2024

It was twelve by the village clock

When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.

He heard the crowing of the cock,

And the barking of the farmer's dog,

And felt the damp of the river fog,

That rises after the sun goes down.

 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year, hopefully one filled with peace, comfort, and joy.  Lots and lots of joy.

Cheers!

Cauldron Cave Halloween 2023

More [wonderful] images here.

Now Playing: Temple Of Stars

By the wonderful dark ambient project Tineidae.

In the age of short ambient cues, this one comes in right under an hour, and it's really terrific.

Click below...

80's Krueger

Trying to ham it up like Robert Englund for the flash camera in my face.

The important thing is that I FELT like Freddy that night, despite my sweater being red and blue and not red and green.  I would open each kid's trick-or-treat bag with the blade of my index finger, so that was [hopefully] pretty scary for them.

Now Playing: The Darkest Cavern

By Gdanian.

Click below...

Spooky

Witch Burning

In the marketplace they are piling the dry sticks.
A thicket of shadows is a poor coat. I inhabit
The wax image of myself, a doll's body.
Sickness begins here: I am the dartboard for witches.
Only the devil can eat the devil out.
In the month of red leaves I climb to a bed of fire.

- Sylvia Plath

Image from Moaning Acres.

The Steam Whistle Of York

You may recall this post from a year ago regarding a factory in York, Pennsylvania.  Every Christmas since 1955, at 12:15 AM, the eerie notes of Christmas carols played through a steam whistle blast into the night sky.  As each song ends, parked cars all around this old factory and in the surrounding blocks honk and beep in approval and excitement.  These unholy-sounding songs can be heard for miles around.  It was pretty exceptional, and the absolute best way to start a Christmas.  We had an amazing time being a part of this magic.

Hoping you all had a wonderful holiday.  

Here's a video of the tail end of White Christmas (I swear that’s what it was).

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a truly wonderful Christmas, like in one of those rare Christmas specials that are loaded with warmth, huge amounts of heart, and a really nice dose of Magic.

The Art Of A. J. Casperite

More works here.

Now Playing: Wind-Bitten

Remembering fondly when it actually used to snow around here.

Click below for a really nice winter track from Aindulmedir.

Night Of The Meek

Click below...

Hexeglaawe

We're getting ready to do some more field research for our Hexeglaawe series of Pennsylvania folklore.  Usually, paranormal researchers uncover very little actual evidence, but I'm feeling really proud of our irrefutable proof of the unexplained below.

Now Playing: Tape Tech // Machine Uprising Retro Sci-Fi Electronic Mix

And it's pretty great...

Click below:

Ragged Grin Halloween 2023

Conjuring Darkness...

More images here. 

Witch Of The Woods

And click here for a short video.

Glass Scarecrows

More images here.

Now Playing: Threadbare

By Dead Melodies and Beyond the Ghost.
Reminds me of the old stuff from the 90s that got me into Dark Ambient.

Click below...

Haunt Retrospective

The Retrospective Gallery post.

Had fun posting these to Instagram and wanted to have them all in one place on the blog.  Prior to the first display photo below from 1986, we did random things like stuffed dummies or rubber masks hanging in the tree.  1986 was an important year as it established that the lawn would always be some kind of cemetery.  And it featured a prop centerpiece (a focal point), which would become a general theme in the coming decades.  The Ghost standing in the cemetery had a flashing strobe light in its head, and even now after all these years I love the vibe in that photo.  It really captures what I love about Halloween.  The macabre absurdity of it all.  Creating some strange little world on a small lawn of a brick house in a strip of rowhomes in suburbia.  Trying to make the ordinary (and life) spooky... and making it a little mysterious too.