Happy Halloween!

Wishing everyone an amazing and wonderful Halloween!  And I hope yours is rain-free!  Great weather here, thankfully.  Photoshoot went well, but the only thing I'm ready to post at the moment is the below video.  My take on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow...

Click to watch:

Headless Spectre

Another of Ichabod's sources of fearful pleasure was to pass long winter evenings with the old Dutch wives, as they sat spinning by the fire, with a row of apples roasting and sputtering along the hearth, and listen to their marvelous tales of ghosts and goblins, and haunted fields, and haunted brooks, and haunted bridges, and haunted houses, and particularly of the headless horseman, or Galloping Hessian of the Hollow, as they sometimes called him.

But if there was a pleasure in all this, while snugly cuddling in the chimney-corner of a chamber that was all of a ruddy glow from the crackling wood fire, and where, of course, no spectre dared to show its face, it was dearly purchased by the terrors of his subsequent walk homewards. What fearful shapes and shadows beset his path, amidst the dim and ghastly glare of a snowy night!  It was then that Ichabod recalled the most frightful portion of the wives' tales  -  that of the curs-ed fate of the Hessian's victims.  If one's head was lamentably claimed by the Horseman, their headless spectre was doomed to walk the shadowy acreage of Sleepy Hollow, perhaps forever!

Short video here.

Now Watching: The New Misadventures Of Ichabod Crane

Click below...

Galloping Hessian Of The Hollow

Photos from the Annual Tarrytown Halloween Parade.  It's not often that a headless horseman costume looks so believable.  You can usually see the proportions are a little off due to the raised shoulders attempting to hide the human head of the wearer.  But, man, this looks really REALLY good.  And that gorgeous horse seals the deal.

Images by K_Marsh.

Their Heads Were Not Found At All

Click below...

The Hollow

From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW, and its rustic lads are called the Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout all the neighboring country. A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. 

Image source.

Recent Acquistions

Picked up an insane cement tombstone and a massive iron cauldron for a steal at the aforemtioned Collectors Bazaar.  

That cauldron (over two feet across) will surely be making an appearance in a future Haunt.  

Fire And Brimstone

“If I can but reach that bridge,” thought Ichabod, “I am safe.” Just then he heard the black steed panting and blowing close behind him; he even fancied that he felt his hot breath. Another convulsive kick in the ribs, and old Gunpowder sprang upon the bridge; he thundered over the resounding planks; he gained the opposite side; and now Ichabod cast a look behind, to see if his pursuer should vanish, according to rule, in a flash of fire and brimstone.  

- Washington Irving

Image by Ray.

Headless Horseman Haunted Attraction

More images here.

A Nightly Scouring

An opening in the trees now cheered him with the hopes that the church bridge was at hand. The wavering reflection of a silver star in the bosom of the brook told him that he was not mistaken. He saw the walls of the church dimly glaring under the trees beyond. He recollected the place where Brom Bones’s ghostly competitor had disappeared. “If I can but reach that bridge,” thought Ichabod, “I am safe.” Just then he heard the black steed panting and blowing close behind him; he even fancied that he felt his hot breath. Another convulsive kick in the ribs, and old Gunpowder sprang upon the bridge; he thundered over the resounding planks; he gained the opposite side; and now Ichabod cast a look behind, to see if his pursuer should vanish, according to rule, in a flash of fire and brimstone.  Just then he saw the goblin rising in his stirrups, and in the very act of hurling his head at him. Ichabod endeavored to dodge the horrible missile, but too late. It encountered his cranium with a tremendous crash—he was tumbled headlong into the dust, and Gunpowder, the black steed, and the goblin rider, passed by like a whirlwind.

- Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Image source.

J. Wakefield Brewing: Sleepy Hollow

The seasonal offerings of autumnal beer are always tricky.  I've mentioned in the past that my hopes are always high at the start of each Autumn...  high hopes that there will be a pumpkin ale that soars above the rest.  Something that isn't too sweet but has a distinct pumpkin flavor.  A beer that feels like pumpkin season.  I feel like I'm still on that quest - everything is just too sweet for me.  Thankfully there are folks like Pumpkin Ale Reviews' Sam Heimer and Fatherkrespi documenting this stuff each season.  

We stopped into a beer distributer over the weekend and got some nice stuff for Memorial Day.  While we were looking around, we saw something called Sleepy Hollow from the J. Wakefield Brewing Company.  The design was fun and the description was intriguing:  sour ale with blueberry, lemon, orange, lactose, and vanilla.  The color of the ale was berry-like.  The taste was a little shocking.  I love sour ales, and this dark drink was extremely sour.  Full of sweet and tart notes.  Felt very Halloween-night-ish (if that can be a descriptor).  Definitely something you share with someone, as it can be like eating too many Smarties (I mean that in a good way).

I think I dug the uniqueness of this one.  It's not pumpkin ale.  It's not the usual flavors of Autumn.  It's sour and sweet and strange.  So much so that I think I would call this one Witch's Brew and not Sleepy Hollow.

Sleepy Hollow, New York

In the bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent the eastern shore of the Hudson, at that broad expansion of the river denominated by the ancient Dutch navigators the Tappan Zee, and where they always prudently shortened sail and implored the protection of St. Nicholas when they crossed, there lies a small market town or rural port, which by some is called Greensburgh, but which is more generally and properly known by the name of Tarry Town.

From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW...

- Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Spent yesterday in Rye, New York and the beautiful Hudson Valley.  Got to see some original artwork from Charles Addams and Edward Gorey at the Rye Arts Center.  We then headed to Sleepy Hollow and visited the Old Dutch Church and Cemetery and checked out some local taverns.  In the evening we visited with friends, and as we pulled away to head home, we heard hundreds of Spring Peepers in a local marshland.  Ichabod's mind would have gotten the best of him.