Welcome back! We’ve got one week left until the big day, and I’ve written, oh, what? Four posts so far this year? You can quite fairly call this blog a dud for 2017, but hey, let’s soldier on anyhow, shall we? Today, we’re back at the events pictorials with some images from Boo at the Good Zoo. This is an annual Trick or Treat event held at Oglebay Park in Wheeling every year. We actually attended this way earlier in the month, but I’ve been busy behind-the-scenes with writing and fretting and other generally poisonous pursuits, so I hadn’t a chance to post these yet.

Also, to answer any possible questions up front: yes, I did dress up, and yes, I did indeed Trick or Treat. Thanks for asking! There should probably be shame in this, but there is not. At least not on my part. If you want to feel shame for me, feel free. I’ll be over here munching on what’s left of my candy.

So let’s get started, because these pictures won’t caption themselves!

A smiley witch. Don’t believe that friendly look on her face. She’s not to be trusted…

A bedecked gazebo at the start of our trick or treat journey. Please note that the arrow is clearly pointing the way that we aren’t facing. We’re Halloween rebels like that.

Pumpkins galore.

The smiley witch is petting the giant smiley turtle statue. The turtle’s dressed up this year too, masquerading as a quite friendly vampire bat. Everybody’s getting in on the Halloween fun!

Beware the bats, lurking among the trees.

As previously mentioned (like 50 words ago), this event is held at a zoo, so here’s a picture of a snake to prove there are indeed animals there.

And here’s an iguana too. There’s actually a ton of animals at the Good Zoo, but many of the outside exhibits were empty. Since the weather is turning chilly, the animals were hanging out in their interior enclosures, enjoying their autumn in peace. Good for them!

This was basically me after the event, collapsed in a heap from too much sugar and too much Halloween fun.

Not going to lie: this evening was all about the candy and me having an excuse to wear a pointy hat and carry a broomstick in public. Not that I even really need an excuse, but still.

Navigating the corn maze. Bill told me he’d come in and find me if I got lost.

The color balance on this image is totally off (and oddly blue), but here I am, petting a skunk. He seemed quite apathetic to me and other visitors. Better than being angry at us, I suppose.

Alas, the mermaid in the duck pond did not make it out alive…

A bewitched writer hamming it up. Basically, this is every day of my life.

So that’s all I’ve got today! My plan is to post tomorrow, since it’s about time we send out our McQueen Halloween cards. After all, nothing says 60 Days of Halloween like a curmudgeonly cat!

Happy Halloween!

Over this past weekend, Bill and I kicked our Halloween shenanigans into high gear and attended a bunch of fun, fall events. I’ll be posting about it here all this week along with the annual mailing of the McQueen Halloween cards (I teased the picture of the card on social media, and I got the impression that I almost confused some people. Like I could practically hear people asking, why is your cat hanging out on a Twin Peaks set? Just because, that’s why.). But for now, let’s start where every conversation should begin: with raptors. Of the flying variety, not the clever girl variety (though those kind of raptors are obviously cool too).

So yesterday, I had brunch with owls. Okay, the owls did not sit at the brunch table with us (though owls are invited to my brunch table anytime). We went to the National Aviary in Pittsburgh for their owl brunch, an event we somehow missed in 2016 and thus vowed to attend this year. The festivities started with the handlers bringing out a variety of owls and introducing them to us. Then when the owls had returned to their respective perches, we dined in the special event tent on a ton of awesome brunchy foods. So technically, it was a brunch that was owl-adjacent. Still very cool in this blogger’s opinion. And probably better for the owls who likely wouldn’t have appreciated all the egg and chicken dishes being offered on the menu.

Anyhow, today I have pictures of owls to share, which is actually like a weird tic I’ve developed at this point. Seriously, if you’ve followed this site with any regularity over the years or followed my social media at all, you’ll know I seem to always find a reason to post new “Gwendolyn hanging out with owls” pictures every few months. But hey, so far as strange habits go, it’s a pretty cool one in my opinion. So onward!

We started the day by meeting the spectacled owl. Truth be told, I was so excited that there was an owl in my midst that I forgot his name. How’s that for good manners? This *might* be Franklin. We’d met him at previous owl events at the Aviary, and he always seemed like a swell little fellow. (Also, note how I continue to use the word “met” as though there were formal handshakes and introductions or something.)

The spectacled owl was at times a bit skittish. The handler even told us a story of how they once took him to an outreach program at a gymnasium, and the basketball hoops freaked him out so much that he wouldn’t come out of his crate. I don’t like basketball much either, little owl…

All in all, however, this beautiful boy seemed quite happy to be hanging out with people. He was probably equally happy when he got to return to his home inside. Owls like to sleep in on Sundays too, I’d wager.

This is Cypress, the totally awesome and quite pint-sized eastern screech owl. If you’ve been a fan of 60 Days of Halloween over the years, you’ll know that my all-time favorite screech owl was Barkley, the adorable one-eyed darling who was the screech owl ambassador until his retirement a couple years ago. While I love Cypress a ton, I still miss Barkley. Never could I hope to discover a more perfect spirit animal than that little owl.

And finally, we got to say hello to Pumpkin! She’s a Eurasian Eagle Owl, the largest owl species on earth. Pumpkin was born at the Aviary a few years ago, and we even attended her first birthday party back in 2014 where we got to see her very first public flight. So yes, I actually feel like I know this owl. Also, yes, that sentence does make me sound like a crazy owl fangirl. #sorrynotsorry

Pumpkin being her typically curious and gorgeous self. Goodbye for this year, Pumpkin! We hope to see you again soon!

Just as the brunch was getting started, another handler brought out this little beauty. This is the baby flamingo, almost entirely grown up, though not quite her pink self yet.

Several of the other guests went ahead inside for brunch, but Bill and I hung outside for a while to learn about the baby flamingo. After hatching just a few months ago, she’s doing well, and she’s obviously quite adorable too.

One more flamingo picture. Because it’s not just the owls that have all the fun at the Aviary!

And finally a picture of the brunch itself! Please note also that I’m looking quite content in this picture. That’s because I just hung out with owls. Not much placates an eccentric Halloween blogger more than that!

It should go without saying at this point, but I adore the National Aviary. They do such great work at education and conservation, and in a world filled with more uncertainty than ever, it’s comforting to know there are organizations such as this that are looking out for all members of our fragile ecosystem.

Happy Halloween, and head on back here tomorrow for more fall hijinks!

So it’s mid-October already, and the season is rapidly slipping away from me. 2017 in general has been slipping away, and maybe that’s not so terrible. It has, to say the least, been a tough year for everyone I know. It’s always been a scary world out there, but the dread of this year has made me want to charter a rocket to the moon and never, ever come back. (Side note: do you think you could grow pumpkins on the lunar surface? Asking for a friend.)

But as I’m sitting here writing this post, it’s almost sunset on Wednesday evening, and outside, the world is a perfect golden yellow. Crows are calling to each other in the trees, and my cat is watching out the window with all the quiet foreboding of the best little familiar a witch could want. In short, other than the too-high temperatures, it’s an ideal autumn night. And I try to tell myself that that’s not just something; it’s everything. Life is only made up of moments, and at the very least, this is a good one.

So today, I’m lighting a candle, and returning to my usual Halloween antics. Maybe I’ll be posting every day between now and October 31st; maybe I’ll only be posting sporadically. But either way, it’s time to get back to it in some form, because this blog has brought me joy in the past, and hey, maybe it will bring you a spot of Samhain joy too. And the world probably needs a little more joy right now.

At some point, in the next few weeks, I hope to once again start failing at crafts and recipes, but for now, another pictorial will have to do. And it’s a pretty important pictorial so far as I’m concerned: the annual picking of the apples! A big event for Bill and me each year is our trip to the orchard. It’s probably my favorite tradition, just because it’s one that he and I have done together for so long now, and it feels like ours. So join us, as Bill hides behind the camera taking pictures and I pose in front of the camera being my ridiculous self!

Let’s start our apple picking adventures with me holding an empty basket and mugging with a cheesy smile for the camera. Pretty much all our adventures start this way, to be fair…

Now it’s important to show at least one piece of photographic evidence of me picking an actual apple. Otherwise, I could have just posed next to some trees and then bought the apples at the store. Really, you don’t know! I could be tricky like that.

A smiling, smug blogger thinking she’s so special, picking apples and whatnot.

Obligatory apple close-up. Please note my David Bowie amulet, er, necklace. It helps protect me from all harm with its sheer awesomeness. (It’s had to work overtime this year, sadly.)

This is by far my favorite picture of the bunch, primarily because I look like I’ve suddenly become lost in the apple orchard. I mean, it’s not like I have a sign nearby to help direct me or anything.

But worry not! I fought my way out of the Jonagolds and lived to fight another day (and eat an apple pie too). The girl in the Doc Martens won’t let anything keep her down!

Anyhow, in all seriousness, I do really, really love this orchard, so if you’re ever in the Pittsburgh area, be sure to check out Simmons Farm. They’re super friendly, and the apples are super groovy. What’s not to love?

So that’s the blog today! I’m hoping to get another one posted tomorrow, but I’m not promising anything at this point.

Happy autumn!

And finally, we’re back and officially launching this year’s 60 Days of Halloween! Took us long enough, right?

Anyhow, let’s get down to it! Last night, we made our yearly pilgrimage to Volant, Pennsylvania for the annual Witches Night Out! True to its name, there were lots of witches on site, including me!

Now I had initially planned to open this year’s blog festivities with a craft or some other how-to. I always think it’s cooler to try to start the year with something that people can follow along with at home if they want to (not that I think most people actually do the crafts or recipes I post, but hey). But as you can clearly see, this bunch of witchy pictures won out instead. Since it’s already October, I figure it’s better to launch something on this website for 2017, or else it will be Halloween, and I’ll still just be sitting behind my computer, shrugging and saying things like “Meh.” Somebody hit this blogger with a magic wand and give her some Samhain energy, STAT!

So a blog pictorial it is! And this event is a particularly fun one for pictures. Witches Night Out is among my favorite outings each autumn, mostly because there are witches, and celebrating witches is fun. Even giant, weird witches lurking from buildings!

Volant events are always surprisingly eclectic affairs. During our three-hour stay in town, we went from hanging out at the Knockin’ Noggin Cidery and Winery to noshing on Amish donuts to strolling past tarot card readers and psychics. Booze, sweets, and the occult, together just like they should always be!

Another exciting part of this year’s event was the unexpected appearance of the most devilish of little beasts: goats! I met a Baby Black Phillip, or as I liked to call him, “Black Phillip in Training.” He chewed on my finger, which means I’m officially infected with Black Phillip wisdom and must now live deliciously. (And yes, fine, this picture indicates that the goat was probably brown, not black, but sometimes, a witch has to improvise with her familiars.)

Once the festivities got going, all the witches came together to do some serious magical damage. *insert evil cackling* Okay, not really. They just came together for a parade down Main Street. And just like last year, I once again walked in the Witch Parade! Along with meeting the aforementioned goats, it was definitely a highlight of my day. Because it’s the little things in life, like taking a jaunt through town in your big, pointy black hat while carrying your broomstick.

If you look closely at the above picture, I’m actually in there, doing my best parade waltz*. I didn’t realize I was in the image at all when Bill first showed me the pictures, so maybe you’ll be better at playing “Where’s Gwendolyn?” than Gwendolyn is. (*Also, spoiler: there was no parade waltz; I just walked normally. Sorry to disappoint.)

Now obviously, it’s easier to spot me in the picture below, mostly because I’m mugging ridiculously for the camera. But then again, when am I not? I guess in the above image, since I didn’t even know I was there. That sounds like the start of an existential horror story. “The Gwendolyn Who Wasn’t There.” (Please forgive the particularly bad jokes today; I was up past four in the morning, until a friend online finally instructed me—in her sweetest but probably most exasperated way—to get off the internet and go to bed. Thanks, Brookelynne! Sometimes, a witch needs tough love!)

And finally, one more picture of me as a bedecked conjurer, this time among sunflowers and gourds! I’m especially (and almost oddly) pallid in this image, but at least I look happy. And how I could I not be happy, given all the witches and generally fun and festive shenanigans in Volant?

So there we have it, the first official post from this year’s 60 Days of Halloween! And it’s only a month late! Head on back here tomorrow for more Halloween hijinks!