As we always get lots of youngsters trick or treating on Halloween, I decided to “spook up” the stocks in the garden. I bought a couple of cheap skeletons and semi burried one and placed the other in the stocks in tattered clothing. A couple of pumpkins finished the scene off.
Now…..we live next door to a primary school, and all week little groups of kids have gathered at the gate, craning their necks to peer at the skeletons, squealing and giggling. The note I placed on the gate, “This is what happened to last year’s trick or treaters” did little to deter the ever increasing groups of admiring spectators.
So…. last night I trotted out, just as it was getting dark and lit the pumpkins. I’d also bought some wildlife friendly glow in the dark spray paint which I spayed on the skeletons, and on the crow that sits on the stocks. After admiring the scene and giving myself a smug pat on the back I went back in and sorted out the sweets that I would hand out to the trick or treaters.
6pm came and went….7pm, 8pm, 9pm….10pm….nothing! Not a single child had knocked. I was amazed. We ALWAYS get trick or treaters. How very baffling.
Throughout the evening, Hubs thought he heard the odd scream but suspected it was teenagers messing around.
By this time, I knew that all the little ones would be well tucked up in bed, so I went out to blow the candles in the pumpkins out.
I nearly had a heart attack!!!
All around the stocks ghostly lights were floating. At first I thought they were fairies. I was rooted to the spot. Then I nearly jumped out of my skin as I heard a miaow and saw a ghostly cat shimmering in the dark. I was trembling and couldn’t move an inch.
Hubs then appeared and I hushed him and pointed at the scene.
He froze for a second then howled laughing.
Yes…..the glow in the dark paint was all over the leaves that were blowing about, and obviously our Curly cat had rubbed up against the skeleton and ended up wearing the stuff too!
Ah well…..it was amazing while I thought it was supernatural!!!!
And yes, I cleaned the cat up! I did wonder though, how many slugs and mice and other creatures crept around the garden glowing in the dark last night, thank goodness the paint is harmless.
So…..the question is, did the ghostly glowing leaves and cat scare of the kids????
We are SO stealing that semi-buried skeleton for next year. Kuddos to you for getting into the spirit of the season!
Lol, thanks Debi……the skeleton is all yours!!! xxxxx
Those skeletons are genius… the kids must have loved it! Well done you for spooking up the neighbourhood! xx
Lol, thanks Leigh-Ann……they have attracted a lot of attention!xxxxx
Hahaha what are you like!! Are they staying right up until Christmas? xx
Lol….OH YES!!!xxxxx
hahahaha…. so funny…..!!! Must have been terrifying to see all those glowing specks whirling about… I’d have been frightened I’d summoned up something demonic by all my scary skeletons etc!! Hahhahhaaa…
I love the half buried skeleton in the ground and everything – you sure had fun setting it all up!
Didn’t get any trick or treaters here either…. xxxx
Y’know it really was eerie for a while there!!!! The cat freaked me out the most!
I was a good laugh rigging it all up, especially with so many kids peeking around the gates!
Nobody seems to have had trick or treaters, maybe it was because the weather was bad across the UK.XXXXX
Maybe people just getting lazy… we don’t hear nearly so many fireworks these days either… used to be just fireworks going off forever around 5th November…. which is a relief actually…
Yes I can quite understand you being freaked out byt the glow in the dark cat! lol….. that is just so funny……:)) you berk!! :))
The last trick or treaters here were several years ago… because I live in a sort of enclave which is off road so only people we knew came here from the next self-build over the fence… and that last time I’d dressed as a witch and sat at a cauldron in the hall out of which I produced those jelly snakes you buy… and I really really frightened a little boy!! Poor child didn’t recognise me! Never came back… I mean he was with his dad and a friend but really freaked out! I suppose they weren’t expecting a witch with a creaky voice and blacked out teeth… etc…
Your garden is great with all your things – like sort of tableaux …. or something xxxx
We don’t have as many fireworks now which is brilliant as our old dogs used to be terrified of them. The firework season used to start before Halloween and carry on until the New Year!
Hahahahahaha….lovin being a berk! I’m a GROOVY berk!!!
You are one crazy lady, that witch story had me laughing out loud!!!! Lol xxxxx
I like your yard decor! The skeleton in the stocks is great. NO ONE came to our house this year, which I didn’t mind because it means I kept all the Halloween candy for myself. 🙂
Thanks Bumblebush, yes, it was rather smashin here too as we got to eat all the goodies for ourselves.xxxx
That’s just absolutely brilliant, so funny! I must admit it’s given me ideas for next year though, especially with the leaves blowing! Suzy x
Thanks Suzy, delighted to hear it……although I think you have ideas aplenty!xxxxx
Fantastic ! What a great fun idea ! Maybe the kids had already seen your display from the gate or maybe it was just too darn cold to go out that night. I must say it varies from year to year whether we get any.
That bit about the glowing cat is very funny though.
I may try something like that next year.
take care
Kegs xxx
Thanks Keggy….the cat really spooked me initially, and the leaves looked so weird!
It was cold and windy so that could have put them off.xxxxx
That is too funny! I think it definitely would have given me a good scare! LOL.
Lol, thanks Susanne, it certainly freaked me out for a while.xxx
Your set is very theatrical. I’m not at all surprised the children avoided knocking.
The antics of the glowing paint made me smile.
Thanks Dessie…..I am one for the occasional bout of amateur dramatics!xxxxx
Absolutely fabulous …….. and amazingly spookie xxx
Lol….thanks Marion. Hope your hols are going well.xxxxx
It’s not something that I’ve ever celebrated but I enjoyed reading this post. I think that a partly buried skeleton and a glowing cat would scare anyone away!
Lol, thanks Flighty. I don’t really celebrate Halloween either. We usually get lots of trick or treaters so I thought I’d dress up the stocks to amuse them….seems to have back fired!xxxxx
What a wonderful tale! I love your clever decorations and the cat’s misadventures make it all perfect! Thank you for brightening my day!
Thanks Catherine…..it was a rather bizarre evening, but we did have a really good laugh.xxxxx
What a great Halloween story! After going to such lengths to create a spooky scenario, and then scaring the living daylights out of yourself, evokes a pretty hilarious chain of events! Now what are you going to do with all of the leftover goodies?? When I saw your garden, I thought of ‘lock, stock and barrel’ 🙂
Lock, stock and barrel….I love that!
It was such a funny night, I truly believed I was seeing something unearthly at first so I was almost disappointed when it turned out to be glow in the dark paint.
The stocks, barrel and crow live in that part of the garden, so I’ll just removed the skeletons….xxxxx
No wonder the kids did not venture into the glowing cemetery at night – they would have had nightmares. You’ll have to do the gruesome bit next year to keep them away! 😉
The cat obviously had no concerns whatsoever….if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
PS how long did all that take to set up?
Lol……yes I think the cat joined in on purpose!
It didn’t take very long to set up at all really as the stocks were already in situ. So about an hour.
I did enjoy the peace and quiet for once I must say.xxxxx
By the way, I just saw the links to your facebook and twitter accounts. Liked and Followed respectively! Take care :)x
Thanks Vahid, daughter set those up, I have to confess that I have no idea how facebook works….hopefully I’ll get the hang of it and then connect to people…..I’m such a technophobe!Lol xxxxx
Funny and beautiful, however APPALLING!! 😉 You could also set up gallows to finish the scene off! The semiburied skeleton is very funny. 😀 Did you wear any special costume, too?
Hahahaha…..of course, a gallows!!! Genius!!! …..we already have a nice wooden tub to catch the heads as they roll…..so halfway there! Watch this space next year. The schoolkids LOVE that semi buried skeleton.
I don’t wear anything special but hubs says I look witchy enough as I’m always in black and have black hair and dark eyes.xxxxx
Exciting…not quite the word! I bet you ended up roilling in laughter!
Watch Out next year…..someone might surprise you! 😉 Hugs! ;)xx
Oh… we really did have a good laugh. I was talking to my neighbour today and she had lots of kids knocking….all very strange.xxxxx
:)) oh how hilarious … ha ha ha!! P’raps the kids BELIEVED you 8|
Lol…..something scared them away, that’s for sure! xxxxx