Eeeeeeeeeek!

Halloween, Hallowed Eve...is my second favorite holiday. First, is Thanksgiving. Autumn, the season, tone, lighting everything about it, my favorite time of year...and my first daughter's name, Autumn Sage, as in Salvia-greggi...the flowering shrub that grew wild on the cliffs of my midwife's property in Santa Barbara, and the plant I always include in a plan because it comes in every color and is a predictable bloomer. I digress...again... Halloween...my backup costume has always been a witch. I was about 11 the first time someone told me I looked like Elizabeth Montgomery and that only stopped a few years ago, when my blondest of highlights seemed to turn white overnight. Still, I keep my floor length, tight black velvet dress and pointy hat in case my imagination fails and I have the need to pull out my inner-witch. Last night spouse and I went to a fab party in the hood, he went as "Brew Man," donned a stripped towel as a cape, and I decked out in all shades of green, wrapping a new-shoot green colored towel around my head in the shape of a "bud," wand in hand, boinging up and down on spot, being introduced as the magic ingredient...Hops. A Faerie. It was fun, mostly because we made people guess...interaction is part of the plan. I have to come up with something to say, they're not gardeners and I'm able to bore the crap out of them talking about what I do, which has always been "who I am" and it's hard for me, seriously, to get excited about the likes of football, new purchases (oh, unless we're talking plants, mulch n' garden stuff) or church activities. I've learned to shut my mouth about politics, the hard way and have to walk away when the subject of health comes up, because I do my own research and refuse to be either 'fear motivated' or a Guinea pig...I'm sure you know what that means.

Austin Bat clinging to my gateway entrance. (The scary part of this picture is the damn window unit and tacky black foam that I'm constantly trying to figure out how to hide from my bedroom view.)

Devils Tongue cacti under attack!

Hops, the faerie is too kind for the evil going on in my garden. There has been some terrific slaughter, death and decay...rampant, and my inner witch is wearing a horrific grin!

This adorable little snail....whack, landed in my neighbors yard...(insert witchy cackle here.) Somehow he survived the holocaust of "Miller Light" free-beer night in our culinary garden. I usually use Budweiser products... according to Colorado State's study on beer preference of slugs, Kingsly Malt Liquor comes in first, than all the Buds', but...Miller Light was on sale and I'm not spending more for my IPM than I have to. The bar was open for two nights and we took out close to 300 of the buggers. Still, they chew...

I had this fantasy, unfulfilled mind you...of growing those giant pumpkins, like the ones they grow in a two month Alaska summer for the garden tour...then, I was going to invite the neighbor children over for a monster-pumpkin carving party. I planted a whole package of seeds and watched the vines first get this white powdering looking mildew, which freaked me out. Then the slow march of decay climb its way up the vine taking out each leaf one by one...

Death of a vine.

Here's the soggy base emerging from the soppy ground. Did it rot? Was it the blasted snails or some other horror?

One of my 'giant' pumpkin's silent scream as it's taken down by some horrific pink and black mold? There goes my fantasy.

Or how about this nasty bit of death...the hummingbirds long gone. The sugary water draws and captures curious and hungry flies.

Will this long dead branch of my old Sycamore tree come crashing down on us this winter? My how many scary things are lurking!

Tonight we've got 2 more parties to attend. Brew Man wants to go as Dr. Who, which leaves me with the slutty assistant garb...I think he's sick of my gardening attire. I hope you're enjoying this delicious Autumn-chill...Happy Gardening...

Boooooooo!