Category Archives: Autumn

Halloween Reading Treats!

1940s mystery, Autumn, Dorothy Mcardle, Film Noir, Gene Teirney, Gothic, Gothic literature, Halloween, Jessie Douglas Kerriush, Mary Wollstonecraft, mystery, suspense, The Sign of the Ram, The Uninivted, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Every October, I like to have some bedtime reading that suits the season.  I just finished two new books:  Midnight Fires and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.  The first is a mystery by Nancy Means Wright that features Mary Wollstonecraft as its intrepid detective.  marywollstonecraftaWollstonecraft is a great choice for the role, as anyone who has read her Vindications would agree that she has all the nerve, smarts, and wit to boldly ask the questions and dig the dirt necessary for an investigator.  Her being cast in this role makes perfect sense. The novel is set during Wollstonecraft’s tenure as governess to the aristocratic Kingsborough family in Ireland and does a neat job of characterizing “the troubles.”  We also get good views of the workings of the Kingsborough family, as well as how contemporary views of women have stunted and warped them – right in line with MW’s own writings.  The descriptions of the landscapes are a pleasure to read as well.  Not least of all, the mystery has some neat twists and turns.

 

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir was a pleasantly amusing visit with the supernatural – a low key, smile-inducing progress of Lucy/Lucia Muir’s liberation from oppressive Edwardian propriety to become a mischievous, independent woman – with a little help from a frank and fiery sea captain’s ghost – though she was already well on her way to freedom before they met at Gull Cottage.ghost-tierney-really-good  There are some significant changes from book to film, but both work equally well.  I do think that Gene Tierney gives Lucia Muir a bit more power than the character in the book.

 

 

There are four books that I usually return to once I finish any new prizes for the month:  The Uninvited (Dorothy Mcardle), The Sign of the Ram (Margaret Ferguson), The Undying Monster (Jessie Douglas Kerriush), and  Redeeming Time (me, unpublished – yet!).  What I admire in the first three (and try to emulate in the fourth), is the depth of characterization, the creation of a powerful mystical/eerie atmosphere, the vividness of the landscapes, and the intelligence of the storylines. signoftheram What makes them such a pleasure to read is their authors’ deftness with language:  there’s enough detail to savor and shape your imagination but no excess or filler.  Right now, I’m working on The Uninvited.  I review it and The Sign of the Ram on this web site, under Golden Age Mysteries.  The Undying Monster is part of the psychic detective genre, with a woman psychic brought in to help a scientist uncover the nature of the beast that has ravaged an ancient British family for centuries and now threatens to destroy his two close friends.  The novel deftly captures the post WWI fascination with psychic phenomenon and leads characters and readers into the dark depths of ancient ruins, crypts, and family history to reach a final, mystical resolution – and it’s a fun ride!

What’s Redeeming Time about?  Think H. P. Lovecraft meets film noir meets Indiana Jones meets Val Lewton.

Image of Gene Tierney from The Ghost and Mrs. Muir copyright 1946, 20th-Century Fox (http://classicbeckybrainfood.blogspot.com/2010/08/just-thought.html)

Horrors of the Yang Manse

Autumn, Gothic, Halloween, Hallpween Decorations, pumpkins, , , ,
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So, last week, I showed you what the outside of the Yang House of Horrors looked like. party1 Here, I will give you some images of the interior decorations. How about a look at the evil bride who faced you as you ascended the stairs in the gloom of the evening?

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This creature looks especially scary, when you bathe her in a black light!

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Of course, when you look down the corridor, you want to be greeted and guided by Halloween denizens.party6

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, you defiintely need a comforting night light party20when you hit the bathroom on an eerie night like this.

 

 

 

We also have charming candles to guide you back down the stairs.party14

 

Watch out for otherworldly visitors peering in the window, maybe trying to lure you off to perdition. All I said to my friend Judy was, “Oh, Look. party18 There’s someone in the window behind you.” And this lost soul prompted a shriek from my pal. Judy still comes to my house, but she’s a little leery about glancing out the windows now.

The fireplace also has its share of holiday decor, including our home grown pumpkins! party16These bad boys/girls started growing as early as April and developed into lovely, strong pumpkins. We haven’t grown anything this big since we lived in Connecticut!

 

 

Now, my problem is going to be trying to measure dscn2498up to these decorations and those of years past. Ah well, who will I creep out this year? The trick is to place your creatures in shadows so that imagination does a large part of the work – especially when you hear sounds or glimpse preternatural beings in places where you wouldn’t expect them. Unfortunately, those kind of shadows don’t lend themselves to clear photographs, so they are hard to capture and present to you in pictures.

 

So, I’ll close with this goblin wishing you a fare thee well from atop his pumpkin throne! Enjoy your holiday, and be careful whom you invite to cross your threshold!

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Halloween, Yang style

Autumn, Cemeteries, Gothic, Halloween, Hallpween Decorations, New England, tomb stones, , ,
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I just got all the tombstones and a few  haunting creatures up in my front yard.  I still have to add several more supernatural visitors, but the eerie atmosphere is starting to coalesce.  Just to give you an idea of what things will look like, I’ll share with you some images from last year’s outside decorations.

cemetery4 Here’s a vertical shot of the graveyard in the front lawn.  Yang joined in the fun by getting the iron fencing and putting it up for me.  Mr. Bones there seems to be chuckling over something the ghoul in black just told him.  Did they see into the future for this year’s election?

I think this chap iscemetery3 recovering from one of the Halloween parties that I have every year.  Either that or he’s someone I caught plagiarizing.  See any red marks on him?

We also were visited by a few witches, ghouls, and demons, flying joyously on the fall winds.  Some of them are looking right at you,cemetery6 and they seem awfully glad to see you – for what reason, I’m not sure.  it’s probably not good for you!

 

 

Back to those pesky skeletons again!  They’re worse than cemetery5ants in the summer – and just as hungry.  Heh, heh, heh!

 

 

And lest I forget, Here are some shots of our homemade dancing ghosts!  cemetery8These guys (or gals) usually go up closer to Halloween because if there’s too much rain and wind the ground gets too soft to support them and they become staggering, collapsing ghosts.  As Quentin and Beth say, there’s  nothing worse than cemetery7when your ectoplasm starts to sag!

 

 

 

 

 

So, I’ll just close with this nice horizontal shot of the whole front yard, to let you drink in the entire spooky panorama.  Try not to be too scared as you drive up the street.  This year, I have even some new tomb stones!  It may not be Mt. Auburn or Hope Cemetery, but it’s home sweet creepy home to me!  cemetery1

October Images Part Two

Autumn, Fall, Nature, New England, Rail Trails, Uncategorized, , , , ,
It’s December today, but we have no glittering snow icing, cool blue in the shade or soft pink in the sunset.  Just dead, crusty leaves and bare, scraggly branches.  So, how about one last lingering look at October’s brilliance?  These shots are from two trips, one afoot and one a-wheel!
Yang and I found a new bicycle ride outside of Boston, The Neponset River Trail, which runs along the river out to the Blue Hills.  Here is a portion that cuts along and across a canal (via a bridge of course!).  Neponset1The trees look striking, reflected in the water, and must provide a lovely view to people living in the mill converted to apartments.

 

 

We started the ride from Pope John Paul Park, Neponset2where the river is almost an estuary.  If you ride away from Milton, the river broadens and becomes tumultuous as it races toward the ocean.  Neponset4

 

 

 

 

 

 That’s not in any of these shots, though.

 

Neponset3Yang had a good time! We both had to pause for a rest on the way back!

 

 

 

 

Our other recorded trip was to the wilds of the forested hills of Leicester.Spidergate1 It was a lovely Friday afternoon, shortly after Yang got out of classes.  The colors here were a blend of yellow and toasted orange. Spidergate2

 

 

 

 

 

Spidergate4The red golds of autumn were not yet lying in the gutter dead (tip o’ the hat to Graeme Edge).
The hat in this shot would be my marine blue beret, which I bought in France last spring.  Spidergate3As long as we’re on international wardrobe, my in-laws from China gave me the coat when I visited them last autumn.

 

 

Delving into the woods, we came across the backwash from a pond.  Spidergate6The autumn sky’s pellucid blue is such a striking complement to green pines and the fall colors.

 

 

 

Hiking back to our car along the road, the evening began to close in, so that the last flare of the sun created a vibrant flame of color in the  trees.Spidergate7

 

 

 

 

 

All that tramping and beauty makes a body hungry.  So Yang and I repaired to Le Mirage for sustenance. As you can see, Mr. Piranha made short work of his meal.
Spidergate8 Sadly, this was the last night of this wonderful restaurant.  Le Mirage is now closed, and so  lovely meals, good times, and good friends are now relegated to memories. Much thanks to Diane, her family, and her staff.

October Images

Autumn, birds, Nature, New England, Uncategorized, , , ,
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This past week has given us a great deal of ugliness – and beauty, too, in the responses of support for those who have been attacked but not necessarily bowed.  Here is a little bit of beauty from New England sent out to all the world in hopes of giving some comfort, distraction, happiness.  Please enjoy.

 

First, I have images from our bicycle ride in Cheshire, Connecticut.  I saw plenty of remarkable birds. Cheshire6 Here is a neat shot of a Great Blue Heron.  He blends in with the leaves, doesn’t he? We were so fortunate  to get this close a shot.

 

 

 

We also saw this neat flock of mallards enjoying a swim together in the canal next to the trail. Cheshire2
This was one of the several pairs.  Clearly honeys.  The foregrounded leaves of salmon to yellow emerging from green captures fall elegance.Cheshire1
The same couple swim toward some delicate red berries.  The lady duck seems to have an itchy tootsie.Cheshire4
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a shot of the most exciting bird of the day.  A Piliated Woodpecker!  Those guys are gigantic! PileatedWoodpeckerOnLog1 Like pteranodons!  I don’t have a picture of my own, so I am borrowing a photo (with proper accreditation).  This guy was bigger than the large crows with whom he/she was tussling.  I would that I could have gotten close enough with my camera.  So, thank you Andrew Brown at Wikipedia.
Our October holiday weekend took us on plenty of day trips.  Columbus1On our drive home from a rail trail ride, Yang brought us through Stafford, Ct. where we stopped at sunset for these gorgeous colors.

 

 

The reflections of the fiery maples and oaks on the pond at sunset were magnificent!Columbus2

 

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HereColumbus6 are Yang and I in some pictures, so you know we were really here to take the photos.

 

 

 

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What a lovely bouquet of all the lushest fall colors.Columbus7
I have some more pix, but I don’t want anyone to pass out from foliage overdose – so I’ll save them for a Part 2.

Halloween on Beacon Hill

Autumn, Beacon Hill, Fall, Halloween, Hallpween Decorations, Trick or Treating, , , , , ,

This year, like many others, we went to Beacon Hill in Boston for Halloween.  I don’t know how many years the residents have been celebrating with elaborate, creative, undeniably SCARY decorations, but we have been enjoying their eerie creative edeavors for  close to ten years.  This year was, Wait For IT! – SPOOKTACULAR!  BeaconHill7Forgive my channeling Shawn and Gus from Psych.

 

 

 

The picture above doesn’t give you an idea of how packed the streets are with people of all ages, most in some form of costume.  You wouldn’t believe all the Imperial Troopers, Princess Leias, Spocks, robots, zombies, witches, vampires, Stay Puff Marshmallow Men, etc. we saw. The picture below gives you a better idea.

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That’s me in the gold coat and a sparkly green witch-hat fascinator.  The little kid in the tiger costume was too quick – I couldn’t take a snatch at her candy bag – Heh, heh, heh!

 

People also elaborately, artistically carved pumpkins.  Here are some of my favorites.BeaconHill8

You never knew what you’d see peering out a window

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or climbing out grates:

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arms, legs, projections of ghosts and zombie.BeaconHill12

 

 

 

 

 

All that tramping around worlds of terror BeaconHill5requires a moment to relax my tootsies.  I hope that hand coming out the window isn’t going to push me off the steps!  Or worse, grab something out of my wallet.

 

The prime display was in a courtyard between two buildings.  You need to stand in line to get in and look around.  BeaconHill9This family has projections on the walls, fake fog, human-sized creepy mannequins, and folks dressed in scary rat costumes (including one “caught” in a giant rat trap!)  Natasha and Rosalind would have been terrified! BeaconHill10These folks even give candy to adults!  Unfortunately, this was the last year they will be doing the super display.  Will someone else be able to “resurrect” such creative horror?

 

People giving out candy also get into the “spirit,” with elaborate costumes.  You see witches, mad scientists, zombies.  One year, a woman was Cruella Deville.BeaconHill14I love this woman’s Snow Queen or Fairy Queen ensemble – complete with a matching (real live!) poodle on her lap! She was kind enough to let us take her picture – and her dog agreed, too.

At the end of this journey into terror, we bopped down the street to our favorite restaurant Caffe Bella Vita.  It was fun seeing all the folks, young and old, pass by the window, some greeting Yang and I with mock threats of horror, while we returned the favor by responding with playful terror.  BeaconHill13As usual, Yang finished off my sandwich – my chai was all mine, though!  How do you like my little green fascinator? Can you see Yang reflected in the mirror, taking the picture?

 

 

At the end of the evening, we turned to a designated driver we found onBeaconHill1 Beacon Hill to get us home.  As the Three Stooges would say, “Nyaaaaaaahhhhh!”

Natasha and Rosalind Give “Monster” Therapy

Autumn, black cat, cats, Fall, Halloween, , , , ,

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein the creature created by Frankenstein  demands that humanity take their fair share of responsibility for their abusive treatment making him as much a monster on the inside as he appears on the outside:  “Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all humanity sinned against me? . . . .I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, kicked, and trampled on.  Even now my blood boils at the recollection of this injustice.”  How different things would have turned out for him (and most of Switzerland!) if, after his “father” Victor spurned him, the creature had been taken in paw by my cats Natasha and Rosalind.Halloween14a  They have nothing but tenderness, friendliness, and courtesy for the “monsters” – although mice are another matter.  Look at this adorable face!

 

 

Here is Natasha proudly keeping company with her new monstrous acquaintance.  Halloween2No contumely or spurning can be seen on her furry countenance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course ‘Tasha is always solicitous of her companion’s Dscn1231well-being.  A well-timed nuzzle is just the thing to make a creature forget all about those nasty villagers and their pitchforks or flaming torches!

 

 

 

 

Most important of all, Natasha Rose knows that it’s important to listen and learn from others. Halloween3You can expand your horizons, and you build others’ confidence by validating that they have something valuable to teach you!  Here, she attentively follows the observations of a friendly Halloween death’s head.

 

 

 

And of course, sometimes it’s nice just to have a relaxing sit down with a screaming good guest in the parlor.

Hallowee11Or perhaps Natasha is giving him therapy.  “Tell me how you feel about people chasing you with flaming torches and pitch forks.”  Dr. Bob Hartley would be proud.

 

 

Not to be outdone by her big sister, Rosalind (aka Rosie Roosevelt Yang) makes the Scream feel at home with a lively game of hide and seek.  Play therapy?Halloween5

 

 

So, whatever kind of human or inhuman you are, try not to be too quick to call those you don’t understand monsters. Instead,– follow the leads of Rosalind and Natasha – except when it comes to mice.

Happy Halloween!Hallowee14

C.A.T.

Autumn, black cat, cats, Fall,

 Blog 16

The C.A. T.   Cat Assistant Teacher

One of my cats, Rosalind, has decided that I work too hard, so, she has elected to join me in returning to the classroom.DSCN2181  She will be my C(at) A(ssistant) T(eacher).  See, she’s already to head out the door.

I think she initially intended this as a surprise, as you can see from her surreptitious insertion of herself into my book bag.DSCN2178

She may also figure that this is a clever way to check up on people who may be cheating during quizzes. DSCN2179She’s good at catching mice and moles, so cheaters are probably in her repertoire as well.

Whatever the case, she will probably be grading some papers for me.  So, if you decide to complain about your grade, remember that she has not been declawed – and her fangs are pretty darn sharp.  have a nice day.DSCN2180

 

 

 

 

Beijing Arboretum

Autumn, Beijing Botanical Garden, birds, cats, China, Eurasian Red Squirrel, Fall, Nature, Uncategorized, ,

One of my favorite places on our trip to China in November ’14 was the Beijing DSCN1267Arboretum next to Xiang Shan (Fragrant Hill, 香山).  We arrived there after a long, traffic-packed drive from the city and got a second dose of autumn colors.

There were plenty of paths to hike amongst the trees and plenty of critters and birds about, including the ever-present magpies and azure winged magpies.  There were also many Great Tits (like our Chickadees) and sparrows – is there ANY place that isn’t over-run with sparrows?  Unfortunately, they were all too quick to allow any Dscn1270picture taking.  However, here’s a picture of Yang, who as just as charming to behold as any of our feathered friends.

The trails wended through wonderful pine and willow forests and up slopes of jagged rocks, at times past pavilions and monuments to students who had camped out and trained here to prepare to fight the Japanese during WWII. Dscn1277 Yang and I weren’t quite so tough.  Here, I’m giving my knee a rest (gardening injury), well-pleased with the scenery and the hiking. Aren’t the seats made from old red wood trees interesting?

There was also some unexpected forms of “wild life” in the park.  We came acrossDscn1273 well-fed dogs and cats, just chilling in the forest, part of the families of people who worked and lived at the park.  Here is a cat with a surprising resemblance to Winston Churchill.  He even miaowed gruffly!  Dig that expression.  Could it be a reincarnation?

A young Chinese girl and I had a laugh over how unique he appeared, and how nonchalant, in a gruff way, he was with humans.  When she said in English to me, “It’s a cat!” I meant to say “Dui” In Chinese, but my default mode slipped and I concurred, “Oui!”  We both had a chuckle.  Dscn1275I actually managed to converse a little with her in Chinese, saying that I liked cats and we had two at home.  That was as far as I could go in Chinese at that point, so we switched to English.  She and her boyfriend were a cute couple, so we took a picture of them with their camera and they took a picture of us with ours!

 

 

Dscn1278 When we came down the hill, we enjoyed the beautiful fall colors around us.

 

 

 

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Surprisingly, though there was lots of traffic coming out here, most people were visiting the nearby Xiang Shan parks.

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This little guy is called a Little Grebe (if you click on the picture, you can see him much better).

 

 

 

Here’s one more neat shot of the wonderful fall colors.  I understand that when there hasn’t been a drought, the colors are really gorgeous.

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Finally, I have to insert a picture of a creature we saw which really knocked Yang and I for a loop.  Like dopes, we didn’t take the camera out until he had scampered away.  So, this creature climbed out of the tangle of a twisted pine.  At first, I thought I was seeing a big black crow.  Then he settled on the ground and sat up.  I was flabbergasted!  It took a moment to figure out we were seeing a squirrel.  He poked around, looking for food, then sat eating for a bit, and finally scampered away by the time I realized we had a camera.  When we got back to the hotel, we checked him out on line.  I knew I’d seen pictures of this critttree squirel1er before, and discovered he was a Eurasian Red Squirrel – except he’s black.  Go figure.  Interestingly enough, I read that the black variety of squirrel thrives in pine forests better than its red brethren.   There’s plenty of pine in this place! tree squirrel4 Also, in China, the name for this type of guy is “Satan’s Squirrel.”  He is rather demonic looking, isn’t he?  Apparently, they are also bred commercially and sold as pets.

Getting home was almost as much of an adventure as the hike, what with overpacked buses – when they finally came.  What the heck!  When you have great company and beautiful weather and everyone’s in the same boat, er, bus, who cares!Dscn1272

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No copyright infringement intended, noncommercial use of photosTree Squirrel Photo 1: http://cutterlight.com/tag/hiking-near-ulaanbaatar/
Tree Squirrel Photo 2  Squirrel, Photo © Tim Edelsten on http://www.birdskorea.org/Birds/Birdnews/BK-BN-birdnews-2009-02.shtml