October Eve: Hurricane Ian

The big hurricane down here left me and my home completely unscathed, which was (pleasantly) surprising, given the severity of the storm. The same goes for most of my friends and family. 

I'm quite grateful... Almost one and a half million people are still without power in Florida, and at least 17 people were killed. The flooding I witnessed was biblical. 

While driving around yesterday morning, when the most dangerous winds and rain had ceased, I came across a house with a downed tree and a scarecrow. 

The fact that the house and its whimsical lawn ornament were spared the devastation filled me with Halloween warmth. It reminded me of the communal importance of Halloween, and the joy it can bring others during hard times. 

In an era of Halloween maximalism, let's not forget the simpler aspects of the holiday... Something I plan to touch on in a later post. 

Whether you're an all-out yard haunter or someone with a single porch pumpkin, your decorations are important; they fill like-minded Halloween enthusiasts with the spirit of the season.

And it's that like-mindedness,wordlessly shared between strangers, that makes Halloween such a special holiday. 

I'm not dead

(I'm getting better!)

Every year I forget how busy things get beginning in September. 

I apologize for the lack of content on the blog recently.  I've been working diligently on the haunt while also juggling my other personal-life priorities. Naturally, I've had to step away from regular blog posting in order to allocate my time effectively. 

However, I'll be drafting posts for the Countdown to Halloween 2022 blogging event, of which I am a Crypt Keeper. These posts will publish throughout October, leading up to the Big Night, so stay tuned to October Branches to catch those!

In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Instagram @tjalgahorn, where I have been posting photos and video snippets here and there. 

36 days until Halloween...

50 Days

It's been a hell of a week, and the pressure is on.  

Stairway

    Photo by @samhain_cemetery

Listening to: Apparition

Another great track from Ken Elkinson.  As the first song on his Halloween Ambient album, Elkinson draws the listener in with an almost windy and hollow instrumentation.  It is slow, and peaceful, but also eerie and mysterious.  The feeling of the song undulates between wonder and trepidation.

It's probably my favorite ambient album intro-song of all time.

Click below to listen...

Image source. (So chosen because this is pretty much exactly what I see when I hear this song)