Anyone get wild Halloween yard decorations in thier neighborhood?

[Jess from VA]

I walk my large housing area every day.  A number of houses have pretty amazing ghoulish decorations.

One has two ghouls about 17-20 feet high, up even with their 2d story windows.  Alien heads, skeletal arms and legs and hands and wild clothing that blows in the breeze.

Down in front is a graveyard with hands reaching out.  And a zombie climbing out of a grave that looks just like Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.  

So I'm across the street taking it all in, and another walker with his two dogs (cocker spaniel and a terrier) walks across the front of the house, and the dogs just lose their minds at Johnny Depp.  They aren't big, but it's all the guy can do to hold them back on the leashes.   They want to attack Johnny Depp, and are all-in about it.

I'm LMAO at this scene, and he looks over at me and I say..... That guy (Depp) is just not right, is he?.  Now he's laughing and trying to drag his dogs down the walk.



I took my 20yo potted Sego palm out of the front yard for cold weather (indoors for winter) and I replaced it in the concrete planter with a big staring owl decoy.  Done. 

[Serk]

Several over the top ones in my neighborhood.... This guy has gone viral on Tik Tok, last year had people driving from hundreds of miles around to see his setup. The city finally stepped in and close off his street and direct traffic, it got CRAZY...

https://www.core77.com/posts/102473/DIY-Prop-Makers-Annual-Halloween-Horror-Display-is-a-Huge-Hit

My pic from last year:



2020, BEFORE the city stepped in and closed his street off.... Keeep in mind, this is a Cul-De-Sac... It got ugly...



Another house in my 'hood that really does it up, these are also from 2020:

[carolinarider09]

just for my own personal benefit, does Jess have a "picture" on his post or is it hidden unless you know the password?

And I have thought about it.  We have the perfect spot an open area next to the main road in the area which could be used to put something really spooky up.  But I'd have to have some security stuff and ....

[Serk]

just for my own personal benefit, does Jess have a "picture" on his post or is it hidden unless you know the password?

Yeah, the URL was munged a bit, I think I unraveled what the pic was supposed to be:

[Rams]

Just my opinion but, a huge waste of time and resources.

I say that as my wife has me dragging stuff out of attic storage and erecting this crap all over the house and yard.

No, I won't post pictures of it.

Rams

[Jess from VA]

a huge waste of time and resources

I agree Ron, I used to spend large time and effort doing Christmas lights, in friendly competition with a neighbor, but not for years now.  I just pitched out multiple boxes of lights.

I used to really enjoy the little kids trick or treating on Halloween night.  But after I had a few groups of surly older boys doing a thug-gang banger bit carrying baseball bats, and a pair of 10yo girls dressed as hugely pregnant (did your parents see this?), I just quit playing.

Haloweening has about died off in my neighborhood over the years, with only a few lit up/decorated house exceptions.  The few trick or treaters (with parents) will hit the lit up homes and pass all the others. 

I have lights on all sides of my house, but on Halloween night, they are off.  My house and yard is notable for clean good order and discipline, but otherwise made to stand out or draw attention in no way.

I'm now fighting the war with the leaves from 6 80-100yo oaks, and even with good equipment it's making my old body tired and sore.  I've just made a deal with a tree service for some major cutting (reduction, not removal) that's going to set me back some thousands of dollars.  I should have done it years ago.     

[Rams]

a huge waste of time and resources

I agree Ron,

SNIP

I'm now fighting the war with the leaves from 6 80-100yo oaks, and even with good equipment it's making my old body tired and sore.  I've just made a deal with a tree service for some major cutting (reduction, not removal) that's going to set me back some thousands of dollars.  I should have done it years ago.     

Jess, I understand your battle with the leaves, been there done that.   My neighbors have these huge Live Oak trees (the kind that in the old south owners don't trim that the limbs droop all the way to the ground).    I keep my lawn pretty well manicured and am always having to mow over their leaves (blowing them back toward the neighbor), picking up dead limbs that have fallen on my side of the property line and either burning them in my burn pile or throwing them back into the neighbor's yard.   I'm a firm believer that good fences make for good neighbors but only if the neighbor's trees don't hang over my fence.   I've started trimming the neighbor's tree (where they cross my property line/fence.    Waiting on her to call the sheriff on me again.       He's been here twice but has never done anything.     

Sorry for the rant, reference those leaves, just be happy those aren't pine trees, those needles don't rot nearly as fast and will end up killing your grass if not mulched or removed.   Don't ask me how I know this.

And no, I don't give a damn about Halloween Decorations.   Maybe I should go back to bed and get up from the other side this morning. 

Rams

[..]

Trees!

Trees?

Y'all think you've got trees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCo3ez_G9X8

[Rams]

Trees!

Trees?

Y'all think you've got trees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCo3ez_G9X8

Actually, my neighbors have all the trees, only a few on my place and those are the ones I planted or left in place.   I actually found a 3 inch tall sapling growing my my gutter last year, I tossed it to the ground.   Further inspection determined it was a seedling from one of our own red leaf maple trees we planted about three years ago.   The wife decided to see if she could save it and planted it in a pot of garden soil.   That 3 inch seedling is now over 6 feet tall and will most likely get re-planted in a selected location this fall once the leaves fall off.  

I don't have a single tree located on my property you can't walk under or mow around with out contacting limbs.   If, a limb appears below that level, it gets addressed/trimmed.    No tree should inhibit anyone while walking or mowing in my yard.   Just the way I like them.  

Rams

[Jess from VA]

Ron, you may already know this, but there are always local laws and regs on cutting trees overhanging property lines (encroachment).

That you can cut right to the property line (straight up) is generally a myth.  Depending on the rules, sometimes you can't even cut to your property line, and other times, you can cut well over the property line (if those limbs endanger a neighbor's person or property).

It's best to discover and copy those rules.  It's better to reach an agreement with neighbors, but that isn't always possible.

Pouring a few gallons of gas at the trunk may kill it, in time.  A nighttime activity.   

Of all my trees, my next door neighbor's tree in the backyard, just feet from the line, poses the greatest danger of a tree falling on my house.  It is an oak, and is very healthy... so far so good.  But in terrible storms with wind, I have sat at my dining room table and watched it rock right at my house (prevailing winds SW to NE make it so). 

[Rams]

Ron, you may already know this, but there are always local laws and regs on cutting trees overhanging property lines (encroachment).

That you can cut right to the property line (straight up) is generally a myth.  Depending on the rules, sometimes you can't even cut to your property line, and other times, you can cut well over the property line (if those limbs endanger a neighbor's person or property).

It's best to discover and copy those rules.  It's better to reach an agreement with neighbors, but that isn't always possible.

Pouring a few gallons of gas at the trunk may kill it, in time.  A nighttime activity.   

Of all my trees, my next door neighbor's tree in the backyard, just feet from the line, poses the greatest danger of a tree falling on my house.  It is an oak, and is very healthy... so far so good.  But in terrible storms with wind, I have sat at my dining room table and watched it rock right at my house (prevailing winds SW to NE make it so). 

Jess,
Be assured, before I ever got my chainsaw out, I checked MS property line laws.   Although not legal to cut limbs or tress on the other side of my property line/fence, those protruding over that line or fence are fair game and removed as I see fit.

One of my neighbors actually had two trees with very large (over 12 diameter) limbs overhanging my outbuilding.   I approached my neighbor and explained the situation that I was concerned about those very large limbs and asked if he minded if I cut them back.   Told him it would not be a problem if, he didn't allow me to do the appropriate trimming.   But also advised him in a friendly way that when, not if, his trees damaged my outbuilding that there would not be a piss'n contest between us, I would simply contact my insurance company who would in turn contact his insurance company and we would let them work it out.   He quickly suggested that I should cut both trees down.   I did that the next day and we were both happy. 

My other neighbor is not nearly as neighborly but, that's OK, her trees that overhang the county road are between her and the county.   If she doesn't address the low hanging trees, the county will and then charge her for the service. 

Rams