Photos of the new coffin project are available here.

Several friends have pointed me to the vomit barrel prop that features a zombie vomiting into a 55 gallon drum. Rather than buy one of those, we started thinking about a more practical application.

We started with the idea of a fountain that would pump into a head (body optional) and then out the mouth. Then we decided to pump blood, so we could maybe have it drip or leak from other openings. Then we decided to make it a drinking fountain so you could put a cup under the head and catch a bloody drink!

We got a skull and spine from Halloween Outlet. We also picked up a HUGE cauldron there. We ordered a submersible fountain pump.

We gutted the skull and ran PVC up the spine with a tube coming out the mouth. We filled the skull with Great Stuff to give it some stability. The base of the PVC spine has a ball valve so we can control the flow of blood.

Pictures coming as soon as I find about 25 gallons of Kool-Aid

I found a good picture of the Jeepers Creepers cross that will be inspiration for ours. Ours will need to be a bit shorter, since we can't fly very far without getting seriously injured.

There has been talk about making a fountain that pumps blood for this year. I found a large sample from another do-it-yourself haunter. Check it out here.

A huge chair that will be used to lie in wait, hold candy, light up, and can be used for taking pictures with the kids. It will be multi-part for easy transport and will have room for lots of storage. "You could fit four bodies in there, easy." See photos of this project here.

So, first, I was thinking that it might be neat to use some cyalume sticks in the pumpkins this year, instead of the more traditional candles. You can get some neat colors, and some downright cool effects with the sticks. However, you lose that nice flicker effect of the candles. So then, with Mr. October's purchase of a new fogging machine, we now have an additional one to play with for other effects. I've been researching on how to move fog to various locations without having it condense too much or disperse too much and I'm planning now to run pipes/tubes to the inside of a few of the pumpkins to make the fog come out of the mouth/eyes.

We will have some live performers in the demonic pumpkin patch this year. Disguised as evil scarecrows, they need a place to hang out (and to lunge from). Jeepers Creepers comes to mind.

We need to make some kind of pedestal or platform for our local fallen angel to perch upon. Ideas include a stone platform and a flaming garden from hell.

I have a new collection of ceramic garden pillars. They look like miniature gothic columns (2 feet tall). These will get a stone finish and perhaps some gargoyle or urn cap. Then they will either line the path for visitors or be intermingled with the tombstones.