It's Officially HALLOWEEN!!

You all know how I LOVE Halloween.  It's my holiday of choice, for sure.  Not that I want to scare the little kids, returning the favor for their scary demeanor when I'm in RV parks, but it's just FUN!  Hopefully I'll be able to set the front porch up again with headstones, my creepy dead butler, my fog machine and THIS!  My newest acquisition.  Oh ... and don't forget my LOUD music!!!

I finally figured out how to get mail at my house AND the post office.  My local government mail handlers have stated I cannot have two addresses, so they refuse to send anything with my name on it to my house since I have the post office box.  My solution?  Start signing up and ordering things as NK-Photography.  Take THAT Post Office!!!

With that in mind, I made a beeline to Lowes for a box.  Good heavens ... who would have thought there was so much involved with a simple mail box.  The only suitable one was $110, with the post being extra.  Since my original metal post is still standing (and can't be used with the only locking box I found), I'll leave it as a barrier post and install my new box next to it.  Least that's my plan.

While wandering around Lowes, what should appear but this really cool sign, complete with a red lightbulb.  All the lighted portions flicker ... making it even more spooky.  It just jumped in my truck.

Speaking of my truck, my friends have lightened my load.  Dave Burdick and Nick Russell told me they make some kind of a battery minder or disconnect switch I can put on my truck, kind of like I have on the motorhome.  Another perfect solution.  Now to find one for my side post batteries.  

Just so you know, I didn't completely forget about QUILTS while in Eureka.  They have TWO of the best shops in California with all the colors of the rainbow.  

They both had big sales going on ... how could I turn THAT down!!

And so the fabric for these two came home with me.  Amazingly, they HAD the fabric for the quilts hanging on their walls.  I usually discover that the one quilt I love has been around too long and all the fabric to make it has been sold out.  At least on this one I scored the last panel and there was just enough fabric left to make it exactly the same.

Finally back with my Instant Pot (I ordered another for my rig), I whipped up a batch of green beans. I think this device will save lots of room in my backyard cemetery.  So far everything I've made has been edible and cooked to perfection.  Where have you been all my life??

Since I needed bacon, I decided to try the latest and greatest recipe ... cook the bacon on a sheet pan in the oven.  Use foil so clean up is a breeze.  Don't believe that part.  Trouble is I really didn't have any racks that fit the pan.  Second problem, the bacon was too thin.  You definitely need the heartier variety for this.  

Stick it in a cold oven set to 350 for 20 minutes.  It took 20 minutes for my oven to get up to speed, so 40 minutes was more like it.  Actually, the bacon was delicious.  The recipe didn't say to watch your self control because you're going to eat it all.  At least it made my house smell wonderful!!

The clean up started out okay until I wadded up the foil and walked to the trash can, dripping grease all the way.  Apparently there was a big hole in the bottom from the rack.  The dogs thought they were in heaven.  With the floor finally clean, I went for the pan.  That hole let a LOT of grease through to the bottom.  Another big mess to clean up.  I ate another piece of bacon to make me feel better!!

I'll try thicker bacon next time and maybe let it freeze a little so it doesn't stretch so far when I peel a piece off.  

I'm getting nervous about tomorrow morning's teaching assignment.  Maybe I can figure out how to make that brilliant orange T-shirt look cowboy-ish.  That way I can pretend I'm Annie Oakley when I give my little spiel.