The aftermath

It looks like the local media was actually gave away the tickets that we gave them!

Willamette Week

Here is a lukewarm review (I am being kind here) from another local paper....who is likely not getting anymore of my advertising dollars in 2013 :D

Sunday at the convention

To be fair to the local media - the largest event that happens in Portland (The Rose Festival) was happening the same weekend.....really, how can we compete with a parade and cheap carnival rides!

Now it looks like this

we had a model that we made to show the build crew how we planned on building the current mausoleum, it look like this....

tonight we deconstructed it to reflect the new version that we are building this year......

This is a loose translation of what the new mausoleum will look like in 2012.

We talked a few years ago about "ruining" the graveyard.....we started the process with the partly ruined abbey (which will get much more "ruining" this year) and are taking it through other pieces in the yard.  Over the next few years the plan is to make the whole display look in decay and overrun.

Trust me.....partly, in anyway, destroying your props that you worked so hard on is not as easy as it sounds, but here we go.....

BTW - the roof on the current mausoleum is a pain in the ass to install and remember to tie down, so sometimes.....it is easier to let things go than others :D

Am I evil?

...ha, ha.....ha, ha......

Wait....I know the answer to that question.....anyway.....as you know....all opinions are... ..

Today, I was minding my own business running some errands for projects that I am volunteering for....yes, I am a saint.....anyway......I go to the back of my car to put something away and a big ugly, man eating, demon from hell spider is in there....being the nice life form respecting person that I am,I ran around and batting things around until I was able to get said, evil, demon from hell, sure to weave a web on my steering wheel, spider out of my car.

As he/she (early in the season...could be a he) was scampering away on my driveway....I resisted the urge to stomp on him....more because I am a coward than a nice person....but in my mind.......

I was thinking.......I really hope I run over it when I pull out of the driveway!

Yeah, I know I am a evil person....and I am okay with that!!! :D

BTW - I was being brave and went to Google and tried to find a picture of spider I saw to share with you. (cause you all know there was no way I was going to leave a free range spider (who I knew was going to jump back in my car when I turned my back) long enough to get my camera)

........ I just about passed out looking at spider pictures on the web.......

...trust me it was big and scary.

It looked a lot like this....except I think it had a machine gun! And it was saying "kill....kill...kill....."  Could be my imagination....but I am sure this picture is between complete accurate and straight up imagination....

Why I love my crew

This was on my Facebook this morning from one of the crew.....who knows me VERY well.

Cause when they do....I am *^%$  leaving this planet for good!!!

Who is with me!!?!?!

A lot of goodbyes lately

It seems lately that I am saying goodbye to many of our creations.....this one is currently on its way to China (after a very expensive overnight trip to LA.)

China?

We went over a few key words in Chinese (not all swear words....well, maybe they where :D).....hope he remembers them, he is on a very important mission for the graveyard!!!

.....hope he enjoys the journey.

Perfect reading material

for the bathroom.

From the Asahi Simbun

Billed as “the world’s scariest toilet paper,” the roll will feature a horror story written by author Koji Suzuki, who also penned the popular horror novels “Ring” and “Spiral.” Appropriately enough, the story on the roll of toilet paper is called “Drop.”

Since hitting the market in Japan in 2009, the product has sold some 300,000 rolls domestically. The literary TP will sell for around 200 yen ($2.52) a roll, about 10 times the cost of a regular roll of toilet paper.

The product is made by Hayashi Paper Co., a firm in Shizuoka Prefecture with a staff of around 30. It is the brainchild of Hiroyuki Hayashi, president of Hayashi Paper, who contacted Suzuki and rolled out the idea. The popular author then agreed to write a short story for the roll. It is expected that some people will buy the product as a keepsake due to its gimmicky nature, while others will use it to take care of more pressing business."

Cool!

Things that actually scare the Frog Queen

I had to take "Hal" full name "Halloween Cat" to the vet after we got back from the West Coast Haunters Convention because he was doing his best chipmunk impression (infection in his jaw) and had a huge gash on his noes.

I had to leave him at the vet for a few days for surgery.........the graveyard was very empty without the official caretaker.

He is back ...but his graveyard duties are limited and he is relegated to handling his duties through the kitchen window until he heals.

BTW - few things really bother me.....but the vet telling me that my cat has to spend the night at the vet and when I call in the morning to pick him up and they say they want to keep him longer........yeah, that scared me!!!

I do not want to imagine a build season without Hal's supervision/disdain.

Another end of an era

Looks like I sold all the mud men at the West Coast Haunters Convention.

Thanks to Bryan Dorr for the photo~

Anyone that was there knows that we used them all as sign holders (coolest sign holders ever!) so I volunteered to give one away as a raffle prize to raise money for the charity,  and said I would sell the rest......not thinking that anyone would want them.

I wish I had a picture....but trust me when I say it is priceless to see a couple loading two mudmen in the back of their van and figuring how they can make them fit.......I love my Halloween friends!!!

The rest are staying local and going to a haunt in town.......really?  Home Haunter props in a pro haunt....just makes my head spin.

So officially, all of the Davis Graveyard Mud Men are gone.

(Yeah, I gasped too!!!)

They are one of the oldest props in the display...........what have I done!?!?!?

That said....we better get working on making the new version......which are going to rock you world.

I am peddling as fast as I can

but I do believe the zombies are winning.......

Just had my last official Halloween Convention related meeting tonight.....so, the pressure is off.....the Frog Queen shall return!!!

I have been gone so long

I have to say "I am afraid".  I have had to deal with the very ignored DG cats lately....and one of them had to go get himself all messed up and need vet visit!!

On top of that!

Husband was looking at my extensive "to-do" list and noticed I had a line that says

Post "Why I am afraid of my blog"

Yeah.....that is going to the title of my next blog post.....if I can ever un-bury myself enough to write it.

I am really afraid of how out of control things are right now.   Funny how when the dust settles it can leave such a mess!!!

Had a great time at both conventions....I think almost everyone is still talking to me.....as far as I know :D