• Music: "Season of the Witch," Donovan

7 Days Until Halloween

Virginia is a Jack-O'-Lantern!

Every year, my parents send their granddog, the fabulous Virginia, a Halloween costume for her to wear (as well as treats to bribe her to model for pictures). The latest arrived last week. As you can see, this year she's transformed from a Boston Terrier into a Jack-O'-Lantern.


















As always, you can see more pictures of Virginia here.

Text of the Day: In honor of the start of Harry Potter Fest 2010 tomorrow, here's a poem originally written for but later edited out of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This is "The Ballad of Nearly Headless Nick" by J.K. Rowling (1965-present).

It was a mistake any wizard could make
Who was tired and caught on the hop
One piffling error, and then, to my terror,
I found myself facing the chop.

Alas for the eve when I met Lady Grieve
A-strolling the park in the dusk!
She was of the belief I could straighten her teeth
Next moment she'd sprouted a tusk.

I cried through the night that I'd soon put her right
But the process of justice was lax;
They'd brought out the block, though they'd mislaid the rock
Where they usually sharpened the axe.

Read the rest of the poem here.