Deck the Halls

Halls Decked. Check.

First Snow

We just got in from a wonderful (warm) weekend in LA --85 degrees-- where all our friends asked "Is it cold yet?" "Has it snowed yet?" and as we drove home from the airport we saw snow coming down. The wife was thrilled and a bit amazed. Our yard this morning is pictured. By noon nearly all of it had melted away.

Not only did the snow come, but while we were gone a murder was committed in our very small town. The town we sought out for its safety, community and quality of life. Hmmm.

A new addition to our family

It weighs about 3 pounds, it doesn't eat much and does household chores with out complaining. In fact it's vacuuming our bedroom as I type. Yep we got us our first robot. Now as long as the robot slaves don't evolve and rise up against their masters (I hear they think we fleshy ones taste of bacon) we should be living the future today.

Voting

I and the wife just returned from polls.
I was glad to see the old lever-based booths still in use rather than a DieBold electronic balck hole.

But the wife had never used the lever system and was temporarily stunned.

Also our polling place was in an old age home. So often they are.

But this crowd of elderly women set up a veritable mini-mall of crafts sales and bake sales. We had to run the gauntlet to get to the polling place.

Wily old grandmas.

I question the ethics of turning the polling site into a bake shop. At least no "Freedom Fries" were on sale.

But my orange-cranberry bread sure was tasty. And a bag of cookies for 25 cents?! These ladies have not adjusted for inflation and I win.

The Wicker Man

No not the movie, the real celtic traditional event in which a wicker man is burnt. Ever since I discovered Burning Man I hoped to find a more traditional (authentic?) Green Man or Wicker Man festival. This past saturday I got to to one on a farm field about 8 miles from our place.

A stream runs through the property, a gypsy caravan sits there as does the start of a barn and not much else. No electric so a generator powered the musican's amps. Four gas grills cooked up tasty meats served on wood shingles. The barn is maybe half finished being built in a Vistorian style and makes the perfect haunted house against a full moon.

Four bonfires burned. Our host read poetry near the fire. We crossed the bridge over the stream and saw the man standing 35 feet high. The photos probably tell the rest of the tale.

The Long Halloween

Well this pumpkin probably doesn't hold a candle to the Green Lantern Jack O'lantern I made last year but it fits the DC comics theme.

We had less trick or treaters than we expected. Especially since I made a video loop of "Trick or Treat" and other Halloween imagery that I played on a TV screen in the window.

Oh and I rigged up a white curtain blown by a fan and lit from below in an upstairs window so it looked like a ghost.