THE DRAGANS ESCAPE

A regular reader here of several years will know the tradition of the Dragans. I have featured them over the years many times this time of year. They are all creatures made with love, wire and papier mache and other materials, and each one has its own unique personality. For more than 20 years, visitors flocked to North Union Street each Halloween, where it's big business. On Halloween night, so many people are in costume and trick or treating, all the streets literally shut down, and flood with town folk and visitors. But Dolores Dragan, a retired high school art teacher created the Halloween House, affectionately known, became local legend- drawing thousands to marvel at her hand crafts sculptures, color characters and playful scenes that transformed her huge house and yard. I love talking with her when I go into Lambertville from New Hope. Such a warm person, and she told me once how each character was based upon someone she knew or other town folk. But since moving I just heard from a friend, Dolores decided to stop the labor-intensive work setting up her home for Halloween and asked the Lambertville Creative Arts Fund to carry her work to a new chapter and share the magic. Her beloved creations now come to life as the Memory Maker's Trail of Magic- a month-long, citywide celebration produce by the group, and the creations appear throughout Lambertville shops, businesses, store fronts, dining establishments and community spaces. In the few times I met her, it was never about the decoration she said but rather the role of memory making. She always said she wanted kids to remember this when they're 70. I know I never saw anything like it. Here are some of my pictures from over the years.

While the set up might not be the same as seeing all the gang altogether, well over 80 creatures, not to mention at night with black light, its great she loaned them out all over town. Dolores gave this town a gift that went far beyond Halloween- she gave us a moment of fun for a holiday and memories that will last. 

COSTUME OF THE SEASON

I might be going to hell.

MOOD BOARD

 

Happy Monday one and all! I sounded cheerful today? Well you may be right...it is to be a short work week this week, as at week's end, I head with the clan to Rehoboth for a few days. My own weekend was a pretty good one, a blend of cozy and productive, filled with a healthy amount of thrilling horror movies, some therapeutic time under the sun, albeit a bit chilly out, gardening, and some light cooking, a huge stock pot of soup, and roasted veggies for dinner one night, and making a list for said weekend jolly, which already has me counting down the days. And I didn't watch any news. After last week it just gets worst, which has me thinking I really need to take up witchcraft, I already have the perfect witches hat... or in the very least make a deal with Papa Legba, to rid the world these bottom dwellers.

Mood inducing.

AUTUMN IN THE GARDEN

It's been a glorious weekend, if not a bit cool with some light gales. The first of what is bound to many garden clean ups for fallen leaves, dead blooms and a start of putting the beds to rest. But worry not, parts of the garden are still going quite strong...and of course the autumn has brought about new stars of the show like the dahlias and zinnias, and the Mexican sunflowers are way above the fence. Who knew they would get that huge from just seeds in May?!?  They are still attracting bees galore, but I do believe the butterflies may have migrated already. I saw more butterflies than I had seen in a couple years. I guess the wildflower garden really does attract more pollinators. But the cooler nights has already claimed some of the potted plants.

I really need to add in more ox blood dahlia next year.

What's left in the wildflower garden

A huge mushroom in the garden! It was huge!

A new usual suspect to the garden of late. I have seen her/him many times the last couple weeks...even napping for some time before moving on. Sophie has yet to see the visitor. I hate to see the kitty spooked, especially while enjoying a nice pew or nap. I'm pretty sure it's a neighborhood cat that has a home.

The Cassia Didymobotrya rivaled the Mexican sunflower for height. The two together look spectacular and it smells so good. I might rethink for next year thought it's placement. Both are still going strong.

The Datura Ballerina are always still blooming like crazy. And do they ever small heavenly.

I do believe the Clematis is going for yet another showing.

The salvia beds are still going strong and are even more brilliant, I think. This is generally where I catch the hummingbirds.

 

I also got in my first batch of Chicken corn soup made this weekend

So there was that too...and it was delish!!!!!!