Halloween Countdown, Day 2

[eldritchhobbit]

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). This year, my brilliant mother outdid herself, sewing a most remarkable costume indeed. I invite you to behold Virginia as the Great Detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Her creed is this: Once you have eliminated the inedible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be a treat.






To see Virginia in Dr. Watson attire, check out this Sherlockian post.


Here are some of Virginia's previous costumes from recent Halloweens.




















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

In honor of Virginia's costume, I offer a Halloween-appropriate excerpt from one of my favorite Holmesian stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" (1910):

I had hardly settled in my chair before I was conscious of a thick, musky odour, subtle and nauseous. At the very first whiff of it my brain and my imagination were beyond all control. A thick, black cloud swirled before my eyes, and my mind told me that in this cloud, unseen as yet, but about to spring out upon my appalled senses, lurked all that was vaguely horrible, all that was monstrous and inconceivably wicked in the universe. Vague shapes swirled and swam amid the dark cloud-bank, each a menace and a warning of something coming, the advent of some unspeakable dweller upon the threshold, whose very shadow would blast my soul. A freezing horror took possession of me. I felt that my hair was rising, that my eyes were protruding, that my mouth was opened, and my tongue like leather. The turmoil within my brain was such that something must surely snap. I tried to scream and was vaguely aware of some hoarse croak which was my own voice, but distant and detached from myself. At the same moment, in some effort of escape, I broke through that cloud of despair and had a glimpse of Holmes’s face, white, rigid, and drawn with horror—the very look which I had seen upon the features of the dead.

* Read the complete story of "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" here.
* Listen to an unabridged audio reading of the story here.

Comments

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I love the Virginia / Sherlock Holmes crossover quote :-)

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I love the Virginia / Sherlock Holmes crossover quote :-)

Me too!!!! And Virginia is simply adorable in that costume!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I thank you, and Virginia thanks you, too! :)

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Wonderful photos/costumes! Amazing what dogs will do for their humans (and treats)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Very true. If she knows treats are her payments, dear Virginia will put up with a lot of silliness from her humans.

[equusentric.livejournal.com]

That is fantastic! :D

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :D

[jan-u-wine.livejournal.com]

I dub her (vis a vis "The Woman")

The Dog

('as in "the only dog that matters"')*

*Sherlock, "A Scandal in Belgravia"

And insist that her trick or treat line must be: "the game is a-four-foot".

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

*bows to the master after laughing coffee through my nose*

You win. You win everything. Everything there is.

[penfold-x.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness, I didn't think it could get better than the Princess Leia costume, but this... this is genius! Your mother is amazingly talented. The fabric is perfect and the hat is utterly darling.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you!!! My mother is incredibly gifted. All she asked for was Virginia's latest measurements, and she came up with all of the rest of it, even the design for that brilliant deerstalker, on her own. I just adore it. Thanks for your kind words and for letting me share my delight with you!

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

That really is an amazing costume - really, really amazing.

Virginia looks gorgeous - as always.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much! Mother is an artist, she really is. I appreciate your kind words.

Virginia and I send lots of kisses to lovely Lacey!

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

Brilliant! What a cutie.

She's a better sport than I am, that's for sure!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

She is the most patient sweetheart, so forgiving of her silly humans - as long as the treats keep coming, LOL. Which they do, so it's all good. ;)

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

Oh thank you so much. Virginia makes a fantastic Sherlock. Also, reading along with your posts for the season. Thank you for those even though I don't comment very often/at all this year yet.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I'm delighted that you enjoy my seasonal posts. Thanks for sharing October with me.

And Virginia and I both really appreciate your kind words about her costume this year. ;)

[agameofthree.livejournal.com]

I always love the Virginia in Costume photos. :) Great one this year!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I thank you, and Virginia thanks you, too! :)

[starrchilde.livejournal.com]

You need to make your Mom a calendar with her in all her fantastic costumes! :}

[gods-lil-rocker.livejournal.com]

Brilliant idea!

[greenhoodloxley.livejournal.com]

That costume is so great! Your mom does a wonderful job! :)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I'm delighted that you think so, too! :D I appreciate it.

[abbie culbertson (from livejournal.com)]

Your mother is so brilliant!! She really did outdo herself! I love the yearly Virginia-in-costume post.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much, Abbie! I'm so tickled that you liked this. I look forward to posting Virginia's Halloween pictures every year. :)

[gods-lil-rocker.livejournal.com]

Totally adorable! And what a sweetie to let you dress her up like that! Our cats would strongly object. :)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! She is an incredibly good sport (and sweet soul). She's so patient with her silly humans.

By the way, I'm totally blaming you for my raging "Welcome to Night Vale" addiction. :) I'm loving it! I'll be posting on it soon. Thanks again for the tip.

How is your four-legged baby doing? Better, I hope!

[ellettra.livejournal.com]

Your dog is adorable! I came over from agameofthree and wanted to say hi and that I've added you! Go go Gryffindor. :)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much! :) She is our best friend and very precious to us. We don't take this for granted, either - this time last year she was going through chemotherapy after having colon surgery. I'm happy to say that just last month she tested (again) cancer-free and in very good health. We're so fortunate.

I love your autumn icon. Just beautiful.

I appreciate your kind words. And thanks for friending me, as well. Go go Gryffindor! :D

[witchcat07.livejournal.com]

That is an awesome doggie costume. And the quote is suitably creepy, though not one of Holmes's shining moments. "Hey, let's burn this strange powder which could be dangerous and see what happens." Definitely a scientist, him

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much!

Not one of his shining moments, indeed. At least he realized it's one thing to experiment on himself, and quite another to experiment on his best friend, too! (It was fortunate he did so, though - Watson saved the day!)

Definitely a scientist, him

You said it!

[roo2.livejournal.com]

That is really darling! She has quite an expressive face.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! :D I love taking photos of her (not just "in costume," but candid), because her face does convey so much. She says a lot with her eyes.

[febobe.livejournal.com]

I LOVE Virginia in costume. She looks even more adorabibble this year, assuming that's even possible. <3 <3 <3

Love ya, sweetie. Thank you for your posts. I always enjoy them so much, even though I don't always say a lot. <3

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

Icon love!

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

That is quite the costume! Extra Halloweeny scritches to the dear :)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Virginia thanks you, and so do I! :)

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Wow, Sherlock Holmes! Your mother has, indeed, outdone herself. And, of course, Virginia looks adorable!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you so much! :) Virginia thanks you too.

What a perfect (and adorable) icon!!!

[galwithglasses.livejournal.com]

Oh so right about much less scary than yesterday. Adorable with the perfect creed.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much! :) Virginia thanks you, too.

By the way, I thoroughly approve of your wonderful icon.

[ankh-hpl.livejournal.com]

Inedible? I am owned by a corgi. She does not accept this strange concept, "inedible." But the costume is adorable!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Inedible? I am owned by a corgi. She does not accept this strange concept, "inedible."

ROFLOL!!!

But the costume is adorable!

Thank you. Virginia thanks you, too!

[cookiefleck.livejournal.com]

Just saw the SH costume and have to quickly send my LOVE to your mom for such brilliance. Will get caught up w/LJ in general in the next week...

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you, my friend!!! It's a work of art, isn't it? The deerstalker... it's absolutely exquisite. Even knowing what Mother was up to, I still squealed out loud when I opened her package.

Thanks for sharing in my delight. :)

Am off to L-R's homecoming. (Virginia's going - I think she's convinced everyone comes just to pay respects to her, LOL.) I'll catch up on my replies to you shortly!

[trix middlekauff (from livejournal.com)]

Omg. that is so cute. I once dressed up my old white shepherd as a Dalmation using black construction paper dots, and last year my mix dog Franka (named after Franka Potente of Run, Lola, Run) went as a Catholic schoolgirl.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

I love the Dalmation costume idea, and I bet Franka was darling as a Catholic schoolgirl, LOL!