Is Halloween still here?

Today I took a walk out into the  Coronado National Forest adjacent to my home.  It is November, according to the calendar, but I had to wonder!  Everywhere I looked today, I saw evidence of October's  seasonal celebration:  Halloween! 

Did you know that Halloween designs are the best selling canvases in the needlepoint world?  Yes!  I think it is a tribute to our desire to have fun and forget the cares of the world!  There are lots of reasons for celebration, but this is the only one I know of, where children and adults alike can dress up in crazy costumes and just have crazy fun!  There isn't a serious side to this event, as far as I can tell, unlike most other holidays. 

Here is what I encountered on my hike:

Does the blue sky get more gorgeous than this?   The grasses are brittle and dry as bones!

    
I was warned, several times!

My shoe laces were untied one time too many on the trail by this guy! Mr. Cat Claw!  One has to side step his nasty swipes!

There were sharp dangerous things all around!

And wispy, ghosty things!

A charred black skeleton and orange decorations!

Oh my gosh!  Here is a skull!

More orange decor! 

This reeks of a witch to me!  A cauldron of sorts?  Lime green acid brew?

An ingredient for that Witch's brew, or is this something she brewed up?

The only wildlife I saw today were these coal black grasshoppers!

With Blood Red underwings!

And what creature was this?  Coatimundi?  Racoon? Creature from outer space?



Whew!  I'm home now!  As far as I'm concerned, Halloween is over for another year! 
Now I'm working on Christmas!

But you'll have to wait awhile to see it!



Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
PS...I'm teaching "Summer" this weekend at BeStitched in Scottsdale!  Check it out here!