Friday the 13th

 

 

State of the Haunt

 
At this time, the haunt is safely ensconced in my garage where it has been since I brought it home.

One of the least enjoyable things about living in Oregon, at least during late Fall/early Winter, is the weather. Lots of rain which is pretty much the norm for the season right through to late Spring. This Winter, however, it's been unusually cold. December saw record snowfalls in our part of Oregon which didn't help matters any, though it was fun for the kids. The cold also makes it exceptionally difficult to do anything in the garage. I'm a California boy and space-heaters only go so far up here. Not to mention the fact that most prop work (i.e. the use of adhesives, paints, etc.) doesn't exactly mix well with closed doors and space heaters. And, as I don't own stock in PGE, I can't exactly leave the doors open. So, suffice it to say, not much has or can be done during the Winter months. At least in the garage.

I'm still debating trying to negotiate for some workspace inside the house. I could probably swing it, but there's not that much room and far too many distractions to work comfortably upstairs. So, I'm relatively OK with waiting until March or April to start working in the garage. At least during the day. Nights still get pretty cold during Spring here.

But enough about what hasn't been done yet or why. Let's move on to the meat of it.

The Story of Miss Rose:

As heard on the Hauntcast episode or, better still, seen in SkullAndBone's haunt video, "The Story of Miss Rose", the theme of the haunt is essentially a ghost story. To paraphase...a lot, Miss Rose is a young school-teacher awaiting the arrival of her beau. She becomes lost and, distraught and forlorn, collapses in a dark forest. The local townspeople come across her body and, believing her dead, entomb her in a crypt with her locket and bell. And, as the story goes...

But just as the latch
Of the stone crypt door fell
No one heard the faint tinkling
Or the weak muffled yell

The sound was too slight
Lost in the mourners cries
Aghast in the darkness
Miss Rose opened her eyes

Her deep forlorn slumber
Alas sealed her doom
Awake now in horror
Interred in a tomb

She rang her bell screaming
Yet no help did 'rive
Her worst nightmare realized
To be buried... ALIVE

On nights just like this one
So the townspeople say
When the fall air is crisp
And the wind blows this way

If you quiet your breathing
And listen a spell
You can still hear the sound
Of Miss Rose and her bell

And so, each Halloween the 'ghost' of Miss Rose, as played by Rob's wife, would haunt the cemetery while a recorded narration played in the background. Rob himself, as well as some friends, would play the ghosts of the 'townspeople/mourners'. All this among the beautiful props, lighting and atmosphere that Rob so wonderfully created.

In my opinion it was a spooky ghost story and, at it's heart, a tragic love story that echoed, though wonderfully twisted, the real-life love story of Rob and his wife. Hence, her playing Miss Rose. It's a beautifully crafted tale and beautifully executed with all the elements that make a really great haunt. A good story and excellent presentation. Which is why it was so highly regarded. This was art. It was tasteful, well thought out and, above all, eerie and atmospheric.

And now it's come to me. (Insert doom music here)

More in the next post.
 

What's Going On

 
A friend reminds me that I've been less than diligent about keeping this blog up-to-date on what I've been doing lately and what, if any, plans I have for the haunt. I thought I'd correct that oversight. I have been busy and I do have plans.

Let me begin by saying that the response to the story of how I acquired Miss Rose has been exceptionally great and has truly warmed the cockles of my black little heart. Lots of folks, including fellow haunters whose work I respect and admire, have had nothing but nice things to say about the story. I am very grateful and I truly appreciate all the kind words. Thank you all.

On the flip side, it's also brought about a fair amount of attention which, as cool as it's been, has taken a little getting used to. This includes a featured story on the very first episode of Hauntcast and mentions in several blogs including one of my very favorites, Pumpkinrot's. It's weird, and thrilling, to see or hear your name in something you and many others read or listen to all the time. It can be a little daunting. Hopefully I'll be able live up to some this attention. Though, mostly, it's been even more inspiring. My thanks again for that.

So after receiving the haunt and the response that followed, I figured I should have some kind of web presence as I know there are some people who are interested in both Rob's work on Miss Rose and what will become of it in my hands. Also, just to be able to share with the many that have inspired me what their inspiration hath wrought.

Having not had a presence on the web in about 7 or 8 years, I felt the easiest and quickest way to get back to it was to create a blog with the intention that it would become a 'part' of a future web domain. Kind of an ass-backwards approach for me as I am more of a visuals person than a writer (obviously). I never really intended for it to be a daily kind of thing as there are far better blogs out there for that. Personally there are several that I follow or check nearly every day. I intended to keep mine pretty much HB/Rose-specific and, hopefully, post once a week or so and keep folks abreast of how the haunt was progressing.

A quick backstory pertaining to my web background. Back in the late 90's I created and operated a short-lived free web-goodies (graphics, wavs, midis, etc) non-domain site called 'Tomb of Fear'. I had been a fan of other sites like Kevin Greggain's 'Night Gallery', Carrie Carolin's 'Dark Side of the Net' and Chad Savage's early work on 'Sinister Visions'. These were the inspiration for me to learn how to do web design and graphics, not that I ever got very good at it. In 2001, right around the time CSS and improved web-coding were being implemented and after several computers went down the tubes, I kind of got tired of playing keep-up-with-joneses and upgrading every six-months and I dropped it all. I switched to laptops and became just a lookie-loo. Fortunately, that seems to be less of a concern these days as hardware and software seem to have a little longer lifespan. So I'm back on a desktop and trying to catch up. But, I digress.

Essentially, I've been brushing up on my web skills and getting a presence out there so people can keep track of the haunt and it's progress. Most notably Blogger and social networking sites like MySpace, HauntSpace and Garage of Evil. I also still post occasionally on HauntForum though I've never been a prolific poster anyway. I've also admittedly gotten a little sidetracked as I've most recently been tweaking another friend's peripheral sites. It's something I enjoy doing and has lit a fire under my butt to maybe get some classes under my belt to learn how to do it better. We'll see how that goes.

In the coming weeks, I plan to get a domain up and running and then maintain a minimal presence on the 'social networking' sites. The blog will remain and I'll be using it as I orginally intended to. I'm debating about keeping it on Blogger or using WordPress. I'm curious to check that out. Again, we'll see how that goes.

So there's what I've been doing. It's been fun and I've met some really cool people since all this happened. As I've said, I can only hope to inspire some as so many have inspired me.

In case you haven't noticed, I procrastinate and get easily distracted. LOL. I will try to do better. =)

More in the next post. Thanks for reading.
 

And Now Your Host...

 

"Don't stay up late. It's not worth it."

Bob Wilkins
1932-2009

Of course, it absolutely was worth it. Growing up in Northern California during the early 1970's, "Creature Features" was my introduction to Horror movies and the TV Horror Host. With his trademark cigar, skull candle, dry sense of humor and deadpan delivery as he skewered the less-than-stellar features being presented, he made staying up late Saturday nights and "sneak-watching" that much more satisfying. He was always about the films and the genre rather than glorifying himself as the host. His show was a major influence on my childhood and he will be remembered and missed.

Blog Wilkins

The Official Bob Wilkins Site
 

A Scary Christmas to all...

 


...and to all a Good Fright!
 

Frightful

 




Just a few pics I took today after a rather substantial snowfall. I rather like how the snow looks on a few of my trees, especially the bare spindly ones. And I love how it covers the bigger conifers and makes the branches appear much more vein-like. You can even see the collateral damage on the front window from the morning's first snowball fight. And, of course, my tiny pumpkins dusted with snow and huddled together against the cold.

Being from California and living in Oregon for only 3 years, I still get a little thrill from seeing my house and yard covered in snow. While snow in Oregon occurs fairly frequently, it very rarely makes it down to my elevation on the valley floor. Nor is it usually this heavy. These shots were taken in the morning and it continued snowing well into the early evening.

I'm happily entrenched by the fireplace soaking up the warmth and it looks like the kids are going to get a few extra days off from school before Christmas vacation starts next week.

I'm sure they'll get over it.
 

Hauntcast Goes Live

 


The inaugural podcast from the good folks over at Hauntcast.net is now live for your listening pleasure.

The concept of a podcast "for home haunters by home haunters" has been a long time coming. Having listened to it a number of times now, and though a smidge rough around some edges, I think the future looks very bright for DJ Chris Baker and his cohorts, Revenant and Johnny Thunder. They will definately be giving the more established, though not that much more polished, industry-related podcasts a run for their money. I can certainly relate to it more being a home haunter myself.

I'm honored to have been included, along with Rob of SkullAndBone, as a featured part of the 'Maiden Voyage' of Hauntcast. Revenant's "News From Beyond" Holiday-themed news segment about "The Tale of Two Cities" really captured the essence of our story and the spirit of the holidays. While we weren't recorded for broadcast, I truly enjoyed my conversation with Revenant and hearing his thoughtful take on the story. It's surely something I will never forget.

My thanks to them for including Rob and I, and for giving us all a great premiere. My best wishes go out to Chris and his crew for continued success with the show.

Click the banner at the top of this post to stream it or download it and listen at your leisure.

Enjoy.
 

Priceless

 


Truck & trailer rental and gas:
$900

Round trip Portland, OR to San Luis Obispo, CA:
1,700 miles

Total drive time over three days:
31 hours

Coming home with one of the greatest yard haunts ever by one of the classiest, most generous haunters ever:

Priceless.
 

Meet the Kreeps

My son and I with one of our newest family members from our trip to pick up SkullAndBone's Miss Rose haunt.

A Haunter's Tale

 
As some of my fellow haunters may, or may not, be aware, this past Halloween, Rob at SkullAndBone.com made the decision to end the renowned Miss Rose yard haunt that he has so wonderfully crafted over the past 5+ years.

I know a good many people have found his haunt and website to be a great source of inspiration, education and anticipation. Myself very much included. But, he felt it was time to move on to other endeavours.

Rob, being the classy guy that he is, made another decision. He didn't just end the haunt. Incredibly, he sought to pass it on. Preferrably to another haunter. At first he thought to sell it. I can't speak to whether or not he got any offers for the entire haunt, but, apparently, he was approached by some only to acquire a few props and things. He even had one guy act like he was doing Rob a favor by taking the haunt off his hands. Obviously, a less than learned soul. Well, he couldn't stand to see it scattered to the four winds, being sold off piecemeal or disappearing into a larger, already established haunt.

Then, astoundingly, I saw this from Rob responding to another member of the HauntForum...

"I am less concerned about selling props than I am about finding a good home. I have a couple mails out to a few close friends, but I am still looking for the perfect home for the entire haunt. Frankly, for the right haunter, I will be happy to pass along the entire haunt for free."

Insert many excited expletives here. A great many.

After some very brief consideration and calculation, I knew I had to at least attempt acquiring Miss Rose.

So enamored am I of their work, that I tend to regard some haunters as near celebrities. Naturally, some are more approachable than others. Also, having not really communicated with many other haunters pertaining to actual haunting, I was feeling a little trepidation. But, I took a chance, wrote from the heart and fired off an email to Rob.

I won't post the entire email here as this is a long enough story already, but, essentially, I expressed my admiration for the beauty and craft of his haunt. I included some of my personal background and my history with haunting. How, whether through lack of venue, budgetary concerns, or raising a family, it was difficult to start an entire haunt from scratch. How I was more of a detail guy and needed a palette from which to work, allowing me to concentrate on things on a somewhat smaller scale. And, finally, how I would be privileged and honored to carry on the legacy of the Miss Rose haunt.

The following evening, I heard back from Rob.

He was very gracious and appreciative of my admiration and enthusiasm for the haunt. He mentioned that he very much liked the idea of Miss Rose spawning a brand new haunt, and was lamenting it possibly being folded into another larger haunt. Moreover, my timeline seemed to coincide perfectly with his, as the haunt was still up. Perfect. Things were looking good. So, Rob asked to sleep on it and he would let me know of his decision Thursday morning. I made my plans, just in case, and waited for the good word to hopefully come. Friday morning, that good word came.

Rob said that, with a few minor stipulations, he would be very happy for my family to have the entire Miss Rose haunt. The stipulations were three. I had to take it all (not even remotely a problem), I had to pick it up that weekend (fortune favored the foolish) and, if I ever get tired of it, I have to pass it on to someone else (not likely for awhile, but I definately appreciated the sentiment).

Well, I was beyond ecstatic! Talk about a thrill of a lifetime. And the sheer generosity of Rob to just give the haunt away. Especially to someone he didn't even know. Simply amazing. I had never spoken to Rob before that day. And it's not like he was giving away store bought props. This was art. And some artists tend to be very proprietary about their work. So, to me, it was like Da Vinci saying, "Sure, you-a can-a have-a dat-a painting of-a da smiling-a girl." Close enough to that anyway. Needless to say, I was beyond grateful and honored and I couldn't wait to get down there.

We got a truck and trailer Friday morning, packed up and left late Friday night. We live about 20 miles southwest of Portland, Oregon. We drove all night and arrived in San Francisco, CA about 12 hours later. We stayed at my mother-in-law's house Saturday night and my son and I left early-ish Sunday morning and drove south about 3½ hours to just north of San Luis Obispo, CA.

We arrived there about noon-ish and I finally saw, in person, what I had only seen in pictures. One of my very favorite yard haunts in all it's spooky glory. And I was very pleasantly surprised to see that it looked as good during the day as it did at night. AWESOME! Beyond awesome.

Then I saw how much there actually was to the haunt. Uh oh. Shades of Roy Scheider: "We're gonna need a bigger boat". I needn't have worried as it all ended up fitting just fine.

It was a genuine pleasure meeting Rob and his wife, the lovely 'Miss Rose' herself. I brought them a bottle of Pinot Noir, from an Oregon vineyard, that was described as being "complicated by rose" and a jug of Oregon-brewed "Dead Guy" ale. They were very gracious and thankful. As was I. I'm sure my lingering thanks and endless praise are still caking the walls of their house.

A quick sidenote, they have an awesome house for haunting. It's a Historical Preservation Society 1912 Colony House with lots of exterior moulding and shutters. That house was built to haunt. As Rob himself said, "It came pre-haunted". Now she's going to a 1980 Crackerjack Box. Heh.

We hung around for awhile shooting the breeze. Rob revealed a few of his secrets and insights and we generally talked haunting and Rose's history with them. It was really cool. He's a very nice guy with lots of talent and creative energy. For my part, I could hang with the guy all the time. He's got a friend for life in Oregon, that's for sure.

Finally, we set about tearing it all down and stuffing 10 pounds of haunt into an 8 pound bag. With Rob's experience at packing it all away, we made fairly short order of it. Though, next time, I must remember to bring enough damn rope. As we were loading, he had a few friends and neighbors drive by, noticing the truck and U-Haul and asking what was going on. Suffice it to say, for opposing reasons, the both of us are going to have some pretty shocked neighbors next Halloween. I felt a little bad for his, depriving them of such a treasured landmark. But only a little. Heh.

Alas, the time came for us to depart. After a few photos and many more thank you's, we said our goodbyes and headed back to San Francisco with Miss Rose in tow. We stayed in SF that night and left early Monday morning for Oregon. We arrived back home late Monday night where my son and I unloaded all that wonderous haunted goodness. Not five minutes after we closed the garage door, it started to rain. The fates, it seems, were on our side for once.

Come the next morning, my younger kids finally got to see what Daddy a-brung home. Talk about bug-eyed surprise. It was really neat to see their reaction. They were almost as excited as I am. Almost.

Epilogue:

I know this was an exceptionally long post to read.

But, to me anyway, it's such a unique occurrence and experience that I felt compelled to share it as close to how it happened as possible. To appreciate and admire something from afar that took countless hours to create and then have it become mine through sheer generosity and willingness to share is something that I will never forget. It is a rare thing in this world.

I also believe that this story is a shining example of the intent of the HauntForum founder(s) and the haunting community in general. The willingness, even desire, to share ideas and knowledge and to celebrate our love of Halloween and the creative spirit. To be around others of like mind and find joy in their triumphs and commiserate in their less-than-successful undertakings.

So there you have it, friends. The tale of the passing of SkullAndBone's Miss Rose Haunt Torch. I am ecstatic, ever grateful and, most of all, excited about Rose's future with us.

And, as always, my profound and undying respect and gratitude to Rob at SkullAndBone for this beyond amazing privilege and gift. I've never met a classier guy and I'm proud to call him a friend. You rule the pool, brother.

As for the Miss Rose haunt itself, it may change in form, but, thanks to one haunter's generosity and another haunter's enthusiasm...

It will live on.

And perhaps, one day, another new haunter will have their own tale to tell.