Electric eels or sneaky snakes
Everyone knew they were going to have to do something.
Those guests had long over stayed their allotted time.
Do they fear nothing? (920.Macmillan/USPD:Pub.date/Commons.wikimedia.org
Now looking very much frozen in place.
A bit bloated (and who isn’t after the holidays?), they seem unwilling to be swept aside.
So did their desperate hosts hold interviews for avengers?
Locate hired guns on Craig’s List?
Manage to round-up some mercenaries?
A sellsword for bed and breakfast?
Battle imminent and unavoidable?(1901.Asgard Stories/ USPD:pub.date/Commons.wikimedia.com)
No matter, the new defenders look really wired.
Athletic.
Flexible in their approaches.
Bright.
So what’s the plan?
Simply shine a light on the Halloween guests’ faux pas?
Electrocution if response and departure isn’t forth coming?
Or the basic strangle and hang ’em high as an example?
Too late to volunteer for pie.
Sword of Damocles over the obstinate pumpkins’ heads stems.
Yes. a Halloween pumpkin. Still there. Christmas light scroll up tree.©
We’ll see how things fry fly when the palm hugging Christmas rope lights make their slinky moves.
Once the Halloween pumpkins turn to mush and depart, will the bright snake lights also disappear?
That would be sad. An architectural glow that cheers the night.
Pillars of bright.
Golden gate.
A neighborhood Colossus of Rhodes.
Hey, it works. Tall trunk like columns. Sailboat headed into marina. We have those. Perfect comparison. (1880 Colosse de Rhodes.Barclay /USPD:pub.date/Commons.wikimedia.org)
Well, everyone always says winter white goes with everything.
From Valentines’ diamonds to a festive touch for Cinco de mayo to Safety glow sticks for Halloween trick or treaters and that all important runway guide for Santa’s sleigh.
How could the Homeowner’s Association fume and blow a fuse?
But the pumpkins?
No one is really buying the rumor that this is Cinderella’s parking pad for her secondary vehicle.
A wonder, even if it’s not a 7th one. A nighttime picture with the rope lights glowing would be nice, but you’d need sunglasses. (Yes, I’m easily amused.) ©
Seeing the light,
Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge.
It’s a new year. Veggies on your mind? Immigration invasion?
- Angry Veggies: Captured or harvested? (Some odd science here)
- Where’s the beef? (Veggies eat their young?)
Can always count on Liz to class things up. Those are sceptres are so snake-like. Liz would have no trouble ordering those pumpkins outta there.(Taylor.Cleopatra.1963/Mankiewicz/USPD:pub.date/Commons.wikimedia.org)
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Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge 
One of my friends just discovered her concrete porch-dog-with-basket still is wearing his Christmas finery. She’s been walking past it since she took the other decorations down on New Year’s Day. It took a neighbor to ask, “Hey — when does the dog get undecorated.”
Mardi Gras is coming, after all! (Oh, yeh. And Valentine’s Day.) (St.Patrick? The Ides of March?)
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Sometimes it seems the holidays secretly hang around in an attempt to keep their joy and smiles within reach of people – if they wold only notice.
A little less sog for Mardi Gras would be appreciated by everyone. (originally I had listed all the holidays and snarky appropriate uses for snake lights, but sometime ramble gets more boring than funny)
Need a smile? google “Seattle Labrador hops on bus and take self to dog park” – it’s bound to be on you tube (ch26 is one of many). I can see Molly doing that – and RC heading to the pet store if I don’t get more cat food to her soon.
Thanks for charging up the comments
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Ha ha ha!! I have walked into friends or family homes sometime later in the year – like summertime – and spotted a Halloween or Christmas decoration still hanging about! Of course I have to point it out!! Just can’t help myself… 🙂
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It’s funny. Determined pumpkins basking in warm glow of Christmas lights. I guess the homeowners wouldn’t pay the guys that install their holiday lights extra to remove the Halloween decorations. With all the rain this winter, you’d think those would be puree by now…maybe the ice crystals…Thanks for rolling in a comment
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After Halloween the neighbors put their pumpkins along the curb for trash pick up. This year I went up and down the street collecting them. I put them next to mine in the rear of our critter infested yard and within 2 weeks the squirrels tunneled for the seeds and something ate the flesh. Some years there is an orange skin laying on the ground in the spring thaw. Not this year. Someone heard there were pumpkins for the picking in my yard and there must have one on helluva party. Not a crumb left!
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No doubt these are expensive organic pumpkins. If there were environmentally friendly homeowners – or if there were kids in the house, watching the life cycle of pumpkins might be the object, but no. Odd the squirrels and other wildlife hasn’t shown any interest…The squirrels must be too well fed by bird feeders to be interested. Wonder if the field mice thought it was a Habitat for Animalanity offering and have moved in…what better? Edible housing. If the fog/drizzle/clouds ever clear maybe the hawks will get up and give us a report on that. Thanks for tabling the comment conversation!
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Our decorations are put away, but our outside Christmas lights remain. I asked hubs to remove them before we got all the snow, but he didn’t. Now I don’t dare bring it up again, or he might suggest I go take them down myself. And we can’t have that now, can we?… 😉
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People here use Christmas lights to warm plants during unusually cold weather. But the pumpkins…even the squirrels are wondering what’s with that…not like they are letting them veggies mulch and replenish the soil. Any little pumpkin sprouts will be ripped out by the yard guys. It’s really a yard guy joke. Has to be…well, they wouldn’t pay extra for holiday decoration removal? ….Meanwhile with all the sea fog, we have out own light house helping us find the way home. (Lights look great reflected off snow….besides, Mardi gras….)
Thanks for lighting up the comment stack
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Just paint that pumpkin red and you’re all set for Valentine’s Day.
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Perfect idea…now if I can just figure out how to say it in Portuguese so I can get that idea across to the neighbors. Thanks for brushing over a comment
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First pumpkins, now Christmas lights. Will Molly ever get a break from the yard invasion?
I do wish people left the decorations up just a little longer. I love looking at them.
Nancy
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Molly likes the lights – easier to see the Fed Ex guys. In other countries the decorations stay up much longer – Three Kings’ Day is just passed, so that’s a possibility…but the pumpkins? When I can figure out how to say it in Portuguese, maybe I can inquire. Thanks for warming up the comments
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I always wonder if people who leave their decorations up for extra months just don’t even see that the decorations are still there. The people have become so acclimated to seeing the decorations that it doesn’t even register in their minds that it’s time to take down the stuff & things. Perhaps a cheerful word from you would be the catalyst they need to get on with it.
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It may be the whole yard decoration thing is a mystery since they are from Brazil…or customs may be different with longer celebrations. Nice couple – work a lot. Pay company to do yard and holiday stuff. And when you come in late, it’s dark, and the back door is the normally used entrance, Maybe they haven’t noticed.
We like the extra light for walking the dog at night (and this year it seems like it’s always dark) and the pumpkins to provide color in the dormant landscape. Sooner or later the HOA will send them a letter. Meanwhile, there’s a neighborhood pool on how long before the pumpkins turn into frisbees. Thanks for carving up a comment
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Easy to overlook a stray over-stayer in the busy-ness of the season. Each year I find an odd bauble escapee off the tree or the wreath hangs out a little longer on the front door. But that pumpkin, if what Confucious says about visitors holds true, should by rights smell like soup!
I quite like the snaky trees… ’tis the season for the live wriggly ones here 🙂
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This may be the week. While we’ve had temps way below normal – think outdoor fridge with misting – we may actually see sun and 60’s by Sunday. Wondering if the pumpkins were waxed or painted with clear acrylic of something. That would explain why the raccoons, possums, armadillos haven’t wandered in to snack. Simply as perky accents as the day they arrived. Would be nice if they could stay until some bright flowers jump in. Hoping the drizzle pauses – Molly has played with all the toys and needs some exercise. Watch out for the wigglers! Thanks for curling up to comment
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How strange. Shouldn’t that pumpkin have rotted or collapsed or something by now?
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There is no truth to the rumor that their black cat has anything do do with longevity. (giggles – it’s a tuxedo cat, so not totally black). Maybe the very cool temps and night freezes are responsible – but sitting in all this rain,fog, and drizzle…it is odd. Thanks for poking a comment over
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First thought is poor Molly. But it also reminds me of the political signs that are still up for an election that was several months ago. … and you’ll be referenced tomorrow! 🙂
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Whoa. You may have uncovered the pumpkin truth. It’s the Headless Brainless Party or the Mushheads or the Hollow Thoughts political party group signs? Nervous now. (Weather’s nice, but will be sure to roll over your way!) Thanks for picking out a comment to leave.
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We still have a pumpkin on our porch. I’m surprised it hasn’t started to decay yet, but it’s been unusually cold where I am, so perhaps that has something to do with it. I really should throw it out. Eventually.
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We are much below normal temps – and so much rain, may be why the pumpkins have escaped being snack for critters. (Unless the field mouse family simply move inside the pumpkin and are enjoying the buffet from the inside. If you toss the pumpkin near some good soil and leave it, you might get vines this summer. But you’d have to mow/walk around those for months.
Can’t wait for porch weather here….porch, not scorch – just to be clear.
Thanks for rolling in a comment.
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I hate to admit this, because I am the one who complains when Christmas décor is still up at Valentine’s. But this year, our outdoor lights (all white) are still up and plugged into the timers so that they come on every night. Wreaths are down, tree is gone, all of that stuff, but the big holly trees and the spirals and balls still have their ropes of lights. It’s my husband’s job to climb the ladder to get them down and well…he’s been busy. (And the pumpkin is still by the side door. I’m hopeless.)
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No, you’re just fashion forward: winter white goes with everything! (The neighbors must have unplugged the timer – we are missing the warm nightly glow.)
But these pumpkins…each day it seems more and more possible it’s an alien invasion. Mold and mildew defeats everything here.
Thanks for decorating the comment stack!
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I thought the same thing as a few of your other visitors about how odd it is the pumpkin is still in such great shape. I’m surprised something hasn’t eaten it by now. Maybe it IS Cinderella’s magical pumpkin/coach?
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Pumpkins determined not to cave to tradition. (One of them is now MIA. Will warmer temps sweat the stubborn out of the rest?) Thanks for rotating the comment crop here.
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You live next to us, apparently! I still have my tree as it is refusing to turn to a mess of dry needles. I think my green thumb and fingers has finally worked on a whole damn tree… and while I don’t have a pumpkin outside, I still have one on the mantle!
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One pumpkin MIA. Beamed up? What is their secret to not aging? Is orange better than green? The mysteries of nature. Thanks for planting a comment
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Maybe pumpkins in January is a new thing 🙂 It’s always amusing when decor stays out past the standard times. There was a year when my parents didn’t take down their artificial Christmas tree. We decorated it for different months… pink/white for February, flags for May-July, etc. It was entertaining.
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WInter white lights go with everything. How much fun to have a tree for all season. That’s a cool idea (and eliminates trying to stuff it in someplace for storage…) They may have been ahead of their times…where do people in those tiny tiny houses store the Christmas tree…and don’t say just use one outside – not the same! Thanks for curling in a comment
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You know fake pumpkins would be an excellent disguise for minature alien listening posts and observation nodules. It is quite possible that they are broadcasting info to the Mother ship high in orbit. The aliens just forgot to make the pumpkins look like they are degenerating over time. That’s why they don’t rot – they disappear, as in beamed up. Maybe Homeland Security should be notified.
Great post Phil.
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Yes, See something, say something. Or maybe Homeland…..Code Orange!
Thanks for poking the pumpkin comment pile
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I can’t imagine a pumpkin surviving this long without some of the neighborhood kids deciding to have some fun with it. 😉 I wish I had gotten a photo of the inflatable Santa on a porch near us. The day after Christmas he was “out of breath” and lay on the porch. It really looked as if he was having a hard time recuperating from that midnight run!
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That Santa sounds hilarious. We had heavy fog again today – and mysteriously the last pumpkin disappeared. Or maybe it just rolled inside to avoid the 100% chance of rain tonight and tomorrow. (Mud baths. Supposed to be good for you? Could that be a myth created by some Mom tired of washing everything up over and over?) Heard rumors a small Easter bunny had already hopped into a yard around the corner….wait! Too early! Much too early! Thanks for brightening up the comment section
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