos were all captured, I went back to my car. I decided to grab my phone and send a quick photo over to Brother Scrapes to share in the hi-jinx. As I hit "send," an SUV pulled in next to me and two girls jumped out, screaming with joy, snapping photos with their phones. I couldn't believe it. Not 2 minutes after I had secretly set this up, people were already noticing it.

And as I went to send that over to Brother Scrapes as well, I looked back across the parking lot only to notice an old pickup truck parking next to the two girls. 2 more older ladies jumped out, taking photos with their phones!! 4 people in 5 minutes. Unreal! I thought my timing couldn't have been better. But I was wrong...

After coyly observing the 4 onlookers, I decided to slip away. And as I pulled up the main access driveway, a Park Ranger was pulling in. My heart sank to my stomach. I drove past, exchanging a wave, and slipped away from everyone without incident. I couldn't believe my luck.

And as a side note, I checked the location early this morning, and all of the jack-o-lanterns were STILL there. So if anyone is in the Northeast Ohio area, feel free to seek out and enjoy the setup before it's taken down. The only clues are that it is in a towpath trailhead parking lot and it is in the Akron, Ohio area. Good luck!!

And if you happen to be from the Metroparks and you are reading this, please understand my rationale for doing this. Hopefully I'm not in any trouble!

And don't worry. I have already picked my spot for 2018. It's not in the park system...

Death In The Pumpkin Patch

Well, it happened again. My pumpkin vines are dead. This is the third or fourth time that I have tried to grow my own pumpkins, only to have the vines get a milky, white haze right after flowering and slowly die out from the roots. Another season of no pumpkins from Highbury Pumpkin Patch... Sad!

Anyone have any ideas on how to avoid this?? I tried watering less this time around and still no luck.

Oh well, looks like I'll just have to do it the old fashioned way. Luckily, the local grocery store is having a $2.99 sale on all pumpkins today! Grab a cart full of pumpkins and a six of some tasty pumpkin ale and call it a day.

Also, tomorrow is October 1st and we all know what that means: Countdown to Halloween!! 31 posts in 31 days, all in celebration of all things All Hallows Eve!! I have another big bunch of posts ready to go. Stop by daily starting tomorrow and let's get ready for Halloween!!