Enchanted Forest part 2

Here are the kids winding their way though the forest with mothers watching and protecting the enchantment from being wrecked.
This was the most favorite site, bear land where I had a sign saying "Don't feed the bears!"  The large black one was one that my father had shot in Idaho and had made into a rug for my father-in-law.  Other bears were less frightening.  One little boy came up to the bear and said, "nice Doggie" while stretching out his ands to pet him.
The blue was to be a pond with all critters that swim or float.  Below was the final spot of Doggie Den.

Enchanted Forest

 Enter our Enchanted Forest.  As you enter the sign says, ENCHANTED FOREST.  A little doll witch sits at the signpost and an orange clown swings from the branch.  I used my christmas lights to help emphasis each section, but it doesn't show as well in the photos as it did in reality.This section was the FANTASY FARM, where we had made bamboo fences and placed the beanie baby farm animals.  Below was the CHICKEN COOP with one beanie baby rooster and several door stop chickens I had made years ago.

Putting my macrame to use I made a monkey swing on one side the trail and on the other was my circular merry-go-round full of beanie babies that would belong in the Zoo, so this section was titled ZOO BABIES

Next post will finish this walk and then I'll move on ot the trick or treating.

precious snaps of the party

This little tiger doesn't need his face washed as he is in costume!
This little monkey couldn't stay out of the persimmon tree.  Mother-in-law warned that those trees break easily, but we never saw the monkey fall out of the tree.
Some real cute halloween designed food.  The cute rice balls below were made by a foreign wife's Japanese husband who had to get to his company to work and couldn't enjoy the party.

Halloween cont.

This little green veggie was the youngest child at our party.  He is less than 1 month!  Don't I look great in purple hair?  Below are the next youngest ones.  The little tiger in the middle has 5 sisters and 1 brother and another to be born next month!

Below Kelly kept some larger children busy making faces on little oranges.

Yummie Food for the party

Lots of food was brought by the members and spread out on my husband's ceramic teaching table.
Second table was used for drinks and desserts
The back glass house was where some of us ate to be near the food.  Most people went outside where low tables were set up on blue plastic sheets.
Below was the Costco cake.  Not sure who brought it but I still have the left overs that were more like huge chunky crumbs up in my freezer to eat when I get a chocolate craving!

Halloween party

Yesterday we had the Chiba AFWJ Halloween party at our house.  Over 30 kids with their foreign mothers and Japanese fathers attended. (not all fathers could come, but enough to make it more interesting)  Above the Mummy is getting himself adjusted.  
Notice my beautiful hair--I love that color and if I had my husban's permission I would change it permanently!  I'm holding the youngest trick or treater!  
Here I am with another boy who when finished dressing up was a ninja.  Below was the mummy and a boy we had to get a little sharp with as he was being a bully to the ninja.
Below the kids are throwing wadded up newspaper balls into an orange plastic bag to make a pumpkin.

Bird bath becomes a fish pond!

Okay so the birds never came to bath.  Above you can see the birdbath with a huge kamakiri (preying mantis) on the screen on my window.  These poor creatures are everywhere and the poor males don't realize that after they have their fun the female will bite off their head!  If they did they would forgo the fun!

First I decided to make the birdbath into my shell display.  Then I thought why not add water to make them shine.  Why, not put in some little fish? and some greenery?  Well our neighbor has many little medaka (kill fish, a tiny strong fish that can live in almost any condition) and lots of green as he is a professional gardner.  He gave me enough to put in my pool to make it interesting.