The Spooktacular Hodgepodge

'Twas the Hodgepodge before Halloween, and all through the web...

So glad you've joined in this week, October's last Hodgepodge hurrah! Next week we're into November and all things gratitude, turkey and wedding.  

That last bit might just be me. 

If you've answered the questions today, add your link at the end of my post.  Then go say hi to the blogger who linked before you because everybody loves company.  Here we go-

1. My hubs spent last weekend pheasant hunting. Are there hunters in your family? If so, what do they hunt? Which of the following have you tasted-pheasant, rabbit, venison, duck, goose? Which of those would you most like to taste or be most willing to taste?

Vegetarians keep calm and Hodgepodge on.

Hubs enjoys the great outdoors, but is not a big hunter. He really loved the pheasant hunt though, so perhaps there is more of that in his future. Not deer hunting because deer are like family in our neck of the woods.  

That being said I have tasted venison and it's okay. I've tasted all of the above with the exception of rabbit and I really have no interest in trying that one. Course if you served it to me I'd try it, but I wouldn't order it in a restaurant if there were other options. 

I like duck, but am not a big fan of goose. Unless we're talking roasted potatoes with Sunday lunch like they serve in the UK...pretty sure they cook those in goose fat which is what makes them so completely delicious.  

2. What high spot have you visited that gave you a wonderful 'bird's eye view' of something below?

I started to answer this question and realized there were far too many to name. I have a lot of favorite high places, and I think I might give them their own blog post one day soon. Or not soon, but eventually. For today let's keep it simple and go with the one closest to home-

Highpoint...the literal highest point in NJ. It's a great place to hike, you can see NJ, Pennsylvania, and New York from up here, and the surrounding parkland is gorgeous. 

3. Do you have any birds in your home? These could be either real live pets or decorative, as in prints, fabrics, knickknacks, or pottery.

I don't have any birds as pets, although I do refer to the hawk who lives in our backyard tree tops as mine. I love incorporating birds into my decor. We have a couple of Audubon prints in our dining room, framed bird prints in my sunroom and powder room both, and wooden duck decoys in the office. 

I also have a real live bird dog, who can most often be found in her favorite chair, but who also loves to be out stalking birds, squirrels, rabbits, fox, groundhogs, and the occasional fly away plastic grocery bag.

Everyone wave to Dixie.  

4. Tell about a time you killed two birds with one stone.

These kinds of things are always a little hard to come up with off the top of my head. Kinda lame, but a couple of weeks ago hubs needed something from the hardware store and he was going to trek north to a place we frequent. However we were going to grab breakfast at the diner first, and that's south. Then I remembered there was a hardware store practically next door to the diner, so we sort of killed two birds with one stone. We avoided going both north and south in the space of an hour so that was nice. 

5. Your favorite song with a bird in it's title?

Freebird by Lynrd Skynyrd. Everyone knows this one, right? If not, you can listen here, but be forewarned it's gonna shave 9 minutes off your life. Back in the 1970's lots of songs went on for more than two and a half minutes. 

6. What most recently gave you goose bumps?

I can't think of a thing. 

Check back with me on Friday...I've heard talk of a snow shower, but lalalalala.

7. Halloween is this Friday...any plans? Did you trick or treat as a child? Carve pumpkins? Share your most memorable costume.

This is the first Halloween we've been in town for a while so our plan is to dole out candy to the brave, athletically inclined children who hike up our steep drive in the dark of night.  I might make a pot of chili or some kind of soup because it's supposed to get cold here Friday evening. When my girls were growing up we always had chili on Halloween, something warm before they headed out for candy collecting with the hubs and other dads/kids in our little cul-de-sac. 

Did I trick or treat as a child? Of course. Just ask my dentist. We'd go in a big group and walk for what felt like miles, but was probably more like blocks. I grew up in a big neighborhood with sidewalks and street lamps and a more innocent world all the way round, so trick or treating was a much anticipated event. My dad usually carved the pumpkin, but we helped scoop out the guts. 

My most memorable costume was the year I wore a Japanese kimono and wooden shoes, and one of those plastic masks over my face that made it hard to see. The kimono made it hard to walk and I was chased and knocked down by a big German Shepherd. Good times! 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

How 'bout a throw back, Halloween style? That's the bride-to-be on the right, with her maid of honor on the left-

October 31, 1991. 
Be still my heart.