Now Watching: Halloween 2022 - THE CARVER

The 2022 Haunt Video is up on YouTube! 

Click below to watch it:

Let me know what you think! I'm already thinking of ways to improve for the 2023 video. 

Coming Soon: Haunt Video 2022

EDIT: Video is up on YouTube!

Putting the final touches on the video for Halloween 2022.  Gonna be test-uploading for quality checks, and will likely publish it before the weekend.  I'll be sure to post a link on the blog once it's up.

Halloween 2022: The Carver

Beware of The Carver
On Hallowe'en Night.
A sharp knife he carries...
He's really a fright!

Don't let him catch you
With a shadow'd embrace...
He'll scoop out your seeds,
and carve you a face!

Turns out I was so excited to shoot video for this year's display that I photos kind of fell to the wayside... But I do have plenty of footage with even better angles.

Until I get that edited, here are the best of the photos I did take.  

I'm quite satisfied with this year's theme, and I think it really came together. As with every year, I learned a lot (#1: When taking photos, make a shot list!). There's things I'll do again and things I'll do differently, but at the end of the day, I'm happy with this one.

My neighbor has already greenlit me for next Halloween!  I better get started...

Thanks to everyone who's been following the blog and my Instagram, your continued interest and support mean everything to me!  

Click here for the 2022 Yard Haunt video!

Happy Halloween!

Photos will be dropped tomorrow (fingers crossed).  I'm very excited to share this year's display!  I'll do my best to squeeze in photo editing time tomorrow.  

Halloween on a Monday... what a way to start a busy week!

ONE day until Halloween!

Carving pumpkins for the Haunt tonight! I can't believe it's already here

10 days!

It's down to the wire...

Incense for Halloween 2022

Decided to implement incense into this year's display -- a first time thing for me. I was inspired by Pumpkinrot's use of incense in 2020, so I decided to go with the same vendor he used: Plant Guru.

They smell very strong, which is a good thing.  I went with Clove and Pumpkin Spice scents.  Rot used big piles of cones in cauldrons to make this awesome smoke (and smell!) effect.  I've opted for sticks, which I'm going to try sticking in pumpkins, just to give a little spicy scent to the haunt.  We'll see how it goes!

Click here to buy incense from Plant Guru.  Free and fast shipping and relatively inexpensive for the quality! I'll definitely be using them again.

16 days until Halloween...

Someone's outside....

24 days until Halloween

October Eve: Hurricane Ian

The big hurricane down here left me and my home completely unscathed, which was (pleasantly) surprising, given the severity of the storm. The same goes for most of my friends and family. 

I'm quite grateful... Almost one and a half million people are still without power in Florida, and at least 17 people were killed. The flooding I witnessed was biblical. 

While driving around yesterday morning, when the most dangerous winds and rain had ceased, I came across a house with a downed tree and a scarecrow. 

The fact that the house and its whimsical lawn ornament were spared the devastation filled me with Halloween warmth. It reminded me of the communal importance of Halloween, and the joy it can bring others during hard times. 

In an era of Halloween maximalism, let's not forget the simpler aspects of the holiday... Something I plan to touch on in a later post. 

Whether you're an all-out yard haunter or someone with a single porch pumpkin, your decorations are important; they fill like-minded Halloween enthusiasts with the spirit of the season.

And it's that like-mindedness,wordlessly shared between strangers, that makes Halloween such a special holiday. 

I'm not dead

(I'm getting better!)

Every year I forget how busy things get beginning in September. 

I apologize for the lack of content on the blog recently.  I've been working diligently on the haunt while also juggling my other personal-life priorities. Naturally, I've had to step away from regular blog posting in order to allocate my time effectively. 

However, I'll be drafting posts for the Countdown to Halloween 2022 blogging event, of which I am a Crypt Keeper. These posts will publish throughout October, leading up to the Big Night, so stay tuned to October Branches to catch those!

In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Instagram @tjalgahorn, where I have been posting photos and video snippets here and there. 

36 days until Halloween...

50 Days

It's been a hell of a week, and the pressure is on.  

Halloween 2022 Preview

In 61 days... beware The Carver

We are only two months away from Halloween.  It's going to be down to the wire for this year's display. But to celebrate the impending arrival of the Big Night, here's a test photo of one of my props for the upcoming haunt.

Halloween 2022 Update: Yard Acquired

Last year some friends of mine were kind enough to allow me to decorate their yard. Since that option was off the table this year, I was forced to look for a different foster yard. 

Fortunately, after speaking with several folks in my neighborhood, I've got a promising yard lined up for this year's display. I'll be meeting with my neighbor in a few days to discuss my plans for his yard. 

I just hope he's accepting of my "artistic vision" as it were.

Anyway, let's wrap up this sleep-deprivation-and-alcohol-induced post with an impromptu photo I took of my back porch, which is currently choked with branches and twigs.  Featuring a jack o'lantern ornament by Primitive Pig Folk Art.

 

Halloween 2022 Update: Stick collection has begun

Money has been pretty tight these past two months, which has so far hindered my ability to continue work on this year's haunt.  I'm doing what I can (gathering free materials) but suddenly, this year seems up in the air.  Hopefully, things will all fall in to place like they did last year, despite my minimal budget and zero free time.

I also need to find someone in my area willing "adopt" my display (aka, donate their yard for the Halloween season).  

The stress is beginning to build and I felt I had to get it off of my chest. So, there you all have it.  *confetti*

I'll keep everyone posted in the coming weeks.