I will be the first to admit, Halloween is my favorite holiday. No, not because of the gobs of candy my daughter brings home (and I steal), but because it gives me the chance to scare the crap out of people.

Yes, my house was always the one in the neighborhood that kids either a) couldn't wait to visit, or b) were too scared to visit. I would have parents lined up on the sidewalk taking pictures of the house while at the same time trying to convinced their terrified toddler to go get some candy.

I would take the day off from work just to decorate my house.

My goal every year was to have some teenager - too old to be trick-or-treating anyways - be afraid to come up the walk. And every year I succeeded.

And it wasn't just the decorations - we had sound effects, lighting effects and interactivity (OK, that was me wandering around the yard dressed up as a ghoul, serial killer or zombie, but hey, I interacted with visitors).

But driving around Sioux Falls, I am amazed at how few houses are decorated. And those that are went for those ridiculous inflatable decorations that, by law, should only be used at Christmas.

This isn't limited to just Sioux Falls mind you. I just moved here from Indianapolis a year ago, and ours was only 1 of 2 houses decorated to scare in my neighborhood in the Hoosier state.

I remember as a kid there would be dozens of scary houses you were always hesitant to walk up to, always expecting something, or someone to jump out.

Today, you gut an inflatable pumpkin the size of a VW Bug.

It's sad really. Outside of Christmas this is the one time we can turn our houses into horrific eyesores and not have the local neighborhood homeowners association send you a nasty note.

So what do you think - is decorating your house for Halloween a lost art? Post your comment or thought below or on this station's Facebook page.

By the way, here's what my house in Indy looked like the last time I decorated it. I had to take the pictures during the day, so it looses something without the strobe lights, fog machine and sounds of people screaming!

Halloween Decorations
Anthony Wright/KSOO-AM - Looks better at night with the effects going.
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Halloween Decorations
Anthony Wright/KSOO-AM - I actually brought in dirt to create the raised graves.
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Halloween Decorations
Anthony Wright/KSOO-AM - The 'fence' I found at a dump site and modified for my needs. The 'tree' behind the tombstone I 'recovered' after a wind storm.
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Halloween Decorations
Anthony Wright/KSOO-AM - Yes, I know, disturbing, but also the most photographed element. A nice mix of spaghetti, Kayo syrup and food dye. The one thing missing in the picture, which I added later was the giant spider eating his head.
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Halloween Decorations
Anthony Wright/KSOO-AM - Meet Melvin, the porch spider. His eyes glowed in the dark.
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Halloween Decorations
Anthony Wright/KSOO-AM
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Halloween Decorations
Anthony Wright/KSOO-AM
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Halloween Decorations
Anthony Wright/KSOO-AM - Yes, my wife spent the night 'webbed' to the chair and could only move one hand in order to give out candy.
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