Jack-o-lantern Wishes



photo: hawkins.com

And the Great Pumpkin rose from the pumpkin patch and flew through the air!

Those who believe can send a jack-o-lantern soaring with these sky lanterns. Made from flame-retardant materials, they'll glow eerily as they float silently, slowly upwards, lasting 12 to 20 minutes in the air before they extinguish themselves. All you do is light the attached fuel cell and hold the lantern until the heat fully inflates it, and then you can release it and it will drift upwards.  Available in packs of 5,10 or 25, they are currently on sale. My order for a 10-pack today totaled $33.35 including the shipping charges.



photo: hawkins.com

  These are considered type 1.4g consumer fireworks in the United States, so check the fireworks regulations in your area. Adults would be wise to avoid releasing these in windy conditions, near trees, power lines, or airports. Children should not be near the lanterns unless fully supervised by responsible adults. I will be taking my lanterns out to the desert for a pyrotechnic event that occurs near Valentine's Day. How romantic it will be to engage in the Asian custom of making a wish or saying a prayer before releasing a lantern and gazing at it as it rides a gentle current. The lanterns are made of biodegradable paper with no wires, just thin bamboo sticks, so they are more earth-friendly than you might guess.

Sky lanterns really make an impact when released in quantity.


Here's a 48-second video showing the effect of wish lanterns set adrift en masse at a celebration of the full moon in the capital of Thailand. It's spectacular.

The Great Jack O Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor

photo: Historic Hudson Valley

photo: suzysaid.com

photo: kwaree.com

 If you thought the Pumpkin House in yesterday's post had a lot of jack-o-lanterns, today's house tops it, although the pumpkin-to-acreage density is less. Oh, how I would LOVE to visit this place!

 Van Cortlandt Manor, 500 S. Riverside, Croton-on-Hudson, NY, had over 4,000 illuminated pumpkins decorating its expansive grounds this year. Although volunteers from the Girl Scouts and other groups scoop out the pumpkins, only about a dozen carvers hand-carve all of them!

  This 17th-century manor house, listed on the National Register, is home of the Great Jack o' Lantern Blaze, an event that started 5 years ago as a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization called Historic Hudson Valley. The organizers work on a larger scale than most, using both real and faux (Funkin) pumpkins stacked and suspended to create many specifically themed scenes, such an Egyptian pyramid with mummies standing nearby, Stonehenge, an underwater scene with coral, fish and seahorses, a dinosour scene, and a UFO surrounded by aliens!

Beehive with bees
photo: thedailynorwalk.com



Dinosuar made of pumpkins
Photo: Bryan Haeffele

Photo: Bryan Haeffele



   







 It takes about an hour to walk through the gardens and orchards and see all the jack-o-lantern installations.  Professional lighting, original music, and sound effects combine to completely immerse the viewer in the spectacle. And just when ya think it couldn't get any better: a local orchard sells hot apple cider and apple cider donuts. Yum!

The Blaze takes place each weekend in October and the first weekend in November. It's open some weekdays right before Halloween as well. Costs are approximately $16 for adults, $12 for kids 5 to 17, free for kids under 5. In 2010, the extravaganza reached its capacity of 70,000 tickets sold. More photos here.

Amazing, is it? Truthfully, I wouldn't mind visiting Van Cortland Manor anytime of year. Here's the Manor in spring. The place is on the side of the Hudson River, so there's also a brick ferry house to explore, as well as the heritage gardens. The stone manor house boasts a fully equipped Colonial kitchen.

photo: weddingmapper.com

The Pumpkin House

The Pumpkin House, located at 748 Beech Street, in Kenova, West Virginia. The mayor of Kenova, Ric Griffith, is the owner of the house. He and hundreds of volunteers carve upwards of 3,000 pumpkins for display at his home every Halloween. What if every town had a mayor like that? What a wonderful world it would be.

photo: ckautumnfest.com

Random photo: Halloween baby

I think that baby's gonna need a diaper change reeeal soon.

Someone setting up the display merchandise at at our local Party City had a sense of humor.
This giant prop hung from the ceiling, just above the baby shower row.

Haunted Address Marker

A first impression is a lasting impression. A blood-dripping address marker will say so much about you, right from the start. And what better way to send those annoying religion-peddlers packing than with a visual aid that tells them not only how you choose to live your live, but where you live it?  Now, that's curb-appeal!

3" high powder-coated address marker, currently $50.



photo: speedcult.com

Haunted Watering Cans

It's fall, and this beautiful, warmly-burnished pumpkin-shaped watering can just the thing to water your houseplants with. I particularly love the delicate look of the spout. It's only $22.99 from fantasticdecor.com. Just gorgeous, isn't it?

Okay, I admit it: as far as Halloween-themed watering cans go, I may be pushing it here for the next two items :) They have potential, but they definately need paint jobs to make them spooky. I'd recommend using Rust-o-leum spray paint to keep them looking their best.



This owl watering can would look divine with a coat of gloss black spray paint, but I'm not sure where the pour spout is, and for some reason they're calling it a "hen" rather han an owl.   $50 from Global Amici.


And here we have a nice gray kitty that could easily be turned into a lovely black cat. Think how much nicer a black cat watering can would look compared to that Rubbermaid one you might be using now. You'd be proud to display him. $39.95 from amazon.com.



Here's another nice cat design, but it's almost too pretty to paint black. Still, I'd do it. And I'd handpaint the eyes green, too. From plowandhearth.com, but currently out of stock. Sorry.

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!