Prepping to Haunt

We did some work on the outside today in preparation for our annual Halloween bonfire (to ensure the safe return of the sun next year).

Chauncey is back looking a little more rustic (or worse for wear, if you prefer).  I think he deserves a new hat.

Close up of Chauncey and the front steps.  We've more crows this year.  I suspect Chauncey is getting lazy.

Winifred the witch overlooks the entrance to the party ground and her cauldron as we come around.

Close up of Winifred, you can see my first lawn gnome, Gnorman, is aiding in her works.

Into the back we pass a small graveyard

Which we can see here in close up.

I could not have planned this better, and I didn't.  We didn't realize the excellent position until we took the picture.

He's actually grown a bit since last year when he crouched in the mosquito plants.

After getting a new grill last year as a birthday present I salvaged the cooking grate from my old grill to serve this year's bonfire pit.  The chicken wire solution from last year was never ideal, I thought.

BONUS: An indoor shot of the ghost hallway.

Winifred at night.  The flash shows the details you'd otherwise miss, but washes out the cauldron which is now smoking and cycles through various colors of light.

Video footage of the front of the house at night and lit up.  It's very dark, however.

Grave Walk 1: Mostly dark, but an interesting werewolf shot in this footage.

Grave Walk 2: This is the clearer and far more amusing footage in which we can hear Frau Punkinstein's horror movie screen test.

There is still a bit left to do with lights and spider webs, but that is the gist of this year.  When the party night arrives we will put out tables with festive table cloths and decorated plates and napkins, but the hardest bits are taken care of.