Summer Daze

Considering the lousy weather I've endured the past two or so years in October, I guess I really shouldn't be talkin' smack about the string of gorgeous weather we've had here in New Jersey. I know I've seen Steve from Steve's Haunted Yard get pummeled by rain and Troy of Halloween Hellmouth has had bouts of stormy weather. Even the Bloodshed Brothers were bemoaning the spate of bad weather they've been through in California.

Here, though, we've had some unseasonably warm weather with today being another one in the mid-80's. What's even more remarkable is the calmness of it all. I'm sure I shouldn't be jinxing things, but we've probably enjoyed almost two weeks of perfect weather and I haven't had to chase one prop down the block yet that got picked up and carried away by the wind. There just hasn't been any, other than gentle breezes.

So I've been making the best of it by setting up my yard and finishing like mad a bunch of unfinished I left for the last minute. Yesterday I was at the upstart NJ Hookerman Make & Take group (don't ask, I'm not really sure about the name, though it certainly seems right up my alley!) and completed my grave grabber, painted some tombstones (five of them, count 'em five!), and brought my two obelisks to near completion.

I got to see niblique71's haunt up close, which is about three-quarters of the way set up. It was a real treat, and I really liked his Karl prop at night (at 15 feet tall, it's huge!), but there's just so much to see:

But I'm also able to go out at night and start fiddling with where I want my props and how I want them lit. Right now I still only have my two green spots out, but I ran the low voltage wire today and tomorrow I'll start setting out my mini-spots. Still, the nice evening weather gives me a chance to enjoy my set up and see how new props -- like my obelisk that needs to be painted still in the photo above -- looks in situ.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth and haunter's should never gainsay gorgeous weather in October.