Oh Henry, You're Home

Do you have favorite things for the holidays?  Do you feel the holiday would not be complete without them? That's the way we feel about Henry and Hank Jr.  They are as much a part of fall as pumpkin pie and Trick or Treating are to Thanksgiving and Halloween at our house. They came to be a part of our family several years ago when I found Henry on a shelf at Marc's (my favorite closeout store) sitting in a box along side another box that contained  Hank Jr.  I don't remember the cost exactly but I think I payed around five dollars for both sets of the ceramic and metal turkey pumpkin embellishments. I fell in love with the pictures on the boxes and I knew I had to have them for my very own.  But I needed the perfect pumpkins.  Pumpkins that would suit their personalities.  This began our annual tradition of the pumpkin hunt.  But first, meet Henry.

Henry - our ceramic and metal embellished pumpkin

The journey for Henry and Hank Jr is an annual pilgrimage for us.  I take a vacation day every year for a trip to Holmes County in the heart of Ohio's Amish country. We love the hour drive through the Amish countryside to look at all of the colorful fall foliage. On a lovely fall day the scenery can be stunningly beautiful.  

We found our perfect pumpkins this year at the Hershberger's Farm. You can find information on Holmes County and Millersberg, Ohio HERE - It's getting a bit late for fall but Thanksgiving and Christmas season are just as charming in Amish country.  That's me in front of a wagon full of pumpkins. It was a challenge but after a bit of searching I found our guys for this year's Henry and Hank Jr.

We brought our guys home and bathed them in a mixture of 1/4 cup bleach and a squirt of  Ivory dish detergent in several gallons of warm (not hot).

I sorted through their pieces parts and then I washed them up in the same solution.

After the parts were dry I cleaned the metal prongs with alcohol wipes.  Because it is so hard to find the tall skinny pumpkins I try to make sure that I don't introduce any bacteria into the pumpkins that could cause them to rot prematurely.

After I placed all of the parts onto the pumpkins I ironed their scarves and tied them around their bobble spring necks.  And voila!  Henry!!  Now to find Henry a home for the fall.

 The patio in ready to be decorated for the fall. I love to place containers of mums, violas,pansies, and asters around the patio as soon as they are available in the late summer and fall.

 With a few cornstalks, pumpkins, mums, pansies, and the green table and chairs (my newest thrifty finds)

The patio is transformed into a colorful fall play land.  Henry and Hank Jr. look right at home don't they?

 My guys are home - don't they look grand?

 Little Hank Jr is such a cutie.

 We do have a witch standing by to guard the cornstalks from the racoons.

The crow likes to show off by standing over the scarecrows head and taunting him with that silly smile on his face.

A lot of Henry and Hank's friends have gathered out on the patio to party and have some fun welcoming the guys back home for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

You will notice the guys are not out in this night shot.  That is because our witches powers can only keep the  racoons away during the daytime.  At night the boy's have to come in or risk being dinner for Ricky the raccoon.

 

 See the mess below? I hope that will be my Halloween mantle soon. An old window frame from Goodwill and an old piece of driftwood,  plus some old stockade fence pieces that a neighbor was throwing out last year will soon combine together to be re-purposed as fall mantel decor.  The white frame and the Aqua and yellow shutter are part of the spring and summer mantle decor.  They will soon be stored away for 6 months or so. 

Come back to visit soon.  I do enjoy your company so much.  I hope my mantle will be done when you come back.  We can light a fire and have some hot chocolate.  Have a great day - stay safe and stay happy.

                           

Linking to:

 Seasonal Sundays

Metamorphosis Monday