# Pumpkin's Mostly Ghostly Haunt 2016



## Pumpkin5

:jol:Hey Peeps! I'm starting on my 2016 yard haunt and I have a few new ideas for this year. First off, I am going to pay homage to Ray Bradbury and make my own version of his Halloween Tree. I've talked with my good friend Bobzilla and he and I have bounced some ideas around. I have a surprise that I will reveal a little later, (thanks to Robert) but for now suffice it to say, I'm going to do Mr. Bradbury proud. I am borrowing from one of the forum members, Hilda, and her rendition of The Halloween Tree.








It has always been a big favorite of mine. Another forum friend, Laura, The Halloween Lady, created this photoshop picture after I told her of my plans and what I had in mind. She knows how much I love Hilda's tree and she took my book reading skeleton and added the tombstones and viola! The picture comes to life. I tell you, without all the friends I have here, I would probably still be having just a few skeletons and pumpkins as my Halloween display. This is one of my big new ideas for this year for my haunt. What do you think peeps? 








Of course, the ghosts will still be porch bound, but a few may make it into the cemetery this year. I'm going to extend my fence to surround the Halloween Tree portion of the display and then work on the lighting in the graveyard so that all the tombstones can actually be read. I'm working on the cemetery entrance as well and I have ideas flooding my big-old-pumpkin-gourd-brain, and as I come up with new idea and complete the projects I will post the results here. It's always nice to hear what you guys think and get your input. The Pumpkin5 has started her build. (don't you just love it when I refer to myself in the third person??)


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## bobzilla

Wowza!
This is going to be epic! 
The pumpkin has her hands full this year! 
Thank you for letting me be a part of this 
Laura did a bang up job on your idea!


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## sanityassassin

I did a budget version of the pumpkins in the tree last year using styrofoam pumpkins from the dollar store and some flickering LEDs. http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=41960
The lighting in this short clip isn't the best but you can see the flickering of the pumpkins. 



I was able to get this done in a few hours and that was with soldering all of the resistors to the LEDs and wiring everything up. If I had the money, I would probably use small funkins, but they were a bit too expensive for my budget.


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## Dr. Maniaco

Awesome idea P5! I love doing new things, too. You're a haunter after my own heart! Keep us posted!


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Hey B-zilla, I'm counting on you to help me so I guess in mind I'm thinking, "we've got our hands full", ha, ha. Laura is such a sweetheart to design that picture for me, I may have t-shirts made. Thank you SA for the video, I love the look of the pumpkins in the tree, their glowing faces smiling in the night, that screams Halloween to me. And thanks for the encouraging words Dr. M, you do some bold things yourself, and I consider you one of the best haunters out there.

My plan is to use one of my existing Dogwood trees and fill it with glowing pumpkins. I'm sure I will add more pumpkins each year, but this year I'm going to start with around 25 or 30. I am going to string twinkle lights in the branches, and then have the pumpkins all lit. I am going to have a talking skeleton under the tree, sitting on a giant pumpkin, reading excerpts from the story, _The Halloween Tree_. And from Laura's creative mind, I will add tombstones in and around my new skeleton. That is my basic idea, and I'm sure it will grow and develop as the season nears.


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## Dr. Maniaco

Pumpkin5 said:


> you do some bold things yourself, and I consider you one of the best haunters out there.


That makes two of us!:googly: (jk)
And as long as the kids have some great Halloween memories ...


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## Hairazor

Love lots of glowing pumpkins. Putting them in trees should create a bodacious display


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## bobzilla

Goodness!
A talking skeleton? 
Three axis and $hit?


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## IMU

Great ideas ... I'll be following to see how this all comes together.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Thanks Jan, I think pumpkins in the tree will definitely be a show stopper. I just have to call in a favor or three and get a bucket truck to come over so I can get pumpkins in the TOP of the tree. IMU, I appreciate your interest in the thread, keep checking back to see what develops. And Mr. Bobzilla.....who said anything about a Three Axis skull???....Are you holding out on me???....What do you know, that I don't know???


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## bobzilla

Well, you said you were going to have a talking skeleton under the tree, so I assumed you'd have nothing less than a three axis skull reading passages from the book. Seems logical to me :winketon::lipsrsealeton:



Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol:Thanks Jan, I think pumpkins in the tree will definitely be a show stopper. I just have to call in a favor or three and get a bucket truck to come over so I can get pumpkins in the TOP of the tree. IMU, I appreciate your interest in the thread, keep checking back to see what develops. And Mr. Bobzilla.....who said anything about a Three Axis skull???....Are you holding out on me???....What do you know, that I don't know???


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## Lightman

Have you thought about having the pumpkins talk to the skeleton?

You can use hobby servo's in the pumpkins to articulate the mouth movements controlled by my Servo/Recorder Playback application that runs on the propeller activity board (Parallax).

You would record puppeteered mouth movements to prerecorded soundtrack. Then play them back, triggered by any sensor of your choosing.

Here is an example of a singing ornament Christmas tree I created. You can transfer the same techniques to your application... 
Talking/Singing Ornaments Standalone Prop on Vimeo

Here is another example of Servo Recorder Playback application running an Easter egg project...same technique and system...
Easter Egg Basket Animatronics 1 on Vimeo

And if you want more Details on how it's done, here is a very early tutorial on this system...
Servo Recorder Player Video rev5 on Vimeo

I can help you, step by step....just say'in!


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Wow Brian, I hadn't even thought of that! That sounds really intriguing, but I just know next to nothing about the technical stuff. Maybe I can learn if I had some guidance, but probably not this year. I will have my hands full getting all the pumpkins carved, lit, hung, painted and get my new skeleton talking and reading from the book I'll have to make. Plus I have to work on my entrance, carve new tombstones and make a few more ghosts. Your singing Christmas tree was so entertaining and I loved the talking Easter egg. Thank you so much for sharing those, such a remarkable thing that you do.


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## heresjohnny

LOL, oh starting already. All I have is a ghost of an idea that I should start sometime soon  Your ideas sound great, looking forward to it.


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## The Halloween Lady

This is going to be awesome!


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## Lightman

Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol:Wow Brian, I hadn't even thought of that! That sounds really intriguing, but I just know next to nothing about the technical stuff. Maybe I can learn if I had some guidance, but probably not this year. I will have my hands full getting all the pumpkins carved, lit, hung, painted and get my new skeleton talking and reading from the book I'll have to make. Plus I have to work on my entrance, carve new tombstones and make a few more ghosts. Your singing Christmas tree was so entertaining and I loved the talking Easter egg. Thank you so much for sharing those, such a remarkable thing that you do.


 Understandable Jana...You are doing the right thing to keep the workload within scope of time and schedule. You will be quite busy with your new projects.

I really like the idea of the Halloween pumpkin tree though. The artist rendering looks terrific. Knowing you, you will hit it out of the park!

If you need help with the 3 axis skull animation, let me know.


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## ryschwith

It would probably blow out your scope/budget (and possibly be outside of your intended concept) to give your skeletal narrator an audience of little ghouls. I bring this up mostly because I immediately pictured a little toddler zombie half-emerged from the ground but in typical chin-in-hands pose of rapt attention and it struck me as kind of hilarious.


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## Pumpkin5

ryschwith said:


> It would probably blow out your scope/budget (and possibly be outside of your intended concept) to give your skeletal narrator an audience of little ghouls. I bring this up mostly because I immediately pictured a little toddler zombie half-emerged from the ground but in typical chin-in-hands pose of rapt attention and it struck me as kind of hilarious.


:jol:Ahem....well....I won't even tell you what I find hilarious, but I had thought of doing the odd, TOT wandering the graveyard. No kind of ground breaker thing, but just simple, Charlie Brown type characters with the ghost costume w/or/w/out witch mask, etc. but definitely child sized, wandering in and amongst the tombstones.... I think maybe you are on a whole other realm than me, ryschwith, but it is interesting....I'll give you that. Feel free to elaborate on your concepts.


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## SFGleason

This is really awesome! I might have to try this in a small scale...


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Yay! I put Lily up last night...I know it's not even October 1st, but I needed a "Lily fix". 








I have to say, the swop meet find of the century has to be the used/new to me Wildfire Black light fixture that Bobzilla scored for me for one whole dollar. Lily has never looked so bright! I will add the pumpkins tonight or tomorrow night.
http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m545/pumpkin513/Lily%202016_zpso3adtc2k.mp4


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## Dr. Maniaco

Awesome! l'm with my folks in WA now, and shared the video with my mom. We are both very impressed. How do you get her to flow so slow and smooth? It looks great. Can't wait to get home and get my stuff started. (The UFO is coming along nicely)


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## IMU

Looks lovely ... smooth movement.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Thanks guys! I can't take credit for the mechanism that moves Lily, I bought it 16 years ago from The Iron Kingdom and except for a few hiccups last Halloween, it has worked flawlessly. I have noticed one thing he did when he built it was to use two pulleys on the part that holds the mannequin head. It makes her look like she is looking from side to side as she goes up and down. I wish I knew what happened to those guys. I'd love to buy another one from them, it's the best I've seen. My husband has promised to make me a few in the off season. I'll keep you posted.


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## bobzilla

Looks awesome, P5!


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## Hairazor

Lily is ethereal


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Thank you Zills, and Jan, you guys are so sweet! I love Lily more these days than when I made her 16 years ago....wow....(16 years???) I think I'm getting old...ha, ha.. But then I get creepier when I get old....Right? This has been my last few weeks....working on my Halloween Tree scene...and lordy, lordy...Do I have some pumpkins?.....
Sheesh....it's every kind of pumpkin you can think of in my house.
My sweeter than sweet electrician came out on Friday and finished up some wiring for me so that I now have dedicated outlets for my Halloween display. I am so "happy-clap Happy" over that. It has been a long time coming, and I won't have to worry about having cords strung everywhere, from Timbuktu, and in my 1950's house blowing fuses right and left....Yay for Derrick!










Please pretend you don't see the wine glass, giving me liquid courage to finish all the orange orbs, floating around looking for faces, it is well after 5:00 pm here.....


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## Bone Dancer

Wow, dedicated outlets for Halloween decorations, now thats hard core. I think the only thing left is to paint your house black and orange.
And I think that is more of a water tumbler then a wine glass.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:^ Ha, ha William, I'll let you have that one. (It actually is a wine glass though, and it is lettered with the following, "No good story ever started with a salad. -wine") I thought that was pretty funny. I have needed dedicated outlets for the last 10 years, I really have, because previously I just had the one outlet on the porch and the outlet on the lamppost. My electrician is very good and he is actually coming back after Halloween to do some upgrades to our electrical box. He told us some scary stuff about how inadequate our current 1950's set up is, but he circumvented some things that should hold us until he can come and do a more thorough job, so the "necessary" Halloween outlets maybe saved us from a nasty house fire. Once again, Halloween Rules!


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## Pumpkin5

:jol: I love my countdown sign, but I have noticed it's a little lopsided what with the two ghosts on one side, and only a little skelly on the other....and it's really bothered me that "Pumpkins glow, and Zombies moan" didn't have a zombie to represent....so...I added Scary Harry. I think he kind of completes the sign. You can see in the background we got the fence up today. I didn't string the orange lights yet, but I will do that this week. The graveyard is going to be kind of huge this year....
















While I was out putting up the fence, a family walked by and the little boy, I guess he was about seven, said, "Oh! Look at the zombie!" I love how kids know everything about things that go bump in the night. One of my little peeps, in training.


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## Troll Wizard

_*Well I have to say once again Jana.........WOW!!!! You've done yourself proud again this year! It would be fun to be young again and to visit your house on Halloween.

It is just incredible how much dedication you put forth to make sure everyone has a really great Halloween experience! Keep up the good work!
*_


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## Lightman

Looks great Jana. Juice to see Lilly again....really kicks things off.

Your count down sign is tremendous! Terrific work all around


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## halloween71

awesome


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## Pumpkin5

:undecidekin:Well, Matthew was not kind to Eastern NC, we got spanked last Saturday, and are continuing to get flood waters in, devastating so many towns. It's so tragic, but all we can do is wait for the waters to recede and then start the herculean task of clean up. Our shop is flooded, we can't even get close to it, but we are blessed that our house was spared. I've had this week off since we can't get to the shop, so my sister has been coming over to help me finish up my pumpkins for my rendition of The Halloween Tree. This is it so far....I will add more pumpkins each year until every branch has a pumpkin grinning through the leaves. 
























I still have to get the mostly ghostly ghosts put up on the porch, but I should get it done this weekend. Yay for having a Halloween heart, which keeps me going....can't disappoint my TOT's.


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## fwghost

That looks great. All that work definitely paid off.


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## RoxyBlue

The tree is beautiful.


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## bobzilla

What a great tree, pumpkin 2.0!
I see Lilly in the background in one of the pics.
How about a picture of her and all those pumpkins floating around her? 
Sorry to hear about all the flooding you've had to deal with 
Way to hang in there, Jana!


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## Lightman

Wow! Terrific job and its all done with such adversity all around you. You truly have Halloween in your veins!

Keeping all of those suffering in this terrible disaster in my thoughts and prayers. Stay strong.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Thank you for all the kind words folks! It takes a lot to kill the Halloween spirit in me, so I took flood water and made a flood of Halloween goodness. (Thanks Brian, I am following your example) My sister's came today and we did get some of the ghosts hung, and the window pumpkins, and the gate pumpkins and the scarecrow. I have some fine tuning to do, I need to finish a couple of new ghost additions and get Ghoulford mounted, then get my husband to work his magic with the floodlights. Still more to do, but this is the beginnings...

















And here is your request of Lily with her orange gourd friends, Robert. Any other pictures you want, you just have to ask.








Next year I am thinking I want all the pumpkins on FCG mechanism so they go up and down, just like Lily does. It will be a riot of movement and color on the side porch.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:And after a hard day's work....the night moves in...and how can you not just sit back and sigh with Halloween contentment when you see a moon like this, shining over your Halloween fence???








God is a master, for sure.:winkin:


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## Hairazor

Wow just Wow on that tree!!!

Your Halloween spirit is strong and will help you get through the bad from the weather, sorry it has touched you.


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## halloween71

I am so sorry about your states and your personal disaster from matthew.
I love your pumpkin tree are they store bought prelit pumpkins?I love the idea of pumpkins on fcg....awesome beyond words.
Your Halloween so far is just wow.


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## bobzilla

Look at you go, pumpkin 2.0!


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## Copchick

Jana, your tree is too cool! I like seeing the pumpkins throughout it hanging with all their different faces. And I like the scarecrow hanging out on your gate. Looking forward to seeing the completed haunt. 

Sorry to hear Matthew hit you hard. I don't know how you guys in hurricane prone states do it.


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## Dr. Maniaco

Awesome, awesome tree. Do you have music playing in the yard to add to the ambience?


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## Pedagog

Love the pumpkins in the tree.


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## jdubbya

Simply perfect! You create such an amazing atmosphere with your props and lighting. The real definition of Halloween!


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Thank you, all of you super nice folks out there for your kind words and nice comments. I swear I want a kinder, gentler haunt, ha, ha.... I loved putting this tree together this year, an homage to Ray Bradbury... So my sisters came over today to help set up, and we got the graveyard put up....I really like it, it could have had a bunch more detail, but considering the month I've had....I'm okay with it....I am so happy with how it's looking this year....

























Thank you for looking...


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## Lord Homicide

I love looking at pics of your haunt annually. It's really well done - awesome set up and great lighting.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:^Thanks C, you are sweet to say that. I didn't get half the things I wanted to do this year finished, but maybe next year will see it finished.:undecidekin: I just walked out and changed my countdown calendar....one day to go....one day to go...


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## bobzilla

Looks awesome, J-bird!


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## IMU

Very well done indeed.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Well our Halloween was completely EPIC!!! We had more trick or treaters than ever (I think around 530) and tons of people that just came by to look. It was such a wonderful night, perfect weather and so many smiling faces. The kids had a ball! I don't have the pictures back from my photographer yet, but I did snap a couple and here they are. Ollie took his place right under the Halloween Tree and couldn't have been more perfect. 
































After everyone left around 10:30 I cleaned the kitchen up and then went out on the porch and sipped some wine and enjoyed the calm and the cool of the evening. I'd been up since 5:30 but I was all jacked up on Halloween spirit and reveling in the perfectness of the night. Stayed up texting with a friend until 12:30 and I think Bone Dancer stopped by around 12:00, I had a sudden flurry of leaves swirl up in a whirlwind about that time and a chill breeze blew my hair. All in all, just a wonderful night! If I could order the same exact weather for next year, I'd do it in a skinny minute.


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## bobzilla

Oh my, Pumpkin!  :jol:
Look at you!
Your haunt is a beaut! :smilekin: :smileton:


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## Pumpkin5

bobzilla said:


> Oh my, Pumpkin!  :jol:
> Look at you!
> Your haunt is a beaut!


:jol:Why thank you kind sir, so much of what I have is thanks to you. Ollie (my fav), the pumpkins on the porch with Lily, the projections, the hands on all of my ghosts, the list goes on and on. You ROCK Mr. Zills.


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## Lightman

Terrific job! Wonderful set up and lights. Kids must of had a blast!

So glad weather worked out so well for you. 

Congratulations!


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## jdubbya

Wow! So beautifully done! I love it!!


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## SuperCreep31

Wow! Amazing setup! Love that your use of light. Might have to try something like that myself next year.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Thank you Robert, Brian, Jerry and Alex! It was a great night. I think seeing it from you guy's eyes makes it more special for me...I'm always the critic when it comes to my haunt.


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## sister

Just wonderful!


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## bobzilla

Ollie has never looked so good!
What a perfect spot for him attached to the lamp post and so near the Halloween tree! 
Terrific job on the lighting too!


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## heresjohnny

The pumpkin tree is simply stunning. I look forward to pics of your haunt every year.


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## matrixmom

Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol:And after a hard day's work....the night moves in...and how can you not just sit back and sigh with Halloween contentment when you see a moon like this, shining over your Halloween fence???
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> God is a master, for sure.:winkin:


Gorgeous. How fun and relaxing ! Loved your yard, and mr mucklebones was right there in the front of it all..that lil rascal! Love seeing all your props, lighting and pumpkins. Wow girl, there's nuthin you can't do!!


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## GothicCandle

wow! so grand! indeed should make bradbury proud.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Thanks everyone for the very kind words. Hearing your thoughts on my haunt makes me super smiley inside. (okay, okay, I'm grinning like an idiot on the outside too)


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## Hairazor

EPIC is definitely a good description of your yard. I love love love everything about it. The pumpkin tree turned out even better than I could imagine!! (You did Bone Dancer proud)


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## goneferal

I love your haunt!


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## highbury

So I know I'm late to this party, but Ms. 5, your haunt is amazing! You have managed to perfectly balance your haunt between creepy and whimsical with stellar props and lighting. SUPER DIG IT!!!!!


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## Pumpkin5

Thank you Hairazor, MM, GothicCandle, sister, heresjohnny, GoneFeral and Highbury! I really appreciate the feedback and very kind comments. I finally got the pictures back....(I know, I know...) Here are a few pictures of the big night, mostly of the Ray Bradbury tree.
I like this photo looking through the tombstones in the graveyard....








Some dancing ghosties


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## Hairazor

The pics are great. That TREE, just can't get over it's awesomeness


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## stick

Everything looks wonderful Pumpkin5.


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## Headless

Pumpkin5 said:


> Thank you Hairazor, MM, GothicCandle, sister, heresjohnny, GoneFeral and Highbury! I really appreciate the feedback and very kind comments. I finally got the pictures back....(I know, I know...) Here are a few pictures of the big night, mostly of the Ray Bradbury tree.
> I like this photo looking through the tombstones in the graveyard....


Oh WOW P5 that looks absolutely amazing and that is my favourite photo as well. The tree came up a treat. Love it.


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## Hilda

I'm finally get some time to get caught up and WOWZA.
I'm verklempt. That tree. That tree!! It's magical. Absolutely magical.
Well done dear P5. Halloween bliss.


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## Pumpkin5

Hilda said:


> I'm finally get some time to get caught up and WOWZA.
> I'm verklempt. That tree. That tree!! It's magical. Absolutely magical.
> Well done dear P5. Halloween bliss.


:jol:^Awwww thank you! Your's was the inspiration for mine. Just remember that chickie!


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## thegiltreys

I love your haunt! You do amazing things with color. You have wonderful props and you do a great job making them shine with your lighting. The pops of color in your photographs were amazing. You've inspired me to think more about how I do my display and to try to bring in some of that playfulness with color.


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## bobzilla

Epic! 
Gets better every year!


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## The Halloween Lady

Wow wow wow gf. I've been MIA so I'm just seeing this. Your tree and entire spooky yard is breathtaking!!!!!!!


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