Happy New Year!

I hope everyone's Halloween and Holiday season was revelatory and joyful! 

I'm back from my Annual Unannounced Unplanned Post-Halloween Hiatus!*  I've been away longer than usual this year. I needed some time away to focus on other work/projects/personal things.  Blogging and working on Halloween stuff had to take a backseat.

I've been thinking about what I want to focus on and accomplish this year, and decided to relay some of that here, as a kind of personal accountability.  So, this year, in no particular order, I'd like to:

Make more props!

I want to practice with new techniques and improve the workflow I currently use.  I want to really up my game when it comes to painting and final touches.  And as much as I love corpsing, I want to try making other décor as well.

Finally open an Etsy store!

I've been considering this for over a year now.  It would serve mainly as an outlet for me to make props/décor without having to worry about space or thematic cohesion. Plus, I won't have to worry as much about material costs if I sell the final product!

Write more Haunt Theory posts!

I have at least two drafts in the works, and an upcoming mini-post about a material I don't see used very often among haunters.  I also want to create "hub" page for Haunt Theory posts written by myself and other haunters.

Photo source (video)

Those are my Halloween "resolutions" for 2025.  More nebulous desires than concrete goals, but workable nonetheless.  I'd love to know what everyone else wants to accomplish this year, so please drop a comment!  

*(AUUPHH ["awf"] for short. I should start calling post-Halloween the awf-season)

“Summer” update: A Verbose Postponement

Though it hasn't officially begun, the heat of Summer is upon us here in Central Florida, with 100° heat indexes at least once a week at this point.  I hope everyone is finding ways to stay cool as we enter the more miserable months.

After taking a few months away from the blog, I'm feeling the Halloween itch again.  Stress from "normal life" is winding down currently, and the heat is winding up... it's no wonder I long for Fall's gentle embrace.

Last Halloween, I announced I was postponing my yard haunt.  While I had initially planned to finish it for 2024, I think it's for the best if I save it for one more year.  I simply do not foresee myself having the time or funds for the fully-realized display.

Instead, I'm going to be focusing on making more one-off props this season. I want to start taking props out to locations for photoshoots.  This way, I can continue to practice new prop-making techniques, accrue pieces for the full haunt, and (most importantly) fulfill my incessant need to make spooky stuff!

Thanks, as always, to all of you who stop by the blog.  Stay tuned for more!

Only 150 days until Halloween!

New Moon

Hey everybody! Things are finally starting to level out for me again.  I've been lurking around, dropping in on some of the other blogs (see sidebar →) once in a while.  I can't wait to go through the backlog and binge-read all the posts I've missed.  

Tonight is the last New Moon of 2023.  It marks a time of renewal and fresh starts!  For me, it marks the end of a very stressful (and very long) period of time. And boy am I ready for a clean slate.

I want to give another huge "thank you" to everyone who reads the blog and supports me and my work! I hope your post-Halloween season has been less stressful than mine!

Here's to fresh starts!

At Close of Day, by Maxfield Parrish, circa 1941

Halloween 2023: Postponed until next year

This October has not been kind to me.

I've put off writing this, partially because I haven't had the time or energy to put my feelings into words, but also because it feels like admitting defeat.  Still, with only one day left until Halloween, I see no reason to put it off any longer.

Due to extenuating circumstances, I've made the difficult decision to postpone my yard display until next Halloween.  I have had little time to work on props, and even when I have time, I've lacked the necessary energy or conviction.

Sadly, I think I had already given up on Halloween halfway through the month. This month has taken a mental and emotional toll on me that I never could have anticipated. Increased workloads and back-to-back emotional upheavals severely reduced my time and motivation. This weekend, I faced an unexpectedly harsh case of Halloweekend FOMO.  It all became too much. For one of the few times in my life, I just want October be over already.

What about the yard haunt?

I am still proud of the concept for this year, and I think it deserves a proper execution. Rather than executing a barely-half-baked haunt, I am saving the few props I've made and will carry over this year's theme to Halloween 2024.  Hopefully then, I will have the pleasure of sharing a fully-realized yard haunt with you all.

October 2016

Thank you to all of my regular and intermittent readers.  I hope the rest of you are having a fantastic Halloween season.  For my fellow haunters, I am very excited to see what you have created!

Happy Halloween,
Tjalgahorn

Update: Nice weather, except for the sickness

A very busy week of life stuff, work stuff, and haunt stuff, finished off with getting very ill over the weekend.  Tests so far have ruled out strep and COVID, so I guess I'm just ignorantly bed-ridden for now.

On the bright side, this insane heat wave has been showing signs of waning.  The lows are finally down into the mid 70's, and we've been getting a nice breeze in the afternoon.  It doesn't get unbearably hot until the early afternoon, and already starts to cool off by early evening. It's a welcome change, and a herald to the coming autumn season.

I hope everyone has been staying healthy and enjoying themselves as the summer dwindles.  Keep cool, keep creepin'

Photo taken by my sister on a recent outing to Prometheus Esoterica 

UPDATE: New Job!

You'll have to forgive my absence from the blog the past couple weeks. I've been very busy with my new job! 

I've been hired on as an artistic fabricator with a fabrication company in Orlando. I can't share the name of which one I work for due to privacy and non-disclosure concerns.  They are one of several companies that offer scenery and prop fabrication for some big names in the themed entertainment industry. Those companies provide designs and we're the ones that build it!

We're currently tied up with several big projects that I can't talk about, but I'm hoping we are able to do some work regarding a certain unnamed large-scale Halloween event in Orlando (*wink wink*).  My company has made things for it in previous years, so fingers crossed.  All in all, I'm super excited to be working for them. I plan on working with them for at least a year, but could be longer (or shorter). 

Unfortunately, working here poses some problems for my own personal projects, namely my yearly yard haunt. This job is currently requiring most of my time throughout the week, and it is exhausting. To get an idea of just how exhausting and time consuming it's been, this is the third day in a row I've tried to write this post because I keep passing out as soon as I get home. 

I definitely have plans for this year's haunt, but it will be a week or two before I can confidently say whether or not I'm going to execute on those plans.  I'll be sure to give an update then.

Send those Halloween vibes my way.  Fingers crossed for a 2023 yard haunt!

I'm Back

I'm back from my Annual Unannounced Unplanned Post-Halloween Hiatus!*  I'd prefer such absences didn't happen, but it seems to be a trend (tradition?) on the blog now.  

I hope everyone's November is going well.  I hope that despite the inevitable business brought on by the approaching holiday season, you are all finding a balance of tranquility and productivity as the transition into Winter continues.

For the --much appreciated-- few who check October Branches semi-regularly, forgive me for the silence.  Between travelling for family and catching up on work, posting has had to take a backseat (or rather, the ejector seat).  I'll be slowly returning to a more consistent schedule in the upcoming weeks.

Thanks for continuing to stop by the blog!

Close up of the scarecrow pile currently filling my back porch

P.S. - I'm still very excited to make a 2022 haunt video, but it'll have to wait for now

*(AUUPHH ["awf"] for short)

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!

Samson

I had to say goodbye to my dog Samson today; we put him down on relatively short notice due to a decreasing quality of life. I spent a good portion of the day lying with him, petting him, and sobbing. 

We adopted him (unexpectedly) as a puppy, on Halloween Night, 2008... Almost two weeks shy of 14 years ago. 

Here are some photos from a ghostly photoshoot we did a few years ago. 

Goodbye Samson. Rest easy buddy. You're a good boy, and I love you.

I'll be spending some time grieving our loss, but I will try to continue regular blog posts leading up to Halloween. 

Give your furry familiars an extra tight hug tonight. 

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...

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.

Now Drinking: Dark o' The Moon Pumpkin Stout

I don't taste hardly any pumpkin flavor in this beer, but an okay stout nonetheless. 

Fighting some pretty heavy burnout that hit me out of nowhere a few days ago. Trying to keep my head straight as Halloween nears and my schedule fills up.  Here's to a productive week. 

100th Post

Officially my 100th post to October Branches.  *confetti*

I probably won't do many milestone posts like this, but as a relatively new blogger, it felt appropriate this time around.  Not much for me to say, except thank you to everyone who's been dropping by the blog and supporting my work. 

October Branches is going to continue as long as I have some Halloween spirit in me (or at least as long as Google continues Blogger support)

-Tjalgahorn

Now Drinking: The Great Pumpkin

Finally able to continue work on the haunt and relax a little after a busy weekend.

Featuring The Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale, from Elysian.

100 Days Until Halloween

Been looking back on what little footage I took of last year's haunt.  Most of it was lost on the corrupted card, and what was left wasn't great.  Though I eventually scrapped the idea of doing a video, I thought I'd share the small clip below.  Watching it back is getting me pumped to decorate again this year.

Speaking of which, I met with the neighbor whose house I'll be decorating.  While our meeting was brief, he seems to be a cool guy; basically told me to go wild in his yard.  

His yard, by the way, is perfect.  It's set farther back from the road, is darker, and has several trees throughout. The driveway/sidewalk to the front door will make a wonderful walk-up for the haunt.  I'm very enthusiastic about this year.

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.

Happy Belated New Year

The onslaught of the holiday season and a slurry of life changes (both foreseen and unforeseen) hit me harder than anticipated following Thanksgiving.  I would like to have posted during the holidays, but my attention was required elsewhere.  You know how it is sometimes.

But now that things are smoothing out, I will once again be posting regularly (for real this time).

Wandering Death, Ernst Barlach (lithograph, 1923)

PS: I think this is a great time to plug some other great Halloween blogs.  Check the sidebar under "Other Blogs I follow" for that list → 

Welcome to the October Branches Blog

Halloween is rooted deep in my psyche.  A part of my spirit resides permanently in October Country, constantly beckoning for the rest of my soul to follow.  It is this wistfulness that fills my mind with autumnal thoughts and leads me to collect autumnal relics.

You can call me Tjalgahorn.*

This blog will serve as a collection of Halloween and Halloween-adjacent media, found across the internet and curated here.  This could include music, photographs, movies, props, other blogs, and more.  

I'm a yard-haunter myself, so you can also expect some original content, especially near Halloween.

As I begin to figure this whole blogging thing out, I will continue to fill these pages with Halloween goodness.  I hope you enjoy reading and perusing the blog.  

Happy Halloween.

*To pronounce: think of the "j" as a "y"

October 2016