My Life as Metaphor

 After a week of record rainfall and gloomy weather, the sky is blue and the sun is shining.  It's chilly, but at least we're not getting anymore rain at the moment.  After a summer of drought, we've had over seven inches of rain in October with 5+ just in the past week.  Yuck.  

Friday night Brad & I took my nephew, Dylan, up to the Middletown "Land of Illusion".  I had already gone up earlier in the Haunt season, but it's a tradition to take Dylan there as well.  I was glad to have the chance to go again.  We left as soon as Brad came home from work, so we were on the road by 6:30.  We arrived without getting lost (unusual) at 7:30 and by arriving early we were able to park in the lot next to the entrance.  If you go later in the evening, you're forced to park in the auxillary parking and walk the considerable distance.  

We immediately headed to the trail.  It's the most popular of the four haunts and the line is (potentially) the longest.  By arriving just after dark, our wait was a mere 20 minutes.  Dylan is twelve years old but he's grown up in our family -- so he's been exposed to this form of theatre from the cradle up.  I've directed a number of haunts and he's been our "plant" on more than one occasion.  So, while I saw older kids back out, he took it in stride.  Of course, he stayed firmly planted in the middle between Brad & I.  I noticed that he's reached that age where looking cool is synonymous with being cool.  

We made it through all four haunts in just two hours with a stop at the snack stand for hot dogs and a drink.  Our timing could not have been better.  When we started "Illusions" the moon was peaking out from the clouds, but as the evening progressed, the clouds thickened.  Just as we left, the rain started.  Most of the drive home was in a downpour.   We drove back to Kentucky & were relieved to see the rain had already quit as we stopped by the shop to see Matt.  Ordering pizza we watched an episode of MST3K which was completely beyond Dylan's cultural understanding.

Last night Matt & I went to, what is normally, our final haunt of the season.    Matt left work early and we crossed our fingers and hoped we'd get through the Heritage Village before the rain started again.  This is not a SCARY haunt.  It's old-fashioned and pays homage to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".  There's a headless horseman as well as other costumed characters traveling throughout the village.  Here's a snap of the headless horseman waiting to surprise a lady as she leaves one of the decorated houses.                                      




Houses are decorated just for peaking in the windows or there will be a scene inside where characters  talk about the perils of the headless horseman along with admonitions to "Watch Your Head!"



   
There's an al fresco movie shown on one of the houses!



Despite the sprinkles of rain (those aren't orbs) and the lack of light, isn't this pretty and quintessentially Halloween-ish?

                                                                         
Lanterns light the way down the darkened streets of Heritage Village.                                                                                                  

   

                                                               Here's the haunted train station.  
 
Finally, here's a poor snap that shows one of my favorite stops in the Village.  A witch recites spooky poems to her audience.  





I always wait to hear my favorite Halloween Poem.  My Mother always read this to us during the haunting season and it never ceased to fill me with fear and delight!

LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE

by: James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)

INSCRIBED WITH ALL FAITH AND AFFECTION

 

To all the little children: -- The happy ones; and sad ones;
The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones;
The good ones -- Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones.

 

ITTLE Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,

An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,

An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,

An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;

An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,

We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun

A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,

An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 

Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,--

An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,

His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,

An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all!

An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,

An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess;

But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout:--

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 

An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,

An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin;

An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,

She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!

An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,

They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,

An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 

An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,

An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!

An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,

An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--

You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,

An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,

An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,

Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

 Here's a link that has an interesting tidbit about the author.