Octoberrific

The leaves are damp with the fall rains and dim with the greying skies, but they softly glide to the ground laying a carpet of color for us to kick through. The late afternoon hush of sun lays weak rays for us to play through, as I wait for the school bus under one of the biggest, beautiful-est maples on the Island.  I crunch through the leaves to meet Grace, and Daisy gets lost in them, and I smile because there are leaves still on the trees, and leaves on the ground and they make me happy, because they make me feel like a kid again.. Ahhhh... finally a true season. Spring was a bust. Summer was a bust. But fall...she's come to spread her early nights and crisp days upon us, a little late, but here none the less. I'm light on words today, but warning: heavy on the pictures. We've been knee deep in October, and rightly so, since November will shove me into a tirade of emotion in the very near future, so I will forcefully make my head stay in October. Here is what we've been up to:

Beaterman has lost his pride among other things. He has taken a "permanent leave of absence" from the yard. Bye, beaterman. You were so good to my girl.

Ooooo...A gift and a spooky note from the Halloween Trickster...

Decorating the house with spooky bats. Thank you Amy Miller, I saw this on your pinterest and had to make them!

Getting carving lessons from the master carver himself.

I ditched the cleaning part and made pumpkin spice donuts to nosh on.

Mmmm! Roasty toasty seeds! As I was buying these pumpkins, a man walked up to me and gave me a five minute lecture on how wasteful it is, carving and buying pumpkins for Halloween. No dude, the seeds!! We eat the seeds!  Plus, be quiet.  Hush your Halloween blasphemy.  Please.

No, Grace. I don't think I can share my doughnuts with you. What's that you say?



Lets make a deal. You carve the pumpkins, and I'll eat the doughnuts.

No? Okay. I'll share.






There was also a carnival to go to. Y'all remember the Burton Carnival? They tried to revamp it this year, and it was pretty fun. DJ and Bouncy houses rule.



So does Balloon guy who made my girl a flower.

Stopping at the Roasterie is a must too. We always say we will contribute some carvings, but never do. Next year, fo' sho.



The pumpkins are mesmerizing, and so fun to look at sitting on the porch of one of Vashon's oldest, most beloved places.

So Vashon. I love it.

An unusually quiet deck.

Some talented carvings. Most happy, not scary. Some political, but not forceful. The work of many creative minds.



Oh, she cooks. And wears her best while doing so.

This dress from the trickster cracked me up. It was a squinch too short and gave her a little bubble butt since it sat so high. She didn't know and didn't care which made it cuter.

Here is an easy recipe I got off of pinterest. Get a bag of square pretzels, and put them on a foil lined cookie sheet. Top each one with a Hug Hershey kiss. Bake for 3-4 minutes and no longer in a 350 degree oven.

Immediately after removing them from the oven, lightly push one candy corn on top of each hug.



Now, you have a salty sweet Halloween nugget to eat while you watch Charlie Brown.



Had to throw in a picture of dawg, because I love her.

So, as you see, October has been busy, which has been good. Not much time for the quiet ache to settle in earlier than normal.  Tomorrow is a big day, and the next day will be clean up and then back to the grind. Over here, we go straight from Halloween, right into Christmas. The tree waits till the end of November, but as the Halloween bins go up to the attic, one by one, the Christmas bins sneak their way down, to fill up the vacant spots. It seems early, but the house is so naked without it. But for now, and the next twenty four hours, enjoy this ghoulish day. Candy! Costumes! Candy! Giggling kids! Halloween in the cutest town ever! Candy! Swirling leaves! Scraggly tree branches! Black cats and Broomsticks! Oh, and did I say, Candy!

       HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!