Headline: Ghouls Spotted Around Gardner

It is Halloween week and scary movies and haunted houses are right up my alley, so we decided to join in the fun.  At the last minute the decision was made to go on a haunted hayrack ride in Custer Park, sponsored by the local fire department.  We heard from someone who lives in the area that this was not as scary as the haunted house in one of the surrounding towns and given that we had a 7-year old and a 9-year old in tow, this seemed to be the best choice.

Eight of us piled onto the hayrack for a one-mile ride out to a haunted barn, with ghouls and zombies popping up along the way.  The youngest two in the family decided during the ride out into the country that the haunted barn was not for them and many tears ensued.  When we arrived at our destination, everyone decided to take the plunge but unfortunately my brother and sister-in-law spent their time soothing frightened children as they wound their way through the pitch-black maze of 13 separate rooms in the barn.  Terry and I led the way and I had to admit that it was well done and given my claustrophobic nature, feeling my way through a black maze with monsters and other creepy-looking creatures appearing at many of the turns was a little startling at times.  The kids made it through and both decided it wasn’t so bad after all.  Always easier to say this after the fact, isn’t it!

My friend Villa and I joined my brother and sister-in-law, Alan and Traci, for a Halloween party at one of the local pubs.  Terry offered to stay behind and babysit the kids.  Villa and I did not dress in costume but enjoyed watching everyone parade through the bar in their most creative Halloween garb. Costumes were judged at the end of the evening, and although I am biased, I believe my brother Alan  should have received the male prize.  So many of his friends did not even recognize him in costume!

This is one of those times when removing the “red eyes” in a photo just doesn’t make sense!

Terry had his own costume judging contest to deal with back at the house.  The oldest nephew Seth and niece Paige decided to paint their faces and be judged. What was a good uncle to do but declare the contest a tie!

Prior to the entire town turning into zombies and other creepy looking characters, we were able to visit the school where our niece Paige and nephew Blake attend, where they proudly showed us their classrooms.

On Halloween day the grade school kids participated in a parade, complete with costumes. Terry was able to snap a few shots of the kids as they strolled by.

And the cutest of them all, Traci’s nephew Ty.

Halloween night and the kids are ready to hit the neighborhoods and get all “sugared up”.  We learned it has been a tradition for the moms to get out the golf carts and take the little ones trick-or-treating so Villa and I hopped on to experience a neighbor’s haunted house (much toned down from the previous trip).

As we pulled away I remembered that I was in charge of making the soup for dinner that night.  Since that wasn’t happening, I quickly ran back to instruct Terry to “make the soup”.  Well, really that was all the instruction I gave him.  His response was, “you’re kidding, right?”, to which I responded, “no, make the soup”, as I quickly ran back to the golf cart. Luckily he knew there was a recipe sitting in the kitchen and I had set aside the ingredients but that was all he had to go on. We didn’t know what to expect when we got back.  We might be going out for pizza.

We arrived at the neighbor’s haunted house and luckily it was “kid rated” so no tears this time!

We arrived back at the house a short time later, and guess what, soup’s on!  Nice job Terry!