Spooktacular Weekend

Decided at the last minute to hitch a ride up to North Carolina with daughter #2 to visit daughter #1 and party with the grandkids over All Hallow's Eve.  Let me tell you, Halloween ain't what it used to be.  But first, I guess I should share that I live in a pretty secluded house at the end of a sparsely populated street and therefore, rarely get any trick-or-treaters at my door.  Now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time a goblin visited my abode during what is becoming America's most rapidly growing holiday, (I always thought a holiday meant a day off work.) one that's beginning to rival Christmas for sales of junk and New Year's Eve for partying in the streets.

I really didn't realize the full truth of that last statement until this past weekend.  Daughter #2 lives in a fairly new development, one of nice homes and an active homeowners association that organizes community events that bring neighbors together.  Halloween is such an event.  While not sponsored by the association per se, all of the residents agree to work together to make it a real event for the kids and a party for the adults.  It was the perfect trick-or-treat fest with hundreds of spooks of all kinds parading throughout the neighborhood collecting treats that were mostly goodies from health conscious parents.

Our crew (4 grandkids and friends) ready for action.

Some people are simply over the top.  This is the morning-after shot and doesn't begin to illustrate the full extent of this place.  Man-made fog, lights, characters in costume jumping out at the tricksters.  A tunnel with a dead man rising from a coffin.  Hundreds of spooky characters, cob webs, tombstones and colored lights.  The kids loved it, and I must say, so did I, but I can't imagine even beginning to duplicate it.  The owner told me it took he and his family 40-hours over three days to erect it.

I couldn't resist a day in the mountains and the fall colors.  Had some beautiful shots to share with you but an evil flash card ate most all of them.  This is from the top of Morrow Mountain State Park just east of Charlotte.

A B&B I ran across in Ansonville, NC, a pretty little town near the Uwharrie National Forest and Morrow Mountain Park.