Happy Halloween! 3 days left til Halloween! Day 2 of the Haunt!

YaHoo!!!

It WORKED!

My vision came true...the haunt was a HIT!!

Was it all worth it? Yes and No. More Yes than No.

The expected crowd [by me only] never happened. Thank You to the hockey game that just had to happen that night! This town is a real hockey town! Oh, by the way...it's hockey draft night tonight...being held by a local club as a fund raiser! Oh well...

Hopefully there will be a better haunt attendance tonight!

But the approx 185 people that did go through last night...none were disappointed!

I made sure to periodically ask the ones stand outside, talking about what just happened to them, whether they enjoyed it or not and what was their favorite moments. The usual reaction was everyone talking at once and hard to understand with all their excitement! Very gratify for my ego!

All loved it! Everywhere!

The day started out pretty hectic. I managed to get 5 creatures made before PoD arrived and the busy moving started. We managed to get everything together and make my 11:00 appointment.

The final step to making my hair WHITE!

Yup...that was my stupid moment! Most people don't take the words "lighten up" literally! So why did I?

I felt it was time to do something drastic and maybe fun! Well I did the drastic...and we'll see about the fun!

Sure got a lot of good stares! I bet they thought it was a wig...sure feels like one. I have to get used to the stiff feeling dying your hair makes it feel like. You know...one step down from straw!

What's done is done!

Getting back to the haunt:
Our group Pod, the minions and me, finally got our act together [dressed] and got to the haunt to set-up the lights and sound. Wilma was busy moving in the water, coolers and food [yummy stuff that she prepared...especially the cookies] and looking as frazzled as we felt.

A BIG THANK YOU TO WILMA for all the work that she did on making this haunt run. Without her there would have been NO WORKERS! No workers mean No Scares! A DULL HAUNT! So... THANK YOU...WILMA! YOUR THE GREATEST!

FINALLY STARTING TIME! We started at 7:04 and the final group that went through was at 10:00.

Not bad...3 hours!

Not bad...if it hadn't of been so HOT in there! Opening windows helped some and they did shut off the heat. But when you get that many bodies together it gets hotter and hotter! Need more fans!

It didn't help that I was doing a lot of running around during that time...getting my scares in where I could. My job was to trouble shoot areas that needed extra scares and make sure things stayed together. Only one wall fell exposing an unimportant area so it didn't need repairing. Did a lot of stair climbing and my heart felt great!

PoD manned [womanned] the start of the haunt, which also controls the speed and timing. She did a great job! I spelled her off for a bit and I found it very hard to do! She's got to communicate to the other levels on what's going on...did I mention that I hate headphones! With so many excited people, waiting to go through, makes hearing on phones near impossible! Good job PoD!

The minions stayed with PoD until I found a place where they could be safe in the haunt and that's where they learned how to scare...properly!

They had a blast!

They were in an area where Conman and Funny Lady [who came in costume/make-up...which looked great!] could see to their safety. Conman actual started calling them the "Evil Midgets"!

One lady was so upset by the fact that we might have midgets in there? She wanted him to confirm that they were just children? Can we say what...!

One of the "Evil Midgets...JD, has a gas problem and we always have tell him to not let-go in enclosed areas [public]...just because he's so deadly!

I was able to enjoy a comment made by a "Victim" and had a hard time to keep from laughing out loud! What happened was...

A young group had just passed JD and he stayed very still. So they thought he was just another "dummy"! They had to stop and wait for another group, that were emerging from where they had to go to next, when one of them pointed to JD and said "there's a rotten smell coming from that "dummy" over there! Ewwww....!

I had to leave! Way to go JD!!

AJ had fun screaming along with the "Victims"!

I taught them to scream just like they have just been scared themselves and that it would make others scream with them and it worked. Both kids found their own places and made up their own scares...moving around lots! I only wished I'd put them in sooner! I asked both of them later in the car ride home if they had fun or not. Both had a blast and both were very ready for bed! AJ did say that her throat was a little sore from screaming but didn't mind. Way to GO KIDS...LOVE YA!!

I don't think we have to worry about counseling...they're TRUE HAUNTERS! Good genes!

Thank You Conman and Funny Lady for watching out for our "Evil Midgets"! Adult sometimes strike out when their scared and they hit hard! Accidents happen so...thank you for watching over them! "Evil Midgets" can get pretty excited!

Every area that I visited was well manned and screams were heard all over the building...even outside [windows open]!

A BIG THANK YOU TO THE WORKERS!! A DULL HAUNT WITHOUT YOU!

One of my brothers [Tank] is attending to night and will be helping to man the haunt! Him, his wife "SewLady" and some of grandkids are coming with him and they are driving all the way from Devon [AB] to do this!
He's being trying to get to come and see this crazy thing that I do but halloween always fell on a week day.

I've asked Mother Nature to help out and make their journey safe! So far so good!

They will be arriving around noon sometime and will take in the haunt in the daylight and do yard decor touring [little that they are] while here. Him and his family always put on a fantastic yard display [we're the only halloween weirdos in the family] and are the hit of Devon. This year he said will be they're last and they plan on moving their haunt stuff to the museum and run it there...great idea!

So today will be mainly checking haunt, replacing batteries and making repairs....so see you at the haunt!

Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 4 days left til spooky day. IT'S HERE!! FINALLY!!!!

HAUNT DAY!

NO! I'M NOT READY....never really expected to be! I'm known for decorating right up until curtain time!

I managed to sleep in until 4:49 am this morning. I awoke actually feel like I have some energy...don't know where that came from?

Did something drastic to myself yesterday and went to bed feeling pretty stupid about it!
I won't say what it is until the final results are in...the finishing steps are today at 11:00! Too late to turn back now! I don't like it right now and hopefully not regret my decision later...PoD keeps telling me to lighten up and live a little!

This morning I am creating creatures to man the haunt.
The wire frames have been standing waiting to be dressed in their outfits. I built these frames earlier in the year and was waiting to make them into "Mud Creatures" when I got the time, which never happened. So now they will just be dressed and not made permanent like "Creepy Hollow" is. I'll do that in my spare time [?] later.
I've already made 6 and they are waiting in position to do their jobs and I have to put together 5 more together this morning. Hopefully I will have time to make more...LOL?

The only things left to do today is: make & put creatures in their places, print-out & pin past photos to display screen at entrance, set up signing table with guest book/pens, set-up admission table, figure out how to make a waiting line for the customers, see that the pop/water machine is full and if there is more stock, open windows, bring and position fans, check all lights/cords, check out taped walls to make sure they are still up...put up if down, test out sound [has a tendency not to work in the courtroom...must be the ghosts], bring coolers for ice/water for the workers, paint glow-in-dark directional arrows on walls in mine shaft #3 [custodial quarters]

...I'm sure I forgot something?

....Why am I wasting time talking to you guys...

Times awasting....!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 5 days til Halloween! Haunt starts tomorrow night!!
Final found the "who cares any more" attitude!
Maybe because I'm not feeling too perky right now. Hopefully it's just because I am pretty tired and this old [as PoD keeps reminding me] body doesn't need any more exercise! Can't imagine having to look after children like PoD has to right now! Thankfully she's young [as I keep reminding her] and should have more stamina than me. We only have some touch-ups left and checking of taped walls [which 2 had to be repaired last night] as the heat softens the glue on tape.
Definitely dragging butt right now!
If I haven't said it enough...THANK YOU...POD!!
To all you out there...if it wasn't for her help this haunt wouldn't of happened!!
She might be a pain at times but then who isn't! LOVE YAH GIRL!!
Where's that crying towel!

My attitude has now changed to "wanting to REALLY SCARE SOMEONE...or MANY" right now!

I think we did a FANTASTIC job of setting up the haunt... if I do say so myself!

Last night we did lights, sound and MORE decorating.
Wilma showed up with hubby, Puffy Kracker, and with his [10 yr] knowledge of running the heating unit in the courthouse, managed to shut off [with town's permission] SOME of the radiators and open some windows. It released some heat but not a lot! It will still be hot in there as some rooms do not have windows that open [basement] and there is no circulation of air in there. Thank You Puffy! Thank you again to Wilma for being there again...AJ is sure happier when she's there as I'm sure she's tired of us and our attitudes lately!
MANY BIG THANK YOU'S to the Minions....their legs did a lot of traveling for us [up and downstairs] and their bravery in traversing the scary courthouse together was amazing. As long as the kids had their little lanterns they were brave! Wilma thinks they may need counseling later....LOL! I asked them if they would rather stay home and they said that they would rather be helping us and they do enjoy scaring people, as JD was trying to do to everyone all night.
The heat really did a number one me last night and hopefully I'll be able to work the haunt.
My job is to see that things run smoothly, trouble shoot, taken photos and get some scares in while I'm doing this. This is the part I LOVE! Believe me...it's a lot of fun seeing how people react when their scared. Everyone's different! I LOVE hearing grown men scream in fright!
Isn't it amazing how much fun someone has at the expense of others and they pay to have it done to them....sick huh! I CAN HARDLY WAIT!!!
Got to get some work done...times awasting!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! Counting today there is exactly 3 days left to finish the haunt!!! I'm not even thinking of Halloween!
You know...I whine about not getting help and when I finally do...I forget to tell you who they are and even to thank them.
Believe me...I AM THANKFUL FOR ANY HELP THAT I CAN GET!!
Saturday PoD and I had help from; Wilma [a regular...although a little quiet?], Conman & Funny Lady, Walking-Trail Boss & Tallman. A quiet Wilma was the smart one and opened as many windows as possible [will be doing that for the haunt if they don't shut the HEAT OFF!!] and that made it a LITTLE better.
You know...many hands make work go faster and you get a lot done!
Although, we did have a slow beginning when I wondered if we would ever get past "Arch Building 101"[needed for the "Time Warp Tunnel"]! I have to admit, these flimsy arches are challenging at the best of times, they warp and twist as your building them and you have to get the ends right. They do provide a picture on how they are built...but who looks at directions? Had a few good laughs at the groups abilities! The group finally completed the arch building and we set them up for the tunnel layout.
We managed to set-up the haunt layout, add the forest, cob webbbed the trees and bushes.
Sounds easy but it all takes time and involved a lot of running up and down stairs.
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THAT CAME AND HELPED!
Yesterday PoD and I worked on the courtroom and hallway entrance [where PoD & Hairgirl are working the haunt] decor. This is a visual area and the other years never decorated very much. PoD did a smashing GOOD JOB! LOOKS GOOD!
It is REALLY HOT in the hallway...there is no window to open and the heat register on the stair is working overtime!!! It was NEVER this HOT! It only takes 1 minute in that heat and all you want to do is leave and go home and fall asleep! That's how exhausting it's been! We haven't been drinking enough water and have been using coffee to keep us going and it's working it's vicious circle. We've finally smartened up and added cold water!
Doing as much as we could...both feeling ill...went home. I had a refreshing nap!
Got up, ate supper and decided that the tree and stump were ready to be painted black [first coat] and got into it. Phone rang [which always happens when your messy with paint]...forgot about play practice! Called PoD...told her and decided to stay home and finish my paint job on the tree and stump that are supposed to be ready for the play. By the time I was done [10:30 pm] the paint fumes were making me sick so I went off to bed with a sick headache.
So I am up this morning at 4:16 am and touched up the tree and stump with paint. Did some designing on outstanding sign work and did up some more estimates for other work.
No rest for the wicked....would like to remember what it is like to be wicked....LOL!
We will be working on the courthouse AGAIN today [nights are busy] and MAYBE be finished the haunt. Creatures can be added continually!
Times...awasting!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! All I can say is....times awasting!
Spent 6 hrs yesterday morning making scary creatures. Only one creature is remade with some changes in how it's displayed. Made a goofy one and some real creepy ones!
PoD picked me up at 6:30 pm and we had to load up the Jeep. We had so much to haul that I had to leave one behind and the DVD player. I had planned to use it to play the new Haunt sounds. It would have been a great time as we were decorating at night with no one in the building. So we had to scrap that idea for that night.
It's still HOT IN THERE!!!
It saps any energy that you might have! We spent last night working on finishing up the custodial quarters and placed one of my NEW creatures. Add some lighting...cob webbing...done. Man that sounds easy....add heat....not so easy anymore!
My son showed up to take the walk through...as he will not be able to make the haunt nights. He was very impressed and found that he felt lost and confused in the basement walk. It was good having a fresh set of eyes to point out some trouble spots and some new ideas on scares. He's not into decorating and didn't stay to help! He did help on moving day! He's more the manual labor type than the artsy/fartsy type [his words].
Wilma showed up! Yeah....another 2 hands! THANKS FOR HELPING WILMA....YOUR THE GREATEST!!!
Her job was to learn how to do "Duct Tape Tearing 101". Kid catches on FAST!
In one of the rooms, we had to move a cabinet, that we had screwed down to the floor in the last haunt.
NEVER USE SQUARE HEAD SCREWS!!!
I can only blame the idiot [me] for having them around! Not to mention that they were 2" screws! Sure made sure that sucker wasn't moving!!
PoD managed to get one side free but was having trouble with the other side. We have no light bulb in that room [where and when it went who knows] so it meant unscrewing it in the dark. The only set of lights around was this blue LED set. I bought them for their low visibility quality and the light they gave was so minimal that you had to hold the bulb close to the screw to see the screw and near impossible to see the hole. The screws weren't rounded in the head [yet] and that wasn't the problem. The problem was the angle of the screws wasn't right and in poor visibility impossible to get out. It moved some but not enough to get through the extra inches that we used to buried it into the floor.
PoD decided brutal force was the only answer and Wilma and I had to get out of her way! Battle between cabinet and PoD began...needless to say PoD got her way! In short time we finished off what we had to do in that room.

Cob Webbing 101:
All bagged webbing are not created equally! Remember to look on bag to see whether is states "Chunky" pieces or one long piece. When you want to used webbing for large areas and need to stretch in over that space...don't use "Chunky"!

Well "Chunky" was all that I had brought down to that area so we made it work! It just takes more time.
All decorating has to be done in the dark...which Wilma does not like! To make the haunt scary in the dark you have to decorate in the dark!
Off the topic a bit...PoD got our first scream of the haunt!
She was working on a project downstairs and heard Wilma talking to "Tall Guy". Wilma was explaining how creepy the wall moved when you walked down the hallway. PoD happened to be hidden on the other side and decided to show them how it worked.
You could hear Wilma's scream all the way up to the second floor where we were working in the courtroom.
Way to Go PoD! Nice set of lungs Wilma. The courthouse has a great hollow sound and small noises can easily be heard. Thanks for the tryout Wilma!!
Back the the topic: last night
We managed to finish the basement [PoD and I had touched up the main mine shaft and front hallway earlier] two rooms and need to work a bit on the other part of the hallway. Other than that, aside from adding creatures, the basement is done!
Today we will be working in there early [9:30 am] during the day [shop closed Mondays] and hope to get a lot done. So see you there...hopeful thinking!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 8 days til Halloween! 4....yes 4 days left til the haunt!!!
Haven't got time to blog...been creating monsters and got to get my crap together for tonight's journey into madness! Haunt decorating [yes no building....well maybe a little] starts between 7:00-7:30 ish. See you there...be prepared to work in the dark!
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SHOWED UP YESTERDAY! JOB WELL DONE!!!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 10 days left! 6 til haunt!
What a nice surprise I had when I blogged on this morning [4:12 am] and found that my blog yesterday DID go through! When I posted it, it took a l-o-n-g time and ended up telling me that there were no files! So I spent all day yesterday cursing the hours that I lost when I could have been working....or doing something else! Oh well!
Yesterday was moving day for Creepy Hollow & Creepy Stump and they arrived safely! It had started to snow lightly and we had to get them inside before they got too wet [they haven't got their protective coating on yet]. Thankfully the courthouse and my building have double doors and the stairs to the upper floor where the courtroom is, was wide! PoD and I had help from my son and ex-son-in-law loading these monsters. They're heavy and awkward but they managed to get them upstairs without any disasters!
Wilma also showed up and we used her's and PoD's vehicles to move some more of my stuff to the haunt.
It was a real nice workout in the HEAT! It's hard climbing stairs with junk in your hands but doing it in the HEAT was unbearable!
Anyways...that job was done! Thanks guys and Wilma for all your help!!
My son was going into the city...both PoD and I needing a break, plus I need to get work supplies and the shop is waiting for other supplies to continue [which are all back ordered], so we decided to make it a family/work outing. Minions were being looked after by their father, so off we went. We knew that we had to be back for play practice and figured that it would be no problem.
Did I tell you that I hate the City!! What a RAT RACE! The stores were packed like it was xmas time! Lots of RUDE PEOPLE!!
I managed to get all that I needed [and some that I didn't] and we found that line-ups at check outs long and tedious! Plus 3 people who shop separately tend to lose each other a lot! So long check out lines, lost shoppers and horrible traffic made us late getting out of the city and we still hadn't eaten! We did stop for food! So we were unable to make play practice!
The break was good for both of us! It's been hard burning the candle from both ends! So we got some much needed rest and got in some retail therapy!
So today is the big push day...hopefully with some much needed help we can get the majority of it done! 9:30 am is starting time! If you plan on helping out dress lightly....ie: tank top/shorts! Remember it's murderously hot in there. Hopefully we can turn off some of the downstairs radiators [temporarily] for the haunt or the crowd will be crabby during haunt time!
So times awasting got to get some work done....see some of you at the haunt [HOPEFULLY].
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 11 days left til Halloween 7 left for the haunt!
Everything that I wrote that I was planning on doing for the haunt yesterday.....didn't happen!!
Female minion "AJ" is sick! She has been coughing lately and it's getting worse! PoD had to take her to the doc and now she has to go the hospital 3 times a day to sit for 10-15 mins breathing in good stuff. Through all of this she's worried that she might have to miss working in the haunt! Everyone should have this little girl's attitude....all she ever wants to do is help people out!
I give thanks daily for my family....to me they're the best! Loveya guys!
Been trying to get out to the old farmyard to pick up the long poles that I had put a side to use for future haunts. There were quite a few and this year we needed them for one of my ideas. PoD and I first tried to hook up my utility trailer to the Jeep. This meant removing hitch attachment from PoD's van and putting it on the Jeep. Sounds easy! NOT!
First...I no longer have the proper tools to do the job [he got the tools...which I am slowly building up again]! Was able to find the right socket size...had to search for a ratch end, then needed to find another to hold the other side of the nut still! PoD ended up using a tire iron!
So repeating the phrase "righty...tighty...lefty...loosie"[magic formula for women] she tried getting it off! Yup! Stuck tight! It didn't help that both of us have tired arm muscles!
So with time running out I had to scrap the idea of going out there!
Then Wilma showed up....she had been talking with PoD. She has a truck! Trip is back on!
It's a 15-20 minute drive [thankfully it's on pavement] and the road has some construction issues....putting it mildly! We get out there and find the poles are gone!
It's been 2 years since I've been back there and they were in such a place that they weren't very visable. So who took them and why is a mystery that will probably never be solved!
Wasted trip!!! Sorry Wilma! Although we had a nice visit out there and back!
That haunt idea just went out the window! That was a big item that was going to take up a lot a space [which the courtroom has lots of] and was part of the story line!
Hmmmm....got to think of something else....Wilma has a few good ideas!
Maybe we need more trees!
I've already exceeded my amount [8] for a Saskatchewan landscape any more and I'd be classified as a forest!
So no work got done today on the haunt!
Then Wilma hit me with another bomb...no volunteer firemen! They are all too busy! Nice to know now! I had spoken to a fireman earilier in the month and it was a go with them....?
In 2002 the haunt was only in the basement and I didn't need too many.
In 2003 the haunt covered 10 rooms and I needed at least 40 people to man it. I could have done with less but my rule is never to have anyone left alone...in the dark...in that place! So it meant doubling up or even having 3 in a room.
This year the haunt spans 6 areas and we've cut it the man power back to minimum 15 workers needed per night. I know of maybe 6 people!
Pressure Thermometer is Rising!!!
I can see myself running along behind people trying to scare them! That'll work?
I can hardly wait til my "who cares anymore" attitude to fall into place!
SO....
My forcast about today's work is.....hopefully....Creepy Hollow & Creepy Stump get to the court house SAFELY!!! IN ONE PIECE AND WITH NOT TOO MUCH DAMAGE!!
Other than that....hopefully....we will get some more decorating done downstairs.
So no more babbling....got to get my act together [got up late -6:10]....need more coffee!!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 12 days left til HH! 8 days left til the haunt starts!!!
Couldn't blog yesterday or even work on the computer...it must of needed a holiday because it was running real SLOW. I gave it a break and didn't start it up again until the late afternoon and it now works fine!
PoD and I worked on the haunt in the morning as I had other things planned for the evening and couldn't make it at night.
Man! It is HOT in there!!! They finally got the heat on...no the roof is not fixed nor is the chimney operational!
They re-routed the furnace pipes to go up half the building [outside] and it now vents against the side of the building and not extended up to clear the building. Can this be a possible fire hazard? This is major heat!! They can't regulate the thermostat and it stays hot!
This building is being heated by water pipes with the radiators that help heat the marble floors. These have to get real hot in order that they can heat above as well as the basement. The office workers in there are so hot that they have to open the windows to cool it off....can we say WTF?
Thankfully the majority of the haunt that had to be built was mostly done and we had only the main hallway in the basement and courtroom left.
PoD and I put up the long corridor that runs the full length of the hallway and the heat made us go outside a lot for fresh COLD air!
Building walls for the haunt means that you do a lot of "stair climbing exercises"! Which means carrying awkward stuff up and down all the flights of stairs in the place...it has LOTS of stairs [3 floors]! Then we climb up and down the ladder/chair hanging stuff and this means stretching outwardly to the maximum to tape something in place. Great workout for the feet and legs!
Then they added the SAUNA!
We went from freezing our butts off to dying from the heat! Great for our health! NOT!
But we stuck in there and got it hung up!
So all that's left for the basement is spook up the custodial quarters and clear out remaining junk left in the hallway and spook it up!
Monday night [or was it Tuesday?] we got some help!
Wilma and Hairgirl showed up! Before they got there PoD was working on the hallway with boy minion [JD] and I was working with girl minion [AJ] in the "Lost Mine" [old dentist room] doorway. These two have been the BEST help! Both are very excited about being able to work in the haunt the nights that it's open.
So Wilma went with AJ and they both learned how to "Cob Web" a haunt and they had a great time with webbing that sticks to everything but where you want it and hanging bats and spiders. They did a GREAT JOB...it's sure going to annoy those who hate spider webs!! Job well done! PoD, JD and Hairgirl worked on clearing the hallway and start the set up for the haunt walk. Both PoD and Hairgirl harmed their backs lifting and moving the garbage that was stored in the hallway but managed to make up a great walkway and hidden scares. Job well done! PoD had some great ideas!
I lent a hand between the two areas and finished the doorway off.
We had a bunch of huge crosses/Indian scarecrow that had to go from the basement to the upper floor Judge's Chamber to be stored there for when we do the courtroom. PoD, Hairgirl and JD made the two trips and were exhausted, whereas JD made two more trips ALONE and wasn't even breathing hard from the exertion. Oh....to have all that youthful energy!!
BIG THANK YOU's to Wilma and Hairgirl [who's not even a player or fireman] for helping out... we got LOTS done!
It ended up that I couldn't go out last night as I fell asleep watching TV and woke up long enough for me to go to bed. So again I am up early [4:25 am] and will be getting to work as soon as I stop babbling on here.
So on the agenda for today is back to the courthouse decorating until 3:00, open shop til 6:00 pm and play practice at 7:00 til 9:00, hopefully to get some rest! Until then...
Orbing out ...QoH

BLOG UP-DATE!
Decorating at the courthouse is off for tonight....something else came up and we did the decorating earlier today [10:00 - 2:30]!
This is why I can't phone anyone! We have to juggle the time with our lives [what little there is of it] and my shop. We aren't open Mondays [to the public] and normally use that day to try to catch up. So today we decorated instead of working for me. Although PoD did take homework home to help with what we missed to day.
Also the minions didn't have to put up with our crabbing today!!!
This also gives me time to catch up on haunt decor.
Times a wasting...need a nap [was up at 4:28 am]...what do you expect...I'm OLD [especially today]!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 15 days left til HH day! 11 days left for the haunt!!
We finally had some help with the set-up of the haunt!
A person can always count on Wilma to show up! She did let me know that if I wanted help all I had to do was phone around and tell people when I'm doing it!
I don't have time to even call my sister and let her know that I'm still alive let alone phone people and listen to why they can't make it!
Everyone who logs on here to read this knows we are working on the haunt and if they haven't read it here they have spoken to me on the street and all know what we are up to, after all this is a small town! I never phoned her, when I was supposed, to to let her know when we were do it that day but she amazingly found us anyways! Those extra hands helped so much and helped ease the tension that PoD and I have been going through these last few days!
We're tired...all parts of our bodies is screaming at the exertion that we've put ourselves through! Great work-out though!
The Minions are bored and tired of being yelled at [although we've tried to keep that at a minimum] and want to just run wild in that place. They have been great through all of this and still keep their spirits up! Sure wish I had their energy!!
With Wilma's help we got another part of the haunt path completed! She also had some great ideas to help with scares and such....Thanks Wilma!!
Pod had another great idea that will cut down on anymore building downstairs and help change the long hallway between both rooms. So we will be putting that together tonight starting at 7:00 hopefully we will complete it in 2 or 3 hours. To all of you out there....this is your phone call!!
Meanwhile in my spare time I have been making stuff for the haunt and the one-act play. I have 2 trees and a stump that are partially completed [drying time needed between applications] and finally finished my furry white spider and her babies...they sure look good in the dark great for the phobic! Still have the dynamite crates to finish, darkening the dynamite sticks and wrap spider cocoons...these I do while listening to TV in the evening.
I'm even dreaming this darn haunt! So you can say that my waking and now sleeping moments are on the haunt! It's amazing how we are managing to keep the business going also.? Forget about cleaning house! It's the lowest on my list of to-do!
Anyways....the spirits in this place are active again. This morning both of my cats are acting crazy! "Freaky Cat" was running around like something was chasing her and the other one is meowing like she has caught a mouse and wants me to see it....when I look nothing is there! Both are not acting like they normally do every morning! The place feels really electric right now! Not creepy! Sometimes in the early morning hours it sounds like someone/thing is slamming doors upstairs...I have checked these times and all doors are as I left them. I have gotten used to the noise and it doesn't bother me any more. I have taken pictures of this place and do have some orbs but not too many. PoD doesn't like this place too much and it does creep her out to be alone for too long. She doesn't like the slamming door sounds! When I am upstairs the sounds come from the downstairs! Weird!
Got to do some designing work...will blog when I find some more time.
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 20 days to go! Only 16 days til the Haunt!!
Haven't been back to the courthouse since the last time. We figured we'd take a break from going there as we're both exhausted!
I couldn't rest so I spent my resting [?] time making items to put in the one of the visuals.
Plus I had to rig up something to act as a grate for my phony fire pit as the normal sized ones wouldn't fit over the phony fire that I put together. The grate will be holding the coffee pot that will be used in the play and the pot will be full of liquid...wouldn't that look good...whooshing all over the stage at the Festival!
Finally I came up with an idea that would be feasible...my campfire grate with 4 metal shelving brackets wired to it. The brackets were grey, so I painted them black to make them look like they've been in a fire. It worked!
I will be mudding my two tree frames, that I built awhile ago, this morning as it's nice and quiet at this hour [3:12 am -couldn't sleep...my right knee/leg is busy forecasting the weather!!] and the phone won't be ringing!!
PoD went to play practice last night and the minions and I spent some time together. I had on display, all of my gross specimens. You know...the pickled baby, severed hand, alien in a jar, etc. So the kids had fun looking at them along with the other stuff that I show.
For those of you out there...I collect all sorts of Halloween stuff and display it in my shop. Friends of mine [yes...I have friends!] even buy/find weird stuff for me. My shop is paradise for a child...and for that one that's still in me!
I had added to my collection this year; a new full monster mask/hood, half mask, two new hands/gloves [for the minions to wear] and four goblets for my tableware.
Both minions have it all planned out what they will be wearing for years to come!
This year, since they'll be with us nightly at the haunt, they'll get to change their outfits for 3 nights if they want.
Not to worry that they will be exposed to the "horrors" those nights as they will have already seen the props/walk and know that they aren't real! They've been helping us build it! Besides...PoD NEVER goes anywhere that's DARK! Her spot in the haunt is at the haunt's entrance in the LIGHT! My spot...is anywhere I can get a scare in and traveling all over taking photos. Maybe a minion might want to follow with me?
For all my helpers [?]...we will be working in the courthouse tonight starting at 7:oo pm and we will be in the basement. All welcome...even those without talent...LOL!
Have to get to work...times awasting!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 22 days left til Halloween! 18 left for the Haunt!
PoD and I spent 3 hrs Sunday covering the yucky walls. These walls are the worst! The walls in the jail shows you exactly what material they used to build the basement with. It's a mess...the foundation is crumbling away!! The front of the building is the worst! Probably from watering the flowerbeds close to the building! It's gonna take a big pile of money to repair that beautiful building! No way heritage money is gonna keep that building standing! What a shame!
I digress!
It may seem like we're spending short hours in there working on the haunt. But you try spending those hours going up and down the ladder, ripping off strips of tape and watch for attacking spiders. Not to mention constantly looking over our shoulders for that unseen thing that was bother both of us. It wasn't too bad...just nerve wrecking! PoD was more jumpier than ever because we were working in the Custodial Quarters. The long hallway that leads to the quarters is creepy also! We have to traverse that hallway to working in there. That means walking by the doorways that creep us out! The lights don't come on until you reach the end and the security light automatically comes on. Until then your in the semi dark! CREEPY!
I did see something!
I was up on the ladder and PoD was standing on the floor facing me.
Earlier we had been in the living room and she swore that she could hear noises is the other room [kitchen], rustling noises like something was in the tarps that we had spread out on the floor. I laughed it off saying that it was probably the tarps settling. The only noise I could hear was the noise of the tarp that we were handling at that moment. She was sure that she heard something!
Anyways...I was up there and had just reached for the piece of tape that she was holding out for me when I noticed this movement out of the corner of my eye.
I looked up and for a split second saw what looked like a cat chasing it's tail in play! Then it was gone! It was light orangy colored! PoD heard me gasp and I told her I just thought I had seen a ghost! Not a good thing to say to PoD!
Thankfully we were near being done because it was time to go! Speedily we moved all the lumber down to the area where we will need it next and packed up and got out of there before anything else appeared! The whole time we were there both of us had felt a presence that wasn't too nice and was making us nervous. Hopefully it happened because we were both tired!
Won't be working in the courthouse Monday...need a break! I have lots of other stuff that needs catching up on...like backed-up designing and estimating! Forget about cleaning...don't have time! I'm lucky that I manage to get some clothes washed!
PoD and I have both decided that this will be our last year that we will be doing the haunt!
Seriously!
We need to find the same life that everyone else is enjoying!
Maybe I'll go see how other people enjoy Halloween because mine sucks right now...the fun has gone with exhaustion taking it's place!
So to all you out there....enjoy this one cause it WILL be our last for the courthouse! If I have Halloween it will be in my new place!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 23 days left til Halloween! 19 days left til the haunt starts!
Yesterday PoD and I went back to working on the haunted house. We finished putting up the beams for the "Lost Mine", which is in the old Dentist's Office, and covered them to darken the walk.It sounds short and easy but was more work than you think!
We are using old rough boards, salvaged from the pallets that my aluminum comes on, to anchor our mine beams. This means that they have to be hauled from my place to the courthouse and then unloaded and taken downstairs. By the time that's done our hands, arms and back is killing us both. Plus my right knee has decided to keep warning me about this cooler weather!
Designing the layout of the walk was harder!
Forgot about the floor outlets for the Dentist Chairs! These would be real neat tripping items...so we have to adjust the walk to work around them. PoD had a great idea about anchoring the beams without having to screw them into the floor and help make the tunnels look more like mine shafts.
The last two haunts, we had discovered the multiple uses of clear hockey tape to hang decor without ruining walls. Until it got too hot in there and the glue didn't stand up to the heat! Had to retape every night!
This year I discovered the multiple uses of Duct tape!
Also that there is many types of duct tape that don't stay stuck to anything...including itself! Wasted two rolls...this stuff isn't cheap! Not to mention all of the work that went into where it was used! I'm still redoing some of my wire work and thus lost some precious hours! Finally found some good stuff and it's the second main ingredient used in the haunt! Move over Red Green...cause Red Orange is in town...LOL!
Until they turn the heat on! They are now working on the huge gaping hole in roof and redoing the chimney! Finally!
Then I'll remember how much I hated the sticky goo left behind when the tape has been on too long! Right now we are working in an unheated building! It hasn't been too bad until your reminded how cold the cement floor is when you have to sit on it too long! It's gonna take some major heating to get that place warm right now! Won't worry about it til the time comes!
We were getting pretty close to being done when we finally had some help show up. PoD's buddy wasn't too busy at her store so she came to offer her help. Didn't take long to put her to work! Soon her hands hurt like ours! Try ripping off pieces of duct tape that is stuck tight to itself and sticks tight to your dry fingers...after awhile your fingers feel like there missing skin!
Finally we were done the walk set-up and decided to test out the walk without lights! It's works! It's creepy right now and we haven't even set-up the scares and visuals!
One down and three to go!
To all you out there...we will be working there from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Yes...we get to miss Thanksgiving!
Can't give any thanks til we're done this!
See you there?
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 25 days left til Witching Hour! 21 days left til the haunt!
Feeling like a witch right now!!
As usual the closer it gets to the haunted courthouse time all of my "supposedly helpers" become spirits before their time. You know...disappear!
It's amazing how full their lives are and I have nothing going on in mine! I love how people think it's a great idea to have this event just as long as someone else does it! But you know...I knew that was going to happen! I did hope that I would be wrong!
This will be the third time for the haunt...maybe it's 3rd strike your out!
I don't mind doing the set-up with just PoD & the Minions because when you have too many people helping [what's that?] you have to be in too many places at once. But when workers for the "running of the haunt" can't find the time to help or that it puts such a strain on their lives makes me wonder why is it that I do this?
I love Halloween! That's all there is to it! Yes...I do know that not everyone is into it like I am and I don't expect them to understand my passion!
But...
It is the one time that you can be what ever you want and be devilish without hurting anyone! Halloween is like a big movie set....nothing should be real! Everyone talks about their inner child and this is the one time when we learn to laugh at ourselves and at others without causing hurt feelings!
I observed the workers during the other two haunts and they had a blast and when it was over they could hardly wait til next year's haunt! Until the next year comes about and it starts all over again! Empty promises!
I don't know why people think that I have a magic wand and with one wave...Poof and it's all done.
I'm still looking for that wand!!!
But...
I made a promise to do this thing and I will keep my promise no matter how much it takes out of me! There will be a Haunted Courthouse!
Lastly....I know I can count on my family to be there!
Time to get back on my broom and fly off to find that wand!
Orbing out....QoH

Happy Halloween! 26 days til Halloween! 22 days til the haunt!
Missed blogging for a few days...ran into the demon program that eats stories and lost all that I had typed. So I had a mental tantrum and refused to blog!
But I'm back trying again!
Last night found us back in the courthouse again. With cleaning all done we were able to start to set up the layout and had to haul some of the stuff for building it. This is the part that takes the longest. It always looks good on paper but it never fails accustoming always have to be made...And I also have a tendency to change my mind a lot...LOL.
Didn't get a lot done but what we did do helped with deciding where the walk goes. Hopefully we'll get more done this weekend. Haven't been in the place long enough to sense any ghosts and nothing has been bugging us. That's okay with us!
PoD and I had a weird moment as we were moving these metal cabinets into the outer room to get it out of our way. We had used it to help hold up the tarped walls so it was immovable until we took it apart. The reason I mention this is that the first time we had been with the paranormal group they had asked us to stay overnight with them in the courthouse. I couldn't sleep and was creeped out by the place. Around 5:00 a.m. I heard this rumbling noise right below us [the dentist's office] that sounded like a Semi or something big was going by the building or something heavy was being dragged across the floor. This noise was loud enough to wake up PoD and the others...so thankfully I wasn't the only one that heard it. No one was downstairs!
So as PoD and I were dragging this cabinet to the room where we were going to store it, it made this same noise as the one that we heard that morning. Chills went up and down my spine and goose bumps stood up on my arms as I recognized that same sound! I look at PoD and she had that questioning look in her eyes also. Both of us had the same thought! This is the same noise that we heard that morning. But there was no way that cabinet would have moved...we had made it immovable and was in the same position that we had left it! Creepy!
Woke up this morning [3:15 am] to the sound of a door slamming loudly in my place! The cats were acting freaked out especially the oldest one. The other one is freaked out all of the time but even more so! I laid there listening for something else watching the cat's reactions. They were very alert but not scared! After a minute or two they settled down and no other noise was heard. Needless to say I was wide awake after that!
I'm used to hearing strange noises in this place. PoD and I find that it starts around the beginning of fall and gets more active around the middle of Nov. These occurrences don't scare me, although I hate the slamming of door sound waking me up and this isn't the first time that it has happened.
We hadn't lived in this building too long [son, ex and me] when one morning my son came into the livingroom where we were having coffee. He had this worried look on his face and told us about this strange thing that he woke up to find beside is bed.
His room is really dark and he always keeps a lamp on a fold-up stool with-in reach beside his bed. This time, he said, the lamp wasn't there when he reached for it and got up to fumble around for it, thinking that he might have knocked it off while sleeping. He said he stumbled over the stool, which lay in pieces all around, the lamp extended to the length of it's cord and still plugged in!
I thought he was kidding until he brought us the stool -in pieces! I checked it out and the boards had been ripped apart not unscrewed. This is a well made stool and the guy who made it had glued and screwed the pieces together so there was no possible way this could have happened! The screws looked like they were ripped out of their holes and one board has a huge gouge across it. Even if you took two young guys and they both held it to rip it apart you couldn't do it and not make more damage! Even smashing it against the wall would have created more damage. Also he had no one over and it had been a quiet evening...no noises. I still have the stool and it is still in pieces and it's here for anyone else to figure it out. My son swears that he did nothing and I believe him and he still brings it up occasionally and still has that same questioning look.
His room is located in the space that they built when the previous owners joined the two buildings together to make it one store. His room is in the upper level and below him is a big storage room. PoD and I both don't like this area. The two buildings are okay but the joining space is creepy!
That's just one of the creepy stories I have to tell of this place! I will relate more later.
Got to get to work! Need more coffee!!!
Orbing out...QoH

Happy Halloween! 29 days to go
25 left til haunting hour!
Didn't work at the courthouse Sunday and won't today either. Working on other volunteer project tonight! We are doing a one-act play for Theatre Festival that's happening in Swift Current, Nov. 9-11. I'm Stage Manager/Set Designer/Builder and I've been making decor for the set, scene is in a forest and they are supposed to be camping. Just so happens that I am using the forest theme in my haunt so I can use the props for both gigs.
I've just recently discovered "Monster Mud" [not my name for it but well named!]! If your a kid at heart and loved playing in mud [you know....yummy mud pies!] then you'll love this stuff. I use rubber gloves, as the stuff dries the skin out, and still get the same gooey effect without the skin damage. PoD can't stand paper mache' and so helping with the mudding was out of the question but the minions love the stuff. It's trying to get most of the stuff on the creature and not all on them...although, I did wonder what it would be like if I let them harden....just kidding!
One of my goals for retirement [what's that?] was to keep my hands active by taking up sculpting. I did a bit of it in school and really loved it but it takes up a lot of time and energy, never pursuing it. That was in clay!
My first prop is for Halloween and is the main character in the haunt. "Creepy Hollow" is the name I gave him because he's hollow and looks creepy! He's a tree that stands 7' tall with a root base of 3' x 6'. I even gave him his own set of wheels...he's too heavy to carry for any length of time. Thankfully I have double doors in my place and so does the courthouse! He's constructed out of tenplast [plastic cardboard] and shaped with chicken wire. Then I gave him a cloth coat soaked in monster mud, sculpting it to look like bark. Giving him 3 coats of paint and attached some creepy critters, I now have a huge tree that I will display later in my store year round...that should scare the little kiddies!
Thankfully he won't be going into the play just his other buddies who are a LOT smaller and lighter! Another sculpture is a ring of stones that looks like a campfire site. I need a phony fire for both events. I started the base layout for the stump/stool and will be getting it ready for mudding later. I spent most yesterday putting chicken wire over my "Tomato Plant Holder People" [you know...the wire shapes that hold the tomato plants up] and will be adding them to the mudding assembly line. I take two of these plant holders and duct tape them together to make body shapes, add chicken wire, foam head form and then cover it all in cloth soaked with mud.
My hands are pretty sore this morning, bending wire not only causes scratches and cuts but the stuff that's in/on the wire makes your hands steely colored and very dry. I don't like to use skin conditions as they make my hands feel greasy and I can't have that in my line of work!
Most of my day today will be work related and I am still playing catch-up from sick times.
I guess no time for the wicked [although it would be nice to have the time to be wicked!] and I have to get to designing and doing up estimates. My work/designing time starts around 5 or 6:00 am and the rest from opening time til closing will be for applying.
Gotta go make more coffee!
Orbing out....QoH

Happy Halloween...only 30 days left til Halloween
26 days left til Haunt starts!!!
I had a surprise visit from my brother and sister-in-law today, from Devon, AB. It was really good to see them again as I rarely go anywhere except to the hospital lately. Feeling lots better and Halloween always perks up my spirits....pun intended.
Their whole family gets together at Halloween [in Devon] and put up a big yard display. They go all out like I do and they are quite a popular place to experience. This year they said was going to be their last yard decor set-up and the next year plan on moving it into the town's museum. I only wished that I could have made it to see theirs before the close down, pics never do things justice.
So we spent the short time that they were here exchanging trade secrets. They hope to make the 5 hr drive here the haunt weekend, just to experience our haunt and get ideas how to run theirs next year. Hopefully the weather co-operates! I know for sure both of them will be helping to scare others after their walk through!
Sadly I had to wave good-bye and wait for PoD & the Minions to pick me up so we could finish cleaning the basement area of the haunt.
Armed with coffee & water we arrived at the Court House. I was feeling a little edgy about being in there on a Saturday night but felt lots better when the key turned easily in the lock and the door opened like the place was happy to see us. Good omen!
PoD wasn't too happy to see that the door to the Custodian Quarters was closed and she was sure that we had left it open. I'm pretty sure we did also! It was empty inside so no reason to close the door or even lock it...which I do when I have my stuff in it. Later I had to retrieve the dust pan from the custodial kitchen and found nothing had changed. It's possible that someone had needed to get in the room next door to the quarters and push the door shut. No one works in the building on the weekend and the basement looks like it hasn't been cleaned in a looooong time! So who knows?
When I left the rooms I left the door open!
During all this time it was just me and the minions as PoD went home to get her drill/tool kit [she's a Jill also]. When she got back we got busy removing the old haunt walls [tarps] that weren't needed. I had forgotten that one of the tarps was really huge and we had to drag it out into the hallway to fold it. PoD grabbed one end and headed out into the hallway with it. Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks, turning to me she said in a nervous voice "please tell me that you opened that door [custodial]"! I could have led her along by saying no but knew that she'd be out of there in a flash...with both kids dangling from each arm, feet not touching the ground....and me...well, I'd be on my own!
See her scared look and nervousness about having her back to the scary door I asked her if she wanted to trade places and she lost no time in switching with me. I do have to admit to being nervous myself about having my back to that dark open space and with the tarp being so long I had to back up very close to that doorway. We folded it pretty quick! Me acting brave outwardly but quaking inside! Controlling the urge to run is hard!
The rooms that we were cleaning were the old Dentist office...with LOTS of spiders. FAST spiders! I'm not as phobic about them as my daughter is but I'm not crazy about them either! The only good spider is a plastic spider....which by the way freaked out my granddaughter and in turn, brings it in and freaks out PoD! Why she would think her daughter would be carrying one is beyond me as the kid's just as phobic about them!
The hardest thing that night was getting the 3 dentist chairs down the hallway into a back room that were not using in the haunt. With lots of grunts and groans we wrangled them into the room.
These rooms were revised awhile back to house the dentist office and the walls should be in not too bad of shape? Wrong...they are crumbling to the point of wall turning to sand! We had to sweep up a mound of it! Also one of the windows had been busted in with part of a brick....probably from the chimney [that was ripped out by some idiot...but we won't get into that right now!]. Like to catch the creeps that like to bust windows and make them put in new ones!!!
We decided to call it an early evening and clean-up had only taken 1.5 hrs.
The only other place to clean in the basement is the hallway and it's overloaded right now with paper towel dispensers and chairs. This part doesn't have to be done until the last and the town needs to get at their vaults and other rooms. So the next step is the haunt walls in the Custodian Quarters and set-ups for creatures.
Next jaunt to the courthouse will be Tuesday, Oct. 3
Orbing out...QoH