roadside vampire slayer

In what may be an effort to prevent graffiti, metal utility boxes around the city are now painted with bright scenes and images. Flowers. Birds. Butterflies. Cityscapes.

And then there's the one in my neighbourhood that I recently stumbled upon. Three sides of the box are painted and they tell a story, through what seems to be a ship's porthole, that unfolds as you circle the box. First, an empty room. Next, a young woman gazing out at the viewer, seemingly oblivious to a vampire behind her. And finally this image: the same woman slaying said vampire.

Not a butterfly or a flower in sight. Just a beautiful tale of heroism to inspire passers-by.

halloween withdrawal

Perhaps ironically, it is at this time of year - mid-summer - that I tend to suffer most severely from Halloween withdrawal.  Not in November, when my thoughts begin to turn toward Christmas.  Not in mid-winter, when I'm pre-occupied with simply getting inside out of the cold.  Not even in spring.  Although my daily pumpkin watch keeps Halloween at the forefront of my mind.

No. Oddly it is now, when Halloween really isn't so far away.  And I think I know why.  It is now that everyone else begins posting sightings of Halloween merchandise and magazines that are beginning to appear in stores.  Stores elsewhere, of course.  Never any stores around here.  And I've checked.  And checked.  And checked again.  Nothing.  I guess it just takes a little longer for Halloween to make it all the way to Canada.

In the meantime, I continue to search for signs of Halloween everywhere.  Everywhere.  And if there was any doubt as to the level of my desperation, witness this sign of the season, which I encountered on a neighbourhood walk.  When I came upon this, my first thought was  "Oooo, orange and black. They used Halloween colours."   How pathetic am I?   I need to find myself a new Halloween magazine.  Soon.

Maybe the young hoodlums who vandalized this piece of cement were suffering from Halloween withdrawal too.

first vine

After a slow start, during which I had serious doubts about this year's pumpkin crop, the plants have undergone a growth spurt.

I spotted the first vine today.

going, going . . . almost gone

So I'm in Cape Breton for a brief summer weekend getaway. And I'm walking down Charlotte Street in Sydney, as I tend to do when visiting, when I notice a CLOSING sign in the window of a favourite store. I store I've frequented for years on August visits. When they usually begin to pull out the Halloween merchandise. So naturally, I hurry inside.

And not a moment too soon.

Not much is left.  The end is near.  And what remains has an unmistakable Christmas aura.  But in the midst of the remnants, I did manage to acquire a new haunted house for the season.

friday the 13th al fresco

In contrast to the ants that surround (and occasionally invade) my house, spiders are a welcome sight. They set up shop and do their job well. Keeping the population of flying insects nicely under control.

In past seasons, I have followed their development from egg sacs to hatchlings to full-grown spiders with their own webs. But this year, the egg sacs have been mysteriously absent. I can only assume that they found a more suitable location. Perhaps one in which cameras are not constantly thrust in front of them. Despite not following their development this year, it was nice to see this spider early this evening.

Enjoying a meal outdoors in the fresh air and basking in the warm sunshine on the veranda.