Halloween Week

I host the countless memories of haunted houses, Halloween parties, Bubonic Players Theatrics and all that goes with Halloween. I remember the first show I ever did in Richardson, Texas after we moved from Abernathy was a Halloween party at the Canyon Creek Country Club. I was 14 or 15 years old. That part of the memory is not clear. What is clear is that Halloween evokes some very strong emotions in me.

So last night I couldn't sleep. Excitement of the season or traumatic insomnia, who knows. But it is almost Halloween so even dark moods should be celebrated. I dressed in black. Turned the lights down and decided to draw. I was hoping that the muse would deliver a really Gothic pen and ink Edgar Allan Poe would covet.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be a Jack O' Lantern. Not as scary or grotesque as I wanted. Perhaps a little to Hallmark for my darkness, but there it is. This morning it dawned on me. Why was I drawing a Jack O' Lantern when I could actually carve one. Three pumpkins were currently sitting on the porch. Sandi does not like to carve them too early since they wither. She likes to have them around for Thanksgiving. But I decided to make my move and carve early.

Several years ago Andrew, my adopted child from Bulgavia, gave me an electric pumpkin carving device. Actually it is a battery drive drimmel cased with orange plastic. Although I have used it for other projects when a rotary tool would work, I had never actually attempted to "create" a Jack O' Lantern with it.

I'm sorry to report to Andrew that the tool was a high tech hoax probably the Trick of the season. I had to rely on my well worn and over used pumpkin knife that has served me for seasons. It is just a very dull serrated knife. It seems to cut pumpkin very well but nothing else like your finger.

Unfortunately the actual Jack O' Lantern turned out no more grotesque, and nothing like my sketch.

As you were,
Jay