Jack-O-Lantern From the Mind of Christine McConnell

Attic Hatch Yard Haunt 2024 "Photo-Op Frenzy"

Bob Kowal is a fantastic artist. He draws, paints, sculps, and builds like no other. His annual Halloween "Infestation" yard haunts are amazing in size, scope, and creativity.

Making Gideon Hackles Proud

This year's "Greeter" prop at our front walkway on Halloween night will be "The Chiller". The Chiller is composed of a matching Trick-Or-Treat Studios mask and hands and two different colored robe costume parts. The Chiller is holding a ghostly blue candle lantern for some visual interest. Our Greeter props are basically the guardians to the entrance of what we call "The Gauntlet" in our haunt at this house. It's our ~ 25 foot long walkway that goes from the top of our driveway up to our front porch. In the spirit of Gideon Hackles, if you can brave our haunted gauntlet, then you are rewarded with a treat (this year a full sized Kit-Kat bar and mini box of mystery flavored Ghost Dots). Most trick-or-treaters brave the gauntlet and earn their treat, but over the years several have stopped dead in their tracks at the Greeter and decided to take a pass on our house on All Hallows Eve.

Gideon Hackles

Halloween Past: 2004

20 years ago we did a werewolf themed yard haunt at our old house. Time flies!

Getting Ready For Setting Up Our Haunt

We put these two props out today for a very good reason. Both the ground stake and hanging bride and groom skeleton props were purchased right after Halloween 2013 on sale for our 2014 Dia De Los Muertos themed haunt. The ground stake bride and groom skeletons were used for our altar prop. The hanging bride and groom skeleton prop? Totally forgot we had purchased it and it sat tucked away in a storage tote in our basement for many, many years before we rediscovered the prop. Oops! These props will work as little accent pieces for our Haunted Mansion inspired ghost themed haunt this Halloween and we wanted to put them out now before we forget all about them again!

The Time Is Nigh

We've purchased 11 pumpkins for carving into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween night thus far (all from local nearby farm stands). As we get a little closer to Halloween, we'll inspect the ones we have for signs of rot (hopefully none) and will replace those as needed and will add a couple more to the count. Anticipation and anxiety start to build now for the big night. Making mental notes of what has to be done and in what order for haunt setup just prior to Halloween. Always hoping that the haunt theme will turn out on Halloween night as we envisioned it in our minds for the past year and that trick-or-treater turn out will be at least as good as last year's.

Brandy Davis: Master Pumpkin Carver

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brandy Davis (@the_pumpkin_artist)