Helpful Halloween Hints
Issue #007 -- How to Fix Disappointment!

Hello Halloween Haunters - 

So how was your Halloween or your Halloween parties? I hoped everyone was all spooked and grossed out well.

Mine? Well, it was not what I expected. I have never been so disappointed from something that I enjoy so much.

We had several things happening at the time of our spook night.

Table of Contents

• The Big Snow
• Visitor Damage
• Little Tykes
• Another Visitor Damage
• Reconsidering
• Time of Season
• Soul Searching
• Solutions
• My Thanks To You

The Big Snow

First, earlier in October we had a big snow.

About 4 to 6 inches on all of our props that were set up out in the yard. My front yard has a northern exposure so the snow takes it's sweet time melting.

We didn't know until most of it melted off right before Halloween that my crypt and Shorty took a very hard beating.

The crypt was broken by the weight of the snow in at least four places and Shorty..., well let's just say that Shorty wasn't weather proofed enough. Not sure with all that snow that he was ever going to be proofed enough. The snow just soaked up into him and he cracked all over.

Visitor Damage

Then we had the dreaded "visitor damage". This part really bums me out.

About a week or so after we put out the tombstones and some of the props, I was at my desk and had the window open that looks out into the front yard.

A few of the neighborhood kids (young teens) were walking by and I could tell that they were viewing the goodies in the yard. I thought it was cool that they liked it.

Then I hear a crack and they were sort of talking very hurriedly to each other. I looked out the window and I could see that they were trying to put back together a tombstone.

I pleaded out the window, "Please don't break the tombstones."

Two of the three scattered. One stayed behind and said that he tripped on one of the wires (lights on the ground) and fell on a tombstone by accident.

Now, what was he going to do if he didn't trip?

Little Tykes

On another day, three little tykes were riding their big wheels by on the sidewalk.

One of them hollered out, "See! I told you this house was haunted!" That was probably the greatest thing to ever hear. Exactly what every haunter wants to hear!

I was in the upstairs room looking out the window facing the front yard watching them. Warm day, window open.

Sure enough, one of them jumps off of his big wheels and runs into the yard. He didn't step big enough over our little fence and fell face first into the yard.

Once again, I pleaded out the window, "Please stay out of the yard." The little ones were petrified. They could not figure out where the voice came from and got back on their hot wheels and took off. (Tee-hee.)

Now, what was he going to do if he didn't trip? What if he got hurt on my props when he fell?

Another Visitor Damage

A couple of days before Halloween, my family was heading out to go shopping. We backed out of the garage and down the drive. My husband made me stop and he got out.

Someone had taken one of my gargoyle posts and knocked it over. For the most part, no big deal. But we had them wired into the ground so that they wouldn't tip over.

Well, this one was hit so hard that it was ripped off of it's base, broke the base and the rest was on the ground.

Why? Why do something like that? What was the point?

Reconsidering

By this time I'm starting to reconsider. I have not had so much damage in one year. I felt like that the neighborhood didn't appreciate what I was doing and got really hurt and took it all personally.

I basically was fed up with trying to put things out for the neighborhood to enjoy just to have them trash it up.

The night before I was actually considering taking down all the decorations and not handing out any candy.

Time of Season

This is the time of year here in Colorado where we have very warm weather and then very cold. Up and down constantly.

I picked up a cold in early October and it held onto me until after Halloween. I was very worn down.

One of the weekends I had plans that me and my youngest daughter was going to visit a bunch of the haunted houses to get more ideas (and, of course, have a bunch of fun.)

I couldn't do any of it. Just didn't feel good and I would run out of steam during the evenings.

We had a cold front come through on Halloween (Mother Nature could not wait just one night?) Very cold. Since I was still sick on our best scariest night, I ended up not handing out the candy the way that I wanted to. My husband handled it for me.

Soul Searching

I have to admit I really was thinking about not doing anything anymore. I was extremely bummed and tired (from being sick). I had to think really hard if all this was really worth it.

I guess for the most part, I really enjoy it and would have to come up with ideas to stop others from showing their ill manners and disrespecting other people's property.

Solutions

The crypt can be redone. I could glue it back together even with all the breaks. That might make it look even better. Or just make a new one. Either way or maybe both.

Shorty is fixable too. Once again, could be pretty cool when I get done with it. Or, make another.

The yard will need a much bigger fence around it. All I had was about an ankle high fence (for looks only, store bought). There are several ideas out on the web about putting up a fence. I always thought it was to add to the cemetery look but now I'm starting to understand that it was actually to keep people out from doing any damage (or even hurting themselves) with any of the props (and it will make the effect better too).

With getting sick, well..., I guess I will need to pop more vitamin C before October to help me deal better.