October by the Sea: Nature, Nostalgia & Halloween Charm

 October by the sea is a quiet kind of magic.

So quiet in fact, that I literally heard the sound of this ghost crab scampering past me the other night on the beach at sunset. He was daft and careful and if I would have blinked - I think I would have missed him.

  

The night I spotted him was the same night of the October supermoon, which is typically called the harvest moon.

But how could it be called anything other than a jack-o-lantern moon after emerging from the horizon as a ball of bright orange fire?

 

And while walking to pick up our son last week, I spotted my third pumpkin spider of the year - a real treat to come across in October on the Jersey Shore.

 

Did you know that pumpkin spiders make webs that are perfect orbs? And that they repair any imperfections to their webs nightly?

 

Another specialty to find this time of year are moon snail shells. Often used in spells, moon snails AKA shark eye snails display a certain kind of spiral that some say is hypnotizing. 

 

Beachcombing this time of year is always a delight. The crowds of the summer are gone, and low tide can turn into a treasure trove of riches if the water is still enough.

  

Mushroom season generally explodes from September into October on the shore. This red beauty was a new discovery in our front yard.

 

 

And as for me, while decorating our mantle this year for Halloween I felt we needed something a little extra special, so I created this adorable Coastal Ghosts Garland, (that I've recently added to my shop as a printable decoration).  My favorite one out of the lot is the little 'Neptune' ghost with a trident and crown.

 

I hope you've all been enjoying the beauty of October as much as I have this year...