Greetings from Scout! As if a black cat isn’t already pretty cool on Halloween, I sometimes call him Batcat.
Here he is all dolled up for the holiday in his bat wings.
I especially like the clasp at his throat.
Truth be told, Scout hates wearing costumes. He luckily has a great imagination and I suspect he thinks he’s a bat every time he bares his little fangs.
Happy Halloween!
Yesterday took me to Columbus for some antiquing and for a stroll around Franklin Park Conservatory.
It was surprisingly quiet at Franklin Park and I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the facility and grounds in search of the colors and textures of this season.
This is one of my favorite trees in the world but it’s especially beautiful right now.
They do a great job with colorful outdoor exhibits that can be enjoyed by day and by night when they are lit for a family friendly Halloween event.
There are a couple of pumpkin houses – one made for the small fry and the other big enough for grown ups.
There’s an extensive model railroad with a variety of trains and village pieces tucked into the landscaping.
And lots of pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns.
Plus, there are some fun Halloween decorations here and there.
This is a safe space to explore with your kids, a lovely spot to meander with your own thoughts and a beautiful place to stroll and catch up with a friend.
I spent most of my time outside yesterday but there’s a lot to see inside too. Want to learn more? Click here to visit their website.
I forgot to share Scout’s Halloween picture. He hated the hat but was surprisingly cool with the cape. He knows how to rock a great costume with the confidence of a model on a catwalk.
Here’s his other costume. He liked this one better because it didn’t require a hat that covered up his nice ears. He really does make a nice Batcat!
Happy Saturday, friends. Go forth and enjoy this day.
I slammed on my breaks in downtown Chillicothe on Halloween morning last October.
This was outside the Chillicothe Antique Emporium on Main Street. It is possibly the most terrifying thing I’ve seen in broad daylight. It really doesn’t get much scarier than clowns and this one appears to be welcoming guests into a portal to another dimension.
No, I did not go inside.
Here’s one more closer look. You can also see it in person as they’re using it again this fall!
Yikes. Happy Halloween!!
It’s time to tell the fourth and final story from the Chillicothe Ghost Walk. My last stop on the tour was at an antique store called Porch Swing Days. That’s the business that occupies this building now but it’s an extremely old building that has served many purposes over the decades.
For some years it housed a business that sold tin like you find on ceilings in old buildings. In fact, the ceiling in here is gorgeous. Many folks remember it as a candy store too. Today it is a neat store that specializes in a good selection of primitive antiques and reproductions.
Our guide related stories about former business owners who still visit in the afterlife and about an elderly woman who she witnessed working at a Hoosier cabinet in the corner they very morning. The guide said the apparition wasn’t impressed with having a guest in her space while she was busy working.
The best thing about these tours is that you get access into areas that the public ordinarily never sees. In this case, we got to see the basement.
Before the ghost tour they bring in someone who visits each stop and attempts to communicate with any ghosts present. This person said that this is one of the most haunted places in Chillicothe.
She related a story about a man with a broken leg associated with the building’s old coal bin. She also mentioned two men who claimed to be guarding a portal of some sort. This comment freaked out the other people on the tour but I found it intriguing. There’s actually an underground tunnel in this old section of Chillicothe. I don’t know how extensive it is or where it goes but I got to see a tunnel entrance in the basement at the Crosskeys Tavern a couple of years ago. I suspect that this storefront is part of the tunnel system.
The only thing that I experienced that day that was even remotely unexplainable occurred in this basement. There supposedly is a woman down there who is alone and scared and who presented herself to the ghost hunter, smelling strongly of a floral perfume.
I smelled the perfume. Strongly. So strongly that I badly wanted to cough. And then it was gone. I don’t mean the scent faded. I mean it disappeared as quickly as it occurred.
So weird.
Anyway, if you ever get a chance to do the Chillicothe Ghost Walk, I highly recommend it. The cost is just $10. You go at your own pace and get a guided tour at each of the sites. You get a lot of history and some fun stories and it’s good use of a Saturday as we enter the spooky season.
You can search to find the other stories I’ve written about this year’s tour. The other stops were the old county jail, the Majestic Theater and the current Masonic Lodge.
Last year on Halloween I was out wandering around doing my usual Saturday thing when I came upon something that caused me to slam on the brakes.
Here it is.
This private residence in all its spectacular over-the-top Halloween glory is situated across the street from the Rite Aid in Hillsboro, Ohio.
Isn’t it fabulous?
Oddly enough, no one else seemed to be paying any attention. I’m assuming this is an annual tradition given the extent of the decorations, the creativity and presumed cost involved in making this macabre display.
Honestly, Halloween isn’t really my holiday but I couldn’t get enough of it.
These horses were pulling a hearse.
It’s a lot to look at and I’m guessing the neighbors aren’t super thrilled but I bet it’s fabulous after dark.
Make the Journey Fun 