The Help

Dennis, even though he won't admit it, was instrumental in seeing that any of this got done. I'll convince him to join the Halloween List soon and we'll all be better for it.

Karl Krein & Dennis.  I e-mailed Karl at almost midnight the night before Halloween. We'd just had over 400 people through our yard and nearly went insane trying to deal with them all. He popped over Halloween afternoon and helped fine tune things. Halloween evening, along with the rest of us, he helped keep the peace as over 1,000 folks trekked through the yard.

The heathens at the gate.  I called in more reinforcements.  My father, Chuck, and step-mother, Sandy came to help out as well.  Dad provided a lot of candy and gift certificates and spent the evening freezing his buns off with the rest of us passing them all out while working the crowd.  Sandy did the same. Unfortunately Sandy also got the child in her section of the yard screaming that everything was fake. Imagine that, fake stuff in my yard.

Dad & Sandy stop to pose with Amber & Death.

Karl and Dennis' sister Jenny discuss strategy as the sun begins to set and the yard is overcome by shadow.

Brenda and Amber.  Brenda got to do all the mad dashing all over town for the last minute stuff. Ice for the fog chiller, more candy for the TOTs, food for the whole gang of folks helping us as well as working the crowd and seeing to the ever growing pile of food in our house for the Food Bank. Did I mention that she's also been the photographer for this whole fiasco as well as putting up with my ranting that I'd never get done on time.

Bob Kurtz, Dennis' dad.  Not only did he help install the Pillars of pain and the gates but got to work the crowds both nights without knowing in advance that he was going to help.  He, his wife Ellen and their two daughters stopped by on Saturday night for the open yard to see how their son was doing and they never got to leave. Thank goodness for small miracles.  We'd have never made it through the  first night without their help. We had no idea that so many of our neighbors would show up and bring so many people with them to see our work. Very gratifying but totally overwhelming.

Amber and her tombstone. She went out with Dennis' sisters trick or treating while we stayed and met the masses.

"Thanks for stoppin' by. You all come back now."

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