Haunted Outdoor Speakers

Sure, rock-shaped speakers are great, but versatility reigns when you use this wireless Audiovox Acoustic outdoor speaker that is shaped like a coach lantern. With its handsome shape and standing about 16" tall, not only is it perfect for your Halloween haunt, it can be used year 'round, indoors and out. I can testify that the adjustable volume is loud enough for most yard haunts, even those with multiple layers of sound. It operates wirelessly, allowing you to place or hang the speaker anywhere you like- the sound goes through walls just fine, thank you! Outside, it can tolerate rain, but not for long periods (it's weather resistant, not weatherproof.)

You can use this speaker outside to listen to music while you garden, and your significant other can watch TV inside without hearing your music. You can even listen to TV outside if your TV/TiVo/BluRay/DVD player/cablebox arrangement has a headphone jack.


The controls on the back of the speaker allow you to select Left channel, Right channel or Mono, and there is a Bass boost as well as a volume control.  1 transmitter can operate multiple speakers, if you like.

It's easy to set up, too:  plug a small transmitter into the headphone jack of your audio source (computer, cd player/iPod/other- including those listed above re: televisions), and put the transmitter's other plug into an electrical outlet.  Then either put 6 AA batteries in the speaker and set it whereever you like, or use the included AC adapter and keep the speaker plugged into an electrical outlet.



The transmitter is shown with this speaker

 If you prefer Craftsman/Mission styling, this model in bronze is also available, and costs about $20 less.  We even found this one available in our local Lowe's hardware store- Yes, you can take one home tonight!

A visit to Poe's grave on Dead Poets Remembrance Day

Poe's original grave. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

October 7th was the day that Edgar Allen Poe died, and to mark the date and honor all of the other poets who have passed, a holiday has been created. Today is the first-ever Dead Poet's Remembrance Day, created by Walter Skold,  the founder of The Dead Poets Society of America. The intention is that people should gather at the gravesites of famous poets to remember the literary contributions these people have made, to reflect upon their influence on society, and perhaps to read some poems.

Poe's "new" grave. Photo: theundergroundpress.com



photo: phillyist.com



Poe's death was a mystery in itself. He was found wandering the streets of Baltimore, Maryland, delirious and in great distress on October 3rd, 1849. Not only that, he was wearing someone else's clothes. He was taken to a hospital, but he never became coherent enough to discuss his condition. Four days later, he had died of an illness that remains a mystery. All of Poe's medical records and his death certificate have been lost. Another mystery:  It is said Poe repeatedly called out the name "Reynolds" the night before he died, but the person he was reffering to remains unknown.

Poe's gravesite is interesting because it was it was moved, and that's why you see two different monuments  in the photos that accompany this blog. Here's the story.



Edgar Allen Poe.  January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849

 And now, in remembrance of Poe, I present his work called "Lenore":
Lenore by Edgar Allan Poe



Ah, broken is the golden bowl! the spirit flown forever!
Let the bell toll!- a saintly soul floats on the Stygian river;
And, Guy de Vere, hast thou no tear?- weep now or nevermore!
See! on yon drear and rigid bier low lies thy love, Lenore!
Come! let the burial rite be read- the funeral song be sung!-
An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young-
A dirge for her the doubly dead in that she died so young.


"Wretches! ye loved her for her wealth and hated her for her pride,
And when she fell in feeble health, ye blessed her- that she died!
How shall the ritual, then, be read?- the requiem how be sung
By you- by yours, the evil eye,- by yours, the slanderous tongue
That did to death the innocence that died, and died so young?"


Peccavimus; but rave not thus! and let a Sabbath song
Go up to God so solemnly the dead may feel no wrong.
The sweet Lenore hath "gone before," with Hope, that flew beside,
Leaving thee wild for the dear child that should have been thy
bride.
For her, the fair and debonair, that now so lowly lies,
The life upon her yellow hair but not within her eyes
The life still there, upon her hair- the death upon her eyes.


"Avaunt! avaunt! from fiends below, the indignant ghost is riven-
From Hell unto a high estate far up within the Heaven-
From grief and groan, to a golden throne, beside the King of
Heaven!
Let no bell toll, then,- lest her soul, amid its hallowed mirth,
Should catch the note as it doth float up from the damned Earth!
And I!- to-night my heart is light!- no dirge will I upraise,
But waft the angel on her flight with a Paean of old days!"

Rest in Peace, Edgar. And Emily Dickinson- I love you too.

Female Skeleton Gnome

Just a quick update to The Skeleton Gnome post:

It seems a Female Skeleton Gnome has just arrived on the scene! Her face is a little more skull-like than the male's, so she's verrry attractive. I think they're on their 3rd date, so they could be on their way to making little baby skeleton gnomes.

$39.95 from whatonearthcatalogue.com

Spider Bench

Along came a spider, and sat down beside her...and they had a really nice cozy chat on this terrific Spider Bench from Steel Heart, Ltd. In fact, I think the spider said "I got your back!"

Pumpkin Topiaries

photo: Imperfectly Beautiful

Placing pumpkins perfectly in pots perpetually pleases a plethora of people!




photo: bhg.com

 Here's a simple how-to diagram (easy!) and some more examples. I do think plain pumpkins look best when there is a nice fluffy layer of something between each pumpkin, such as moss or faux leaves. Painted or carved ones look inetersting with or without it.



photo: Lowe's



photo: Southern Living



photo: bhg.com