It is Autumn Enough!

   It seems that autumn can never come soon enough for my taste.  Let the calendar roll around to May and I am wanting to decorate for fall and Halloween.  Most of those decorations can easily spill over to Thanksgiving so why not get an early start?  If it would not be for Son reminding me that we have spring and summer, I would just as soon jump right into fall after winter.  Who needs the other seasons?  Well, I guess we all do but still....

  Not feeling the best today, I decided that a bit of orange would be the perfect remedy and I knew the ideal place to start sneaking  decorations into place!  There is this funny little wall niche in the bathroom.  It is actually a place where a tiny window was removed years ago.  Instead of trying to "cover over" the void, I decided to put it to good use.  It is pointless to view it as an eyesore.  It is better to simply draw attention to the spot!  I usually hang a wreath in the niche year round but change up during the holidays.  I had a "vision" for the niche for autumn.  

  A wall sconce vase was created from a split gourd.  To this a few dried and artificial leaves were added and a bit of Spanish moss was tucked beneath.  An old lantern was the finishing touch.  Voila!  My first autumn decorations were in place.  Since the bathroom has black trim, orange and black towels, pumpkin and black cat soap dispensers were an easy choice to round out the decorations.  One room down and the rest of the house to go...but I am inspired!  Let Autumn begin!  I feel better already.

Do What Makes You Happy

    It is that time of year when normally the Little Bayou House is bedecked with all things spooky whether it is for the actual holiday or for the Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  This year...neither.  Nothing is adorned with pumpkins, owls, bats, skeletons, spiders....none of...well, except for those that are deemed as everyday decor.  There is nary a clue hunt prop in existence, either.  The whole month of October has been a bust as far as I am concerned.  Both the holiday and clue hunt did not happen purely because I did not feel the "whim".

  That does not mean the Little Bayou House has slid into the "cookie cutter" mold of what everybody else's house looks like.  Nope!  There are no clean, white walls, tidy shelves and clear tabletops.  That....will never happen.  That...is not me.  Sorry...not sorry.  I have to be me and "me" is a bit cluttered with wild and whimsical things.  That is what makes me happy and drives others mad.  (Perhaps I am already there!)  A few years back, one sweet niece made the comment that I am the most "bohemian" person she ever met.  Good!  Another person labeled me "The Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things".  Again...good!  I am happy with both.

  That said...do what you feel is you and never give in to the whole "norm" thing.  While the clutter-free, stark and barren look is grand for some, the quaint and quirky works for others.  To each his own.  Me?  I shall keep my antique jewelry hanging on the light fixture, burnt umber walls and high Victorian furniture along with about two dozen pendulum clocks adding their cacophony of chimes to the mix.  Stay weird, folks....you do not have to conform to others' expectations.  Happy Halloween!

Bat! The Halloween Cat!

   It is October and Halloween is coming soon but I really did not expect to be visited by spookiness this soon.  Have you ever had that feeling of being watched when you are the only one in the room?  Have you ever felt the presence of someone...something...when no one else is nearby?  Have you ever been startled be a commonplace thing?  Well, the Bayou is notorious for having tales of such.  While I do not easily scare by mere paranormal occurrences, sometimes things do go unexplained and make me ponder.

  Last night, I had settled in to do a bit of reading with just an overhead light when I started feeling edgy.  Hmmm?  At first, I brushed it off as getting a bit too involved in the murder mystery at hand but then that "something is looking at me" feeling got overwhelming.  I glanced up to find Bat, the Bayou Prince Cat, staring...not at me but just to my side.  His orange eyes were glinting from the only light in the room (my reading light) and his gaze was unwavering.  Ok....?  What was up with that?  It was then that I noticed a soft "aura" surrounding the cat.  Well, that was different.  I called to him but the cat never moved.  He continued to stare from his half-hidden spot behind the large post.  I called again.  He never even acknowledged my attempt to coax him to me.  This was not like Bat at all!  He is usually the most cuddly cat and welcomes any chance to be snuggling up next to me.  He stared. It was almost as if he was in a trance.  That soft "cloud" lingered a bit longer then slowly dissipated.  What was that??  Before the aura disappeared completely, I grabbed the camera from the coffee table and snapped a photo fully expecting the glow to not appear in the picture.  

  After about ten minutes of the "stare down", Bat suddenly meowed and leapt up next to me and literally put his face against mine.  He refused to stay on the lap and had to be snuggled right on my shoulder.  Every so often he leaned back, looked at me then meowed.  Crazy cat!  Was there something here that I could not explain but he could see?  Was this all my imagination?  When I checked the photograph, a bit of the wisp could be seen!  Ooooh!  Bat, the Halloween Cat!  Spooky!

Eerie Elegance!

   Being more or less confined (by choice) to the Bayou, I have to find things to do as entertainment.  One can only work so much.  A bit of frivolity is a necessity to keep the mind in good spirits.  Normally during this time of year, I am running hither and thither trying to make the Clue Hunt on the Bayou run smoothly.  To say that I miss it is an understatement.  I feel lost.  So, to compensate, I find things to ease the pain.  

  Since there is no theme of a clue hunt to follow with decorating this year, it occurred to me that I can play with Halloween decorations and do a few fun things that have been rambling about in the brain for some time.  It was time to dust off the cobwebs hidden there and pull a some ideas.  "Hauntingly Beautiful" is becoming a thing for the Little Bayou House.  While the place is not some haunted "mansion", the decorations still can give that illusion.  Decorate with whatever is here, add a few weird and wonderful items and enjoy the results.  

  It seems that the china cabinet is always a starting point for any seasonal decorations done here.  This year, as always, everything was removed, the cabinet dusted and then the fun began.  Whatever struck my fancy was stuck inside!  Black dishes, wedding crystal, a few pumpkins and some beads rounded out the collection.  In the lighted bottom portion of the cabinet, an urn of purple roses demand notice!  (I make it a rule to never use artificial flowers daily but, for Halloween, you just have to have purple roses!) 

  Now that the china cabinet is complete, I can move on to the newly repaired mantel!  Son completed repairing the water damage just in the nick of time!  The Hauntingly Beautiful theme will carry over there and then to the entire house.  It saddens me to think that no one else will see my efforts but, if it saves the sanity of being here alone, then it is worth it!  I shall enjoy living in this eerie elegance for a month!

Pumpkin Carving Time!

   I am probably the only person who looks at pumpkins as foodstuffs instead of decorations this time of year.  Mark came home with a huge pumpkin because the store had them and he was shopping.  If it is there...he buys it...whatever its is.  So, I got a pumpkin.  That is all fine and dandy except it is a wee bit early in the season and, well, this pumpkin was obviously in cold storage.  As soon as he brought it in the house, the thing started sweating.  Umm, a sweating pumpkin is not a good thing...at all.  When this happens, it means that the pumpkin will be rotted within the week.  There was nothing to do except salvage my prize!  Let the pumpkin carving begin!

  Son has an odd way of cutting the pumpkins for me to cook.  Without cutting the top or bottom, he makes about a dozen slices on the sides.  Then the top is cut out and each slice is merely plucked from the pumpkin.  Most of the seeds stay inside and he claims that it is easier.  Who am I to argue the point if he is doing the cutting?  Once Son pulled off a few of the slices, he was amused to find a plant growing inside of the pumpkin.  In fact, several of the seeds had sprouted!  This was yet another sign that our fine, fat friend would have withered before Halloween. 

  Now, the pumpkin is cut, cooked, pureed and stored in the freezer.  Two gallons of pumpkin puree is ready to be used in baking or cooking of some sort.  Mark has strict instructions to buy me another pumpkin from a roadside stand around mid October!  No more grocery store pumpkins that have been in cold storage!  It worked out alright, though, as now I have lots of yummy things to make!

Orangeness!

   So, the color of today is orange!  Why?  Well, simple.  I am in an orange mood.  This mood was brought on by a butterfly and a flower.  An orange and black Gulf Fritillary Butterfly was sipping nectar from an orange zinnia.  If that does not get you into the orange mood, then nothing will!  Orange!  Orange and black...the colors of the butterfly...also, the colors of Halloween!  I love Halloween! So, I am in an orange mood AND I am decorating for Halloween!  Yep, it is early but I say do what makes you happy.  Halloween makes me happy so I am doing what I please.  Besides, the critters of the Bayou do not care if the Little Bayou House is decorated for Halloween in the middle of September!

  It seems to me that orange is definitely the color of fall.  Orange leaves, pumpkins, Halloween, flowers, persimmons, the Harvest moon, sunrises, sunsets...all things orange seem to be found in the fall!  (Yes, I do realize that the sun rises and sets year round but it definitely splashes the sky with color more starting in the fall and running through winter.)  With all this orangeness going on, you would think it is my favorite color.  Well, it is one.  The other is black..the lack of color.  Put those two together and, wham!  Halloween!  Favorite!

Prettily Creepy! (Not to be confused with pretty creepy)

  When you are doing something like a haunted house or, in my case, a clue hunt, decorations demand a bit of thinking.  It is wise to plan out things far in advance then visit flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales since you never know what you might find that can be revamped into just what you need to set the mood.  While my theme for the clue hunt this year was not creepy and did not take a lot of time, it still needed items that I do not normally keep at the Little Bayou House.  Mark took me to thrift stores just about every week and we sifted through mountains of stuff to find just the right things to use.  A masquerade ball requires "pretty" things not creepy.  So, I went with prettily creepy!

  Last night, something was added to my decor without my intentions.  A floor lamp stand had been fitted with a hanging, beaded lamp from my daughter's room when she was a teenager.  Yep. I still had it.  The lamp was needed to bring ambiance to the "parlor".  While I did put the lamp in place, I did NOT actually know how nicely the thing would fit.  The lamp added a bit of flair to the room but the shadow added the ambiance!  Quite by accident, I discovered that the lamp would cast a remarkable shadow into the darkened hallway when positioned in just the right spot!  Ohh!  Creepy!  Or not...I think it is rather pretty!

  Shadows are some of those things that can set the mood for any type of Halloween decorations.  Shadows flitting across the porch wall and windows bring dread.  Shadows in the corners of a room causes the light in the middle of the room to be a bit cozier.  Shadows of lamps in the hallway...are just a happy accident!

When Halloween Got Sick!

  Halloween is meant to be fun.  It is meant to be a bit scary.  It is meant to be so chock full of candy that you get sick to the tummy but Halloween, itself,  is not meant to be sick.  Ok, so that seems to be going in the direction of how some folks decorate or celebrate the holiday but it was not meant to be a prim and proper chastisement to others.  Nope.  I really meant that Halloween got sick...nauseated...and puked all over my entryway..literally.  Actually, that was Son's description of my decorations this year.  The "Man of Few Words" stated "Looks like Halloween ate too much candy and threw up out here."  Well...sorry!  Poor Halloween.

  Actually, I did intentionally "over-decorate" if that is even possible for the holiday.  Each October, we have a grand time with the Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  This is the sixth year that the clue hunt will be held and I am late!  Our first running has been postponed until this next week but back to those decorations.  During this hunt, we needed "color stations"...that is all I can tell you at this time!  One of those color stations just happened to be orange!  Woohoo!  Orange!  Halloween!  Yep!  A myriad of Jack-O-Lanterns would adorn the entryway!  Every orange item in the house (which just happened to be Halloween themed!) was pulled into the entryway and plopped in any available spot.  To top things off, orange glitter seemed to rule...much to the vexation of Son.  He hates the stuff! While I am not particularly a fan of glitter, it seemed to fit in perfectly with this total orange-out of a room.  All I can say is....I cannot wait to do the purple station!  Again...woohoo!

October Time!

  Ok, so I am a day or so late but, hey, its October!!!  That means one thing.  I can admit publicly that I am decorating for Halloween.  Well, actually, I am a day or so late saying its October.  The decorating has been going on since about mid-September.  Yes.  I know.  There are those folks who would chastise me for being eager but, in my defense, I sort of have to put up the decorations this early.  The Clue Hunt on the Bayou runs the month of October and if the decorations are not up early, they will never get put up.  Besides...its no one's business when I decide to stick a Jack-O-Lantern in the window.  Don't like it?  Go home.  The Bayou is far enough down the lane that it is my decorations are not intrusive to any one's attention.  They cannot be seen unless you venture down that 400 foot driveway.  So, I decorate.

  As I was passing by the china cabinet earlier today, I stopped to glance inside and just had to smile.  The mishmash of decorations that fill the lighted cabinet is filled with memories.  Some recent...some from long ago.  It is sort of neat how Halloween can pull together both modern and antique pieces without a problem.  Usually, this cabinet is the first to get attention just because it offers so many possibilities.  The prized pieces fill each nook and cranny of the cabinet.  It does, indeed, make me smile.
  

 The entryway and bathroom are usually next in line to receive a makeover.  Each receives a new look with the orange and black.  My decorations are never gory but are either reminiscent of days past or have an implied creep.  It depends on the mood of the day.  With the first run of the clue hunt just days away, the entryway is receiving its "orange" makeover.  By the end of the week, the entire Little Bayou House will be happily adorned!  I love this time of year!

The Apparition

  There are some wild tales that attach themselves to areas like the Bayou.  Some are true. The Bayou has long been the scene of a few unusual events such as plane crashes, gator attacks and "Bayou Critters".  The stories behind these are fodder for a different time. Others are purely fictional.  These are yarns that abound in the dark corners of the brain and come spilling out the mouth when there is a willing and gullible victim...err...visitor.  I have been known to stretch the truth, create illusions or otherwise embellish a story until it suits my needs.  Keep in mind, that these tales are purely for entertainment and the listener is always clued in before they leave the Bayou.  Storytelling is something that has run in the family for generations so I come by it naturally.  Sometimes, however, a good story is just plopped into my lap purely by accident.  What makes for a believable tale is an unaltered photograph. That is undeniable TRUTH right there!  Fabricating a good story about a picture is simply a matter of a few twists and turns of the imagination. 

  With Halloween not far from being upon us, my thoughts have turned toward decorations.  One of the illusions that has always fascinated me is called "Pepper's Ghost".  It is a technique named for John Henry Pepper.  By using reflective material, he would create "ghosts". This was used on stage and sideshows way back in the mid 1800s.  I have always longed to create my own illusions using the technique but have yet to try.  Until now.  Now, I have my own "Pepper's Ghost" but just not the one that goes with the name.

  A few months back, my son-in-law called with a "huge favor".  He asked if I would mind keeping a cat for a few hours.  He and my daughter had just adopted another "throwaway cat".  Robbie had taken the cat to the vet for its shots and then had to go to work.  Of course, the cat could not teach dance with him so I wound up babysitting the kitty.  Pepper is a sweet kitten so that was not a problem.  What was a problem was trying to get her to sit still long enough for me to photograph her. (I cannot resist a photo opportunity with any critter!) This kitten is rather active and was exploring the house as soon as Robbie left.  My trying to catch her image was difficult.  The photographs were all "ruined" because she was antsy.  Ruined for most folks.  Perfect for my imaginative tales.

  I figure that I can use my cat photos to my advantage.  The wiggling of the kitten made for the perfect "apparition" to be caught on camera!  Not many folks can claim to have photographed a ghost!  A tale of the ghostly cat has been rattling around in the brain for a few weeks now, so I am sure that some day soon, I shall not be able to hold the tongue and the tale will emerge in its full glory!  

Friends I have not met yet.

  Sometimes the nicest people are friends that you have not met yet. Yep, you read that right..."friends that you have not met yet."   I admit that I stay here on the Bayou and do not have as many acquaintances as other folks but I do consider my handful of friends as true friends or even family.  They are the type who do not say "Is there anything I can do for you?" instead, they just do.  Makes a person feel pretty special.  But, as I said, this is about the nice people who are friends that you have not met yet.  I have those, too.  They, to my way of thinking, are incredible!

  Not too long ago, I was on the receiving end of a fine gift.  A lovely lady sent me a plant in a terracotta pot and decorated for Halloween!  The plant is one she rooted especially for me!  Now, how nice is that?  To be honest, I have met her daughters but not the sweet lady, herself.  Her two daughters have been coming to the Little Bayou House for the past several years to participate in the Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  They, like their mom, are amazingly nice.  This year when they came, the girls brought the plant.  "It is a gift from Mama." 

  Now, the gift was for no specific reason which made it all the more special.  Not many folks will go out of their way to show such kindness.  When I am the recipient of such unexpected kindness, it warms my heart tremendously and makes me want to share the nice act with others.  I need more unmet friends...we all do.

  Perhaps if more people were like Angie, this old world would take on a kinder, gentler persona and be a happier place. She has inspired me. I am going to try each month of the coming year to do one act of kindness or give one small gift to some friend that I have never met.  Maybe this idea will spread to be something that can change hearts.  Thank you, Angie. You have started something that hopefully will brighten the days of others as much as your kindness has mine.  I love my unmet friends!

Ready to Go!

  With the start of the first clue hunt of the season bearing down on me, I think everything is ready to go....I hope.  I hope that I have not forgotten to do something important like set the clues!  Today, the main focus was on the tea party for the guests.  I baked lots of pretty party foods that would be suitable for the theme and had fun setting the table with dishes that I do not normally use. Since I am a bit more "country clunky" (to use one of Mom's terms), fine china and crystal rarely (if ever) get used here in the Little Bayou House.  BUT!  This is a tea party!  So everything has to be fit for the Queen, even if that queen reigns only over the Bayou.

 Speaking of tables, there are two other tabletops filled with the most odd assortment of trinkets.  These tablescapes are to be examined by the team members.  Perhaps, hidden amongst the oddities, there are a few clues that will lead them to other places.  Can you spot the clues?  Nope, there are no written clues in my hunts.  The players have to be astute and find clues where none seem to be hidden.  An item simply "out of place" could be the answer to finding the next clue.  A series of locked boxes, mind puzzles and tools will come into play during their search for answers.  In previous hunts, the teams have done well and solved the mysteries that abound on the Bayou. They have solved murders, escaped locked rooms and debunked legends.  This year, things are a bit different.  This is the first time that they will actually be hunting a treasure!

  So, the table is set, the food is prepared and the clues are all in place.  The stage is set and I am just waiting for the role-players to arrive.  This should be fun for all...me, especially!

Its Halloween! Almost!

  With the clue hunt falling in the month of October, I do a vast amount of decorating.  Things need to be festive for Halloween but, also, render the impression of the theme of the hunt.  This year, most of the hunt was in out buildings so I was able to do a bit of actual Halloween type decorating.  It made me happy to pull my boxes down from upstairs and sort the accumulated items.  I have a LOT!  Still when it came to doing a tablescape for the clue hunt meal, I was at a loss.  The first hunt of the season saw the table decorated in a typical "Bayou" style with seashells and Spanish moss but since the month has progressed and it is closer to Halloween, I decided to change all of that.  I went strictly Halloween.

  First, an orange base tablecloth, then a black lace over top set the mood.  I had acquired some orange and black dishes that would look perfect so those were next.  My silverware and some cheap dollar store wine glasses were added for a bit of creepy elegance.  Now all I needed was finishing touches.  The same base centerpiece that I had used for the previous hunt came back into play.  I merely pulled off the seashells and the lantern from the top.  A skull and assorted bones were added to the moss and several large spiders were thrown in for fun.  Yep, it is always quite tasteful to have bones on the dining table!  Since I would be using the black bowls to prepare a vegan pasta dish, the plates looked a tad plain.  That needed fixing!  Hmmm.  I tried just about everything I had on hand but always seemed to wind up with one short.  Mini skeletons were meant to be napkin rings but one was missing a head!  Not that this should matter but, hey, my theme was not the "Headless Horseman"!  I pulled some small skulls and, once again, I lacked one.  Geez!  Then inspiration struck!

  Folded black napkins were placed on the orange plate and a single tiny lantern was set on top.  With the miniature lanterns lit, it gave the table a wonderfully warm glow!  I completed the look with lanterns hanging between the windows around the table.  Yep, I am satisfied with my last minute tablescape and think I will use this again for the next running of the hunt. In the meantime, the table will stay decorated!  Love it!

Sometimes you just have to be a bit weird!

  For the clue hunt last year, I needed lots of paintings of cats and ravens.   When the hunt draws near, I get a bit antsy and have trouble sleeping so most of the paintings were done in the wee hours of the morning.  It was not uncommon to find me splashing paint on a canvas at three in the morning!  I found that exhaustion can bring out the creativity in a person or at least lessens the inhibitions of brush strokes.  I flipped out paintings right and left!  I had an entire wall of nothing but critters!  Granted, some of these were from things found on the internet but others were just from a very tired brain.  

  This year, I reused all of the paintings.  Not that they were needed in the hunt but just because I liked the pictures.  As matter of fact, they stayed hung on the wall in the living room for the whole year!  No one thought any negative thoughts of my weird choice in artwork or at least they never voiced it.  Then again, no one has ever thought to comment on the fact that I have a full sized portrait of Edgar Allan Poe in my living room either.  I guess maybe they just think that I am so unusual that anything else might be considered weird.

  Now, it has come to the point that I really do like these paintings and have been considering doing many more.  Why?  No clue.  Perhaps it is just for the fun of it!

 

A Bit of Bayou Elegance!

  The Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou is something that I look forward to all year long.  It takes just about that long to plan, create props, decide on a menu and pull the entire thing together.  The thing starts with an idea, progresses into a storyline and then proceeds to become a reality. I scrounge around in flea markets, raid family members' sheds and use a good bit of creativity to make things perfect.  Each year, I worry and fret that I have overlooked something or that perhaps I have "bitten of more than I can chew" but with Mark's and Son's input and help, we manage to transform the place into what I imagine.  It is great!

  The menu usually is something that ties in with the hunt.  I serve a full "sit-down" meal and have the tablescape to fit the hunt.  Last year's theme was "Steampunk Poe" with apologies to Edgar Allan Poe for our twist on his stories.  The dining table was set in Victorian style with crystal and a black lace tablecloth with red underlay.  Of course, beads, candelabras, a skull and ravens had to make an appearance.  This was fun! The heavily ornate table settings were in stark contrast to what normally happens at the Little Bayou House.

  This year's theme is "Legends of the Bayou".  It is more fitting to the setting of the place and the house in general. I had first automatically pulled the black lace tablecloth and candelabras for the meal.  It just did not feel right.  Then, in the middle of the night, it struck me...duh! Bayou!  How simple!  I would go with "Bayou Elegance"!  Some crystal, some everyday.  I had to get up out of bed at 3 am because I was so excited!  Things were whirling around in the head so sleep was impossible.  A canvas dropcloth replaced the black lace tablecloth. This was topped with a piece of trawl netting that I had been saving for some unknown reason. (See!  My "hoarding" does come in handy!)  Everyday offwhite dishes were paired with crystal plates and ramekins.  I was so blessed to be the recipient of my sweet aunt's "shrimp" glasses and they were going to be perfect for this tablescape!  I have the same aunt's large silver plate tray so that became the base of my centerpiece. A tarnished silver candle holder/vase was set atop the platter then a smaller platter on top of that.  A lantern found its way on the tip top of this mountain!  The whole thing was draped with Spanish moss and dotted with seashells.  Yep...the "Bayou" had come to life on my table! Seafood would abound on the menu and for dessert my sweet aunt's crystal wine glasses would be filled with pumpkin trifle!  With the combination of everyday and fine crystal, the setting was perfect....a bit of "Bayou Elegance" at its best!  (Thank you, Michelle, for honoring me with your mother's gorgeous dishes!)
  

  This clue hunt has me thinking nonstop.  As matter of fact, even though we have just started this year's, my brain is already thinking of a year from now. I only hope that my guests have as much fun as I do! It will be a full month of teams coming to try their hand at solving the mystery and tasting a bit of Bayou cuisine!  Fun!

Please! I Want It To Be Fall!

  If I asked pretty please, could it be fall?  I yearn for cooler nights, bright hued leaves and pumpkins...pumpkin everything!  I miss all of this!  I miss the decorations hung up in the Little Bayou House, the smell of cinnamon/ginger wafting from the kitchen and Jack-o-lanterns peeping from frosty windows.  I miss fall.  I miss Halloween!

  Just today, I mentioned to Son that I would like to get the fall and Halloween decorations down from the upstairs' closet.  He said "NO!" No, in no uncertain terms. No, as in, well, no.  He informed me that July is too early to decorate for Halloween.  Well, boo on him!  Since tomorrow is supposed to be a stormy day, he did agree, however, that I could at least get the stuff from the closet.  He, also, agreed that maybe I could put out a few....a FEW...fall decorations.  Yep...when have I ever put out a few decorations of any kind?  What he does not know, cannot hurt him...right?  

  Since the "Clue Hunt on the Bayou" does not involve every room of the house this year, I can decorate to my heart's content in the unused rooms.  I figure that since most of September will be spent preparing for the clue hunt, August should be used readying the house for fall and Halloween.  I am so eager to get started even though I do have a bit of trepidation lingering in the brain.  The last time that I decorated fully this early, we had a hurricane whip through and put a damper on any festivities.  Still, I cannot let that stand in the way!  Decorations....here I come!  Let the fun begin! (I promise...no Jack-o-lanterns.....yet!)

Happy Halloween!

  Happy Halloween, Folks!  I do not get Trick-or-treaters this far down on the Bayou but still this probably my favorite time of the year.  The Little Bayou House gets decked out in its fall finest and folks come to try their hand at solving a mystery better known as Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  It is fun for all.

  This year it is a bit different as an early cold spell seems to be gripping the nation.  The bit of unusual weather has dipped far enough south to be felt even here.  It is chilly and I am worried since I have not covered the plants.  Bell peppers are still hanging on in the garden!  Those,  I should have picked prior the cold winds started.  I did not so now I worry that the peppers might meet their demise as the temperatures dip into the 30s.  We are not used to this!  October and November should still be relatively warm!

  I was actually quite surprised to see the peppers do so well.  Back in early spring, I planted seeds.  By midsummer, the plants were rather large but with nary a fruit.  The plants were transplanted into the large boxes that once held potatoes and seemed to grow overnight.  These are now covered with beautiful peppers but since the clue hunt occupied all of my time recently, they are still dangling on the plant.   Hopefully, the weather will not be scary and we can salvage a few of the fruit. Tomorrow will find me out picking whatever can be found in the garden and covering a few of the plants.  

  So...Happy Halloween, Folks!  Don't be tricked by this unseasonable weather!  

  

"Quoth the Raven"

  The time is nigh!  Once again, the time has come for the annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou!  I am excited about this year's theme and at the way things are coming together for the hunt.  The decorations are going to be over the top and the clues...well, lets just say, they might be a tad confusing.  The Little Bayou House is in the midst of a full-blown transformation!  It is not going to be the quaint, cozy cottage for the next month.  It is going to be a lot darker, more eerie and probably a lot downright weird!  I love it!  Personally, I could leave it this way all year and be totally happy.  Or at least happy until the next clue hunt.  Then things will be in an uproar once again.  The feeling of euphoria that comes from all of this makes my year!

  With the theme this year being "Edgar Allan Poe Stories", the house has taken on several different looks.  We have the highly ornate, Gothic rooms where Prince Prospero might have taken up residence and we have dreary, drab places that could possibly pass for an artist's loft and then there are the places that are almost beyond description!  No matter which, all are such fun places to hunt for clues!

  Since I cannot share any secrets before the "detectives" attempt to solve the mystery of the clue hunt, you will have to settle for a picture of one of the welcoming signs.  Sorry...more to come with lots of fun ideas for decorating for Halloween!

Its a good thing she's my cousin!

  I have company (well, family) coming to stay at the Little Bayou House this coming weekend.  My cousin, her husband and their adult son will stay three nights with us which makes me happy as this cousin and I are more like sisters than anything else.  She and I grew up together with only a couple of months apart in our ages.  When we get together, it is like things have never changed.  Still, I have to wonder just what folks think when they walk into the house and get a glimpse of my "decorating skills"!  Especially during this time of year, the house is quite....ummmm....different. It is Halloween! AND time for the second annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou!


  Since I have some heavy duty planning to do to get this clue hunt to be a success, things are plopped just about everywhere.  I have skeletons on the bed in one guest bedroom.  I have "ghost" portraits in the other guest bedroom.  One dining table is set for "high tea" while the other has typical Halloween stuff.  (Yes, I do have two dining sets at least for the time being as one is being stored for my daughter.)  The gaudiest black satin valances adorn the windows!  (Black satin with tassels to boot and none of that fits with the Bayou but Halloween brings out the best in me!  You can't get much better than that!)   Plus, I have acquired any number of broken clocks and have decided those should be displayed, too! And that, my friends, just shows how close my cousin and I are!  She went out of her way to find some more unique clocks to add to my collection!   Anyway, with everything stashed about in weird places, I am sure it should be an interesting visit for my guests.  

  The good thing is that, like I said earlier, my cousin and I pick up right where we left off with the last visit.  She has volunteered not only her help but that of her husband and son! My daunting job of cluttering...errr..decorating the house for the hunt will be a lot easier with many hands at work.  Hopefully, they will not get the heebie-jeebies over sleeping with skeletons!

Owls and Halloween...they go together!

  Well, it is that time of year for me.  That time when my thoughts turn strictly to fall and Halloween.  Yep, you heard that correctly, Halloween. I do understand that it is still September and there are quite a few days until the end of October but I feel you can never be ready enough for the big day to be here.  Not that we ever get any trick-or-treaters this far down on the Bayou but it is more the decorating that I crave.  I love to redo the house after the long stretch of non-holiday decor.  Fall and Halloween, for me, are the start of the holiday season where the Little Bayou House can be dressed in all of its gaudiness and still be considered "normal".  Not that I really ever fit with the term "normal" and not that my decorations ever fit with the term "normal" but at least with everyone else decorating, I have an excuse!  

  I do not feel too very bad though since, today while out in the garden, one of my "Halloween" friends stopped in to visit for a spell.  I was busy jerking out the spent basil plants when I felt that eerie feeling creep over me.  You know, the one that tells you that someone (or something) is watching you?  The hair-raising-on-the-back-of-the-neck creepy sensation that all eyes are on you?  Yeah, that one!  With a bit of trepidation of what I might find observing me, I turned to face my stalker!  Finding no one at ground level, my eyes turned skyward. Something must be in the treetops.  I am rarely mistaken when I think I am being watched.  Sure enough, on the third limb up from the ground, two large eyes stared at me from the nearby pine tree.

  My friend, the owl, had dropped by to inspect my work.  I am sure it was more casing the garden for the upcoming night's hunt but I like to think the owl comes to visit me and not spy for rat tunnels that are being exposed.  "Hi, Friend Owl.  Welcome to the garden!"  (I, indeed, chatted with the bird.)  The owl made no reply but, instead, just eyed me curiously.

   I figure that my Friend Owl needs to hang around the garden more often.  Not only will the bird do a fine job of ridding the place of rodents but its presence will be a fine addition to my Halloween decorations! Now, if I could only convince Friend Owl to bring a few ravens along for a visit, I would be thrilled!  (I guess I will have to be happy with a couple of crows, though, since ravens do not live around the Bayou.)