All the
better to see you through the woods and mists that hang low on this the last
day of October …
… when the
ghouls come out to play …
… or the
creepy crawlies crackle through the undergrowth of fallen branches …
 |
| 1897 First Edition cover |
Will the
lichen covered woods give up their secrets … will the orange glow of falling
leaves, coloured trees, or the 1897 first edition of Dracula light our way …
 |
| The gravestone for the Stoker family at St Peter's, Quamichan, Duncan |
But this night of 1851 was born a novelist's younger brother:
… the moon
will not be peering through the mists for Bram Stoker’s brother – Surgeon Lieutenant Colonel
Richard Nugent Stoker (1851 – 1931) - he will rest surrounded by the rising
moistness of the mellow gloomy night in St Peter’s on Vancouver Island …
… spectacles
might be better to see your way – here is Elton … labelled at the Raptor Centre (the photo is from Wiki - the eyes can be seen).
 |
| Spectacled Owl |
These raptor
eyes move silently waiting for an unsuspecting prey … so their nightly fill of
warm flesh can be satisfied …
Have fun
Halloweens – some of you are already into NaNo November month … enjoy one and all …
Hilary
Melton-Butcher
Positive
Letters Inspirational Stories
37 comments:
Hari Om
LOL what a fangtabulush post for Spooky da, Hilary! ... oh dear; NaNo having to miss this year, the wrist only just now starting to permit a bit more typing. sigh... YAM xx
A Stoker grave. Now, that's a way to celebrate Halloween.
Happy Halloween to all those who celebrate.
LOVE the spectacled owl (too many owls would be barely enough).
I embiggened the grave stone. It is always interesting to see and read them.
Your Halloween post is excellent!
I’m most taken with Elton!
That mask is amazing!
(And nicely atmospheric.) :-)
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween - A fun post for the day.
a spook-tacular post for the season.You are always so clever.
@ Yam - oh thank you so much ... but I'm glad to read your wrist is improving ... always lovely to see you here ...
@ Liz - yes isn't it ... I was surprised to see he settled in the Cowichan Valley ... and his family are still here ...
@ EC - oh they are celebrating here and with fireworks ... but I've got myself home away from the melee! The raptor centre was a good visit - and I must write up about them ... seeing the birds put on a display for us was great fun ... they do look after them well at the rescue centre ...
@ Arleen - oh good I'm glad it came out ... I was further away from it than I intended, and had to enlarge it for this pic ... it is as you say always interesting to see and read ...
@ Anabel - in fact this wasn't Elton - but I'll post mine up soon ... difficult when they're behind mesh fence ... but they need to be secure ...
@ Jz - yes that was at a friend's house - another friend had been at art school and had wanted to try his hand at First Nations art ... this was a trial run ... but I rather liked it - despite its spooky exterior ...
@ Truedessa - thank you ... glad you enjoyed the different subjects ...
@ Joanne - thank you so much - it's always encouraging to know that you enjoy the way I put the posts together ... I like being different ... spooky, but true ...
Thanks so much to you all - so glad the post resonated Halloween over the years ... cheers Hilary
Happy Halloween, Hilary! Hee hee. MDC
Happy Halloween - you were ready!
It’s now All Saints Day here. No kids turned up to ask me for lollies, just as well as I’d forgotten to buy any.
A perfect piece for All Hallows Eve. Trick or treat?
That's right, NaNo. I forgot all about that. Halloween was so much fun. I always love to see the little ones getting dressed up and trying to say, "Trick or treat" and remember their manners. Adorable!
Elsie
I have quite a bit of catching up to do with posts I've missed of yours recently Hilary, but this is a delightful one to start with. All treats for sure!
I wonder what it was like to be Bram Stoker's brother. He lived a long life doing good for his fellow soldiers it sounds like.
Interesting as always, Hilary!
@ Denise - a little bit of fun and amusement met me for Halloween - light relief ...
@ Sandie - well vaguely!! But thanks ...
@ Sue - yes it is All Saints Day here too ... and we heard fireworks down at the local small shopping centre - but I stayed in once home ...
@ Keith - a choice ... always good to have one of those ...
@ Elsie - NaNo: I'm now used to seeing that and saying ... not for me! Halloween we never did in the UK - it was Bonfire Night 5th November ... but it is perfect November weather ... damp, misty and warmish!! I watched lots of the kids in the small supermarket wandering around - and yes they did look fun with matching mothers!!
@ Deborah - a few different posts to read up ... which I hope you'll enjoy. But we all need breaks ... this was a mish-mash - so am glad you enjoyed it ...
@ Jacqui - he was away on his ship a lot as was demanded in those days ... while his brother was in London with Sir Henry Irvine (the actor) and as manager of the Lyceum museum. Somehow the families always managed to stay in touch ... writing letters and friends passing on news must have helped a lot ... I'm not sure why his brother ended up settling and living here ...
Thanks so much ... Halloween sort of passes me by - but I did see quite a few people dressed up in various stores and lots of creepy drapes along the road ... I got home safely before the ghouls came out to play! Cheers and now Happy November - Hilary
I had a fun holiday, I sat on my porch passing out goodies. Lots of leftover sweets will plague me until finished.
Halloween, sure seems to capture our attention. We're allowed to think of ghostly things and spectral life! I love it!
Something that I have never celebrated. I had not even heard of it as a child living in Rhodesia and they did not celebrate in South Africa so far as I know either. I see nothing much here in France either. Take care Diane
Just can't get my head around the fact that it's November already! Where has the year gone? Hope this finds you doing well and enjoying the fall. Thanks so much for your kind words on my latest post. I treasure your support and friendship. You've been a good friend! I'm sure we'll be seeing each other around online. Take care and God bless. :) xo
Oh! I am working on a post about Bram Stoker! Not sure I will ever finish it, the time gets away from me these days. I will have to look up that brother! Have a nice weekend!
Hope your Halloween was Spooktacular:)
@ Steve - that's the problem isn't it ... left overs! But sitting on your porch with your largesse in easy reach makes sense ... sounds just wonderful.
@ Lisa - certainly we can conjure images we didn't think we needed to know about ... ghosts or spectres ... creative thoughts appearing ...
@ Diane - no we never did Halloween either (Bonfire Night on the 5th Nov) ... and I'm not sure it's fully caught on on our side of the Atlantic ...
@ Karen - I know ... sadly it will soon be December. The Fall has been glorious up here ... my first time in the Americas ... and it's been a beautiful one here. You've done your 9 years ... I'm about to hit 10 in January ... and yes we will see each other around ...
@ Kay - how funny about the Stokers ... time certainly does run away with one. I couldn't find out much about Richard Nugent Stoker - though I can see from the family records ... they have the details. There's a photo of his house here ...
@ Sandra - it was quiet I'm glad to say - always happy to be away from the crush of things ... but love seeing the 'spooky decorations' around!
Thanks so much to you all - lovely to see you here ... still gloomy, misty, thickish fog and lots of rain to follow on by the feel of it ... still 'warm' though - cheers Hilary
Happy Halloween to all those who celebrate. You post is excellent!
Now that was a fascinating tidbit of history Hilary! And go figure brother Stoker was born on Halloween! :) x
Well shiver me timbers, Hilary. You had me spooked there. The Bram Stoker connection was a surprise! I don't do Halloween, but this was great!
@ Nas - delighted to see you ... also I don't really do Halloween - but know many do ... glad you enjoyed the little interlude ...
@ Debby - I know really quite extraordinary about Richard Stoker being born on the 31st Oct ... who'd have ever thought - but just had to include it ...
@ Val - yes it was a bit of a surprise when I noticed that date ... but I just enjoyed posting up the gloomy mists and bright first edition cover ...
Thanks so much - I never really know what to write re Halloween ... but am very happy you all enjoyed the post - cheers Hilary
It is amazing to me that Halloween has become such a big event. It was certainly celebrated when I was a kid but nothing like the extent today. I suppose that merchants have leaped on a chance for profits. In our neighbourhood we don’t have too many young kids any more so there were not many trick or treaters at the door. One little girl, maybe three years old, was really cute. She just walked right in and started to inspect the house. She didn’t want to leave!
What a spook-tacular post! It was suitably creepy for a celebration of Halloween. I hope you had a good one. We had a lot more trick-or-treaters this year than usual, but maybe that was because it was such a clear warm evening.
As for the NaNo? That's a no-no for me! No way I can crank out that many words in a month's time, but I wish all of the other participants a lot of success with it.
Have a super weekend. Cheers!
@ David - I'm sure it's the merchants goading us on to buy more ... always on the look out for another way to get us to do something and pay more ... it wasn't something I experienced growing up in England - but can see the charm that it might have been.
Your little house guest sounds a positive delight ... how fun and what a story to dine out on for a while ... certainly a happy night for you, for her and her parents ... lovely to read about!
@ Susan - it was a warm clear evening here too ... we didn't get any halloweeners, but as we're a long way from the road, and with no houses around ... it's not surprising no-one came by! And would have surprised us if they had ...
I know NaNo ... I've no desire to write a novel ... so that gives me a huge excuse to recuse myself ... thankfully!
Cheers to you both - glad this was a little different to read - from a gloomy damp weekend here - Hilary
Engaging as well as fascinating, Hilary! I was so in hope for a single trick-or-treater I made the dogs nervous, and they too started watching the door - to no avail. Ah well, maybe next year.
Hope you had a Happy Halloween! No trick-or-treaters came to our door- but we had the house decorated and festive. Fun to get into the spirite of things. :)
Great post!
~Jess
Hello Hilary, I liked the Spectacled Owl.. Happy Halloween!
-- Pradeep | bpradeepnair.blogspot.com
@ Diedre - thanks ... a few snippets from the Hilary archive ... we're too far away here - so no-one came by ... but they were all getting ready in town for an onslaught of kids around. Oh! I do hope they come next year -how funny about the dogs ...
@ Jess - I had a happy time - peaceful ... away from the milling crowds! No spirit of any sort up here I'm afraid ... but no kids either ...
@ Pradeep - good to see you ... the Spectacled Owl is special isn't it ... amazing creatures ... and on our way in November already -
Cheers to the three of you - thanks for coming by - cheers Hilary
Love this! Spooky but not scary. How cool that Stoker's brother is right there? I love going through old graveyards . . . I try to piece together the family "story" when I see a bunch of them all with date of death close together.
Hi Lynda - many thanks ... it was fun to write up ... and then I remembered the Stoker connection - I do enjoy being able to tie in bits and bobs.
There is an awful lot one can glean from a churchyard ... I recently came across an odd name here, which is the same as some friends in England ... so need to let them know.
Love your comment - thanks so much - cheers Hilary
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