Haunted Houses in Gary, Indiana (Part 3 of Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls)

My daughter and daughter-in-law, and  I went on a road trip in search of forgotten spirits (and I'm not talking about Lemon Drops ;)

We've taken a few of these ghostly road trips before, like the time we went to Kenosha, Wisconsin and Lake Michigan and caught a few strange (some might say Paranormal) occurrences on camera.

But this time we were searching in Gary, Indiana--yes, it  seems like Indiana has more than its fair share of ghosts and ghouls. Maybe that's why it's ranked as one of the most  dangerous cities in the United  States.

I'm working on a ghost story. So, lately, I've been doing a lot of paranormal research by visiting Castles, Crypts and Creepy Places. And even though I've gone to a lot of cities and different states, I've realized my favorite creepy place is right here in Portland, Oregon.

If you're interested in seeing my #1 location for creepability, check it out here.



And, if  you've had any paranormal experiences of your own, please share a bit about it in the comments below.

Jack Skellington inspired Halloween Project

Have you ever wanted to decorate for the holidays? Well, I always want to do something spectacular but somehow time always seems to get away from me and I have to settle for whatever I can do at the last minute.

Like this year, I wanted to have a Jack Skellington inspired ghoul in my yard by October 1st for all the neighborhood kids to enjoy... but, like I said, time slipped away too fast and by the middle of October I was suddenly aware that the month would be over in a flash. So I  recruited my sons and husband to help me out. And with their help, my Jack  was up and "grinning" at the neighborhood in no time. Well...maybe I should say grimacing over the neighborhood ;D

Anyway, here are a few photos of the process.

The guys started with a sketch of what they were going to do. Then they went to work building the "bones" of the figure out of 2 X 4's.

Once they had the basic structure put together, I went to work painting.

After all the wood was painted a dark gray, Jacob put the head on the top (which was over 15 feet in the air) and then I started dressing him in a thin sheet of black (weed barrier) cloth. The reason I used this was because water will run through the fabric without weighing the character down. This is an important piece of the project in Portland, Oregon. But before I got all his clothes on, Jacob had to light him up.

Jacob put one large red light bulb inside Jack's skull and hid the wire and the bulb (with a little work).

Then Jacob had to help me get his shirt on because, like I said, my Jack is super tallllllll. But even  after all that he still wasn't finished.

Next, I had to make his hands and get those attached. I wanted his fingers really loooooong and creepy...like spider legs. So with the help of duct tape (that miracle material) I think I did it. The only problem is that the guys think his fingers are too long (what do you think?)

I also strung together a few skulls for Jack to carry back to his lair and then I laid out some bones in the yard around Jack's feet.

All-in-all, this was a very fun family project to kick the holiday season into gear. 

Now to finish my witch....Mwah-ha-ha! But, before I go, I just want to wish all the ghouls and goblins out there a....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!