Update (10/16/2002)

Big website update!

I've started a story so I can make a "virtual haunt" of the real one.  I'll be adding more each night as I get time.

I got the light organ kit soldered together last night and it works (imagine that), so this year the skeleton is going to scream back at the kids <bouncing in my chair with excitement as I type this>. I air-brushed the entire thing and I think it looks pretty good for a $30.00 project.

Let's see... Becky and I came up with a theme (kind of). We're going for the "Mortuary gone wrong" kind of thing. We're moving the coffin outside (in front of the garage) and putting up some of those cheesy velvet rope barrier poles. That will tie in the coffin and graveyard to the grave diggers/jumpers. I've got to find some old man or butler looking mask for the mortician dude. It will let me have some fun with the gross lab kind of stuff if I get really bored. 

The ghost hasn't been written into the "script" yet, but it's too cool to not set up, so it's in the upstairs window for now.

So far it looks like (at a minimum) here's what you'd see on Halloween night...

1. A graveyard fence with glowing skulls staked through every 4th rod and a sign saying "Beware of the grave diggers!" 
2. A crow in an old rotting bush that calls loudly as you pass by
3. A pair of gravestones (one of them a pneumatic grave jumper that now jumps almost 4.5 feet high and the other gravestone left available for a live actor dressed in a matching grave jumper outfit and mask)
4. A wandering grave digger/jumper (yes I have 3 identical costumes - just to throw everyone off if I really want to freak them out)
5. 3 sets of glowing (blinking) eyes in the background bushes. They make weird growling/grunting type noises and occasionally roar all at once.
6. A projection ghost that floats up from one of the gravestones occasionally (I'm still searching for the gear motor for this one, but I have the projector now that will hold the ghost image)
7. a coffin and animated talking skeleton (this years main prop)
8. An animated ghost in the window above the garage.
9. A huge jumping spider in the bush near the front door (just to get the big kids - not really related to the theme).
10. A smaller dropping spider attached to the door that goes off when you knock or make noise (it's cute enough to get the little ones with).
11. 3 bats (2 flying over the graveyard and one near the front door)

In addition I've got a hidden camera, lots of speakers for sound effects, the fog machine (and fog chiller to make ground fog for the graveyard), and lots of colored and black lights to mess with peoples heads...

Add to that a bunch of beer and a party after 10:00 and you've got this year's Halloween event.

I want to scare the crud out of the snotty teenagers that don't dress up and still trick-or-treat. I'm going for them lying in the fetal position this time. They act so tough... <wicked evil grin>

Update (10/21/2002)

I didn't get a chance to work on the Haunt this weekend.  I was too busy polishing and re-assembling my motorcycle parts that came back from the painter (after 4 months of waiting)...

I picked up another dancing skeleton ($14.99) at WalMart on Sunday.  I was looking for something else, and there it was, the last one...  So, I just had to buy it.  Now I can switch heads with the other skeleton and have the head turning again.

Hopefully I will get a chance to work on the props after work today.  I will not be able to work on it at all this week after Thursday, so I have to get some of it done ASAP!

Update (10/27/2002)

A lot of work got done today.  The skeleton is talking and the lighting is also done.  We had a fair amount of rain today and it made me re-think the layout of the haunt.  I'm moving the coffin to the front porch where it will not get trashed by the rain.

I'll be picking up another camera tomorrow for monitoring the front of the house.

Rain basically kills the paint on the tombstones.  Each of them are now in the garage drying and getting ready for a layer of water resistant paint.

Update (11/04/2002)

Halloween was a lot of fun (and work).  I have some photos and video to add to the website, but I haven't had time yet.  Keep checking back and I'll post the photo's ASAP.

Update (12/14/2002)

I found out that my Halloween web site was listed as a site worth visiting, so I've been working all morning to try to get some additional pictures of the 2002 haunt.  I added a little something to almost every page on the site.  Enjoy!