campfire stories - bloody mary

Happy Halloween everyone! In honor of it being the scariest month of the year, we will be be bring to you 30 days of campfire stories. Some are old, some are newer. I hope you enjoy. 

Bloody Mary

Spooky Pennsylvania

retold by S.E. Schlosser 
Amazon

She lived deep in the forest in a tiny cottage and sold herbal remedies for a living. Folks living in the town nearby called her Bloody Mary, and said she was a witch. None dared cross the old crone for fear that their cows would go dry, their food-stores rot away before winter, their children take sick of fever, or any number of terrible things that an angry witch could do to her neighbors.

Then the little girls in the village began to disappear, one by one. No one could find out where they had gone. Grief-stricken families searched the woods, the local buildings, and all the houses and barns, but there was no sign of the missing girls. A few brave souls even went to Bloody Mary's home in the woods to see if the witch had taken the girls, but she denied any knowledge of the disappearances. Still, it was noted that her haggard appearance had changed. She looked younger, more attractive. The neighbors were suspicious, but they could find no proof that the witch had taken their young ones.

Then came the night when the daughter of the miller rose from her bed and walked outside, following an enchanted sound no one else could hear. The miller's wife had a toothache and was sitting up in the kitchen treating the tooth with an herbal remedy when her daughter left the house. She screamed for her husband and followed the girl out of the door. The miller came running in his nightshirt. Together, they tried to restrain the girl, but she kept breaking away from them and heading out of town.

The desperate cries of the miller and his wife woke the neighbors. They came to assist the frantic couple. Suddenly, a sharp-eyed farmer gave a shout and pointed towards a strange light at the edge of the woods. A few townsmen followed him out into the field and saw Bloody Mary standing beside a large oak tree, holding a magic wand that was pointed towards the miller's house. She was glowing with an unearthly light as she set her evil spell upon the miller's daughter.

The townsmen grabbed their guns and their pitchforks and ran toward the witch. When she heard the commotion, Bloody Mary broke off her spell and fled back into the woods. The far-sighted farmer had loaded his gun with silver bullets in case the witch ever came after his daughter. Now he took aim and shot at her. The bullet hit Bloody Mary in the hip and she fell to the ground. The angry townsmen leapt upon her and carried her back into the field, where they built a huge bonfire and burned her at the stake.

As she burned, Bloody Mary screamed a curse at the villagers. If anyone mentioned her name aloud before a mirror, she would send her spirit to revenge herself upon them for her terrible death. When she was dead, the villagers went to the house in the wood and found the unmarked graves of the little girls the evil witch had murdered. She had used their blood to make her young again.

From that day to this, anyone foolish enough to chant Bloody Mary's name three times before a darkened mirror will summon the vengeful spirit of the witch. It is said that she will tear their bodies to pieces and rip their souls from their mutilated bodies. The souls of these unfortunate ones will burn in torment as Bloody Mary once was burned, and they will be trapped forever in the mirror.

heavy handed ipa

Heavy Handed IPA is a india pale ale brewed by Two Brothers Brewing Company out of Warrenville, Il. The Heavy Handed IPA is an excellent fall seasonal beer and is only released September through November. Its mainstay is the brewing process of the wet hops that are never dried and completely fresh, which brings out a tender pine and slightly citrus taste. It's incredibly rich maltiness mixed with a heavy batch of hops provides a great carmel taste that dried hops does not afford. This beer serves up and solid crisp bite and smooth finish.

campfire stories - the white dog

Happy Halloween everyone! In honor of it being the scariest month of the year, we will be be bring to you 30 days of campfire stories. Some are old, some are newer. I hope you enjoy. 

The White Dog

A South Carolina Ghost Story

retold by S.E. Schlosser 

Amazon

A traveling salesman came to Goshen Hill for a few days, selling his wares from door to door. He was a friendly man with a warm grin and a joke for everyone.  He was accompanied by a large white dog that rode on the wagon beside him; companion, friend, and guardian of his wares.

     The salesman and dog were making their way out of town when a murder was discovered in one of the places in which they had sported their wares. Suspicion blossomed at once against the stranger—certainly no one the townsfolk knew was capable of committing such a crime!—and a lynch mob chased the salesman out of town and strung him up on a tree beside the road.

     The white dog howled and barked and roared as the mob carried his master away.  More than one man was bitten as the salesman, still screaming out his innocence, was silenced forever. One fellow finally shot his gun at the white dog, wounding it enough to send it whimpering away. It soon became obvious to everyone in town that they’d hanged the wrong man. The corpse, dangling obscenely from the tree on Old Buncombe Road, was a grisly reminder of the community crime. They’d have cut down the salesman and given him a decent burial, but the white dog stood guard over his master’s corpse day after day, savagely threatening anyone who came near the hanging tree. So the salesman’s body withered and rotted underneath the tree beside the road, filling the air with a terrible stench as it desiccated in the summer heat. It was many weeks before body and dog disappeared from the Old Buncombe Road.     A few months later, a man who'd participated in the salesman's lynching happened to be walking down Old Buncome Road at night.  As he drew near the hanging tree, his nose wrinkled in disgust as a whiff of rotten flesh swept past his face amd his stomach roiled.  He staggered backward, his arm over his nose, wondering what was causing the terrible stench.  Then he spotted the hanging tree, and saw upon it a glowing, desiccated corpse dangling obscenely by the neck from one of its branches. And beneath the ghostly figure stood a huge, white dog with glowing red eyes.

     The dog growled menacingly when he saw the man on the road, and the man stumbled backward over the rut in the center of the road and then started to run. With an ear-shattering series of barks, the white dog pursued the fleeing man with supernatural speed. The man whipped this way and that, spinning around, leaping into the woods to dodge around trees, trying to avoid the huge dog snapping at his heels. If he fell, the dog would be at his throat immediately.

     The man crashed headlong into a tree and flung himself upward. Below him, the ghost dog leapt, and sharp teeth closed on the man's hand. Pain ripped through him, and he climbed higher, trying to shake off the glowing beast.  “Let go!” he screamed, kicking at it again. Suddenly, the white dog turned to mist before his eyes and swirled away. Realizing that the white dog might reappear at any moment, the man seized his chance.  He slithered down the tree and ran all the way home.        His wife sent a neighbor to fetch the doctor, who stitched up his hand as best he could. The white dog had nearly severed the palm, and the nerves were so badly damaged that he was crippled in that hand for the rest of his life.      The man later learned that every person who had participated in the lynching of the salesman was attacked by the ghost of the white dog. Many—like himself—were crippled in some way. As for the fellow who’d shot and injured the white dog—well, his four-year-old son disappeared and was never seen again.

bootstraps

Folky, distant, and melodic is the best way to describe Bootstraps. Listening to them, has been a pleasure. I recommend Fortyfive as a great start as its slightly alternative, while OH CA and Sleeping Giant are a bit more rock with a heavier sound. Either way there is a beach side pleasure to this album that I like to enjoy.

slate

There is so much emotive power in slate. The color is extremely deep and moody, it has the power to instantly neutralize a room and give it room to grow with color. Slate as a metamorphic rock (was created due to the intense pressure of shale pushing together) is incredibly durable and can resist frost, and very little water absorption. Slate is primarily harvested in a dark grey, almost sooty charcoal color, but can be found in many different colors; purples, greens, and blues to name a few. In a design perspective I love using the color and texture in slate slab coffee tables and dining tables, especially when paired with natural wood tones. The lighter slate color pairs well with darker walls and lighter accessories, as shown with West Elm's Elton Settee and even more so ABC home's Heston Chair that includes polished nail heads. No matter how you incorporate it into your home, since it is such a classic color, you really can't go wrong. 

oakstreet bootmakers

It's hard to find a good cobbler let alone a great one and its even more difficult to find someone who can craft a shoe. Welcome to a change. Oakstreet Bootmakers has only been around for less than two years in Chicago, though they have tons of experience before the shop set up. Owner George Vlagos apprenticed at his fathers shop at an early age and learned the ins and outs of craft shoe making, learning precision and detail to create the perfect shoe.  The footwear in his shop are created and manufactured in the US with use of Chicago based Horween Chromexcel leather. The process for the leather alone has little changed in the last 100 years and takes 28 days to be created. All boots and shoes uses  replaceable outsoles to ensure you get the maximum amount of time with your favorite pair. The shop does not only specialize in shoes but apparel and small goods, which is not located on the website, but available in the store. 

campfire stories - creak

Happy Halloween everyone! In honor of it being the scariest month of the year, we will be be bring to you 30 days of campfire stories. Some are old, some are newer. I hope you enjoy. 

Creak

Author Unknown

"Creak", a sound, faint, distant, but still heard.

"Crack", something snapping, or being trampled on.

The man sits in his room, reading. The room is silent except for the quiet fire burning.

"Creak"..Just the the house settling, nothing more.

"Crack", Perhaps some small animals outdoors.

"Whoosh", Was that the wind?

The man stands up and peeks out the window. A clear night is all he sees, the full moon brillent in the sky. Laughing at his nervousness, he returns to his book.

"Creak", the man now silently chuckles at the sound.

"Crack", how could he have been scared of some sounds.

"Whoosh", must be breezy out tonight.

"Thump"...did that come from within the house?

The man stares into the fire, trying to calm his jangled nerves.

"Creak"...

"Crack"...

"Whoosh"...will the sounds never cease?

"Thump"..."Thump"..."Thump"...

Closer, he thinks, the sounds are getting closer. He shuts the book and closes his eyes, and thinks of something besides his wild imagination.

"Creak"

"Thump"

"Crack"

"Thump"

"Whoosh"

"Thump"..."Thump"..."Thump"...a pause? The man moves quietly, slowly, towards the door with a nervous gait. "Thump"...a step back..."Thump"...yes, it's getting closer. "Thump"...he stares at the door, trying to somehow see through it..."Thump"...he reaches slowly for the doorknob, hand shaking, no longer able to take not knowing..."Creak", a loose floorboard, near the door outside..."Thump", he slowly opens the door...

"A scream"

...silence... 

pendleton

There is a definite chill in the air, with that, a blanket is needed to stay warm in. Some personal favorites are the revival throw backs to the hunting/trapping lifestyle of the late 1800's early 1900's. Pendleton was one such company that exudes this vibe. The company began in 1863 with Thomas Kay, when he made a trek to the northwest, he opened his woolen mill in Salem, Oregon, in 1895 the mill closed and sat vacant until 1909. The Bishop family purchased the defunct business in 1909 and started manufacturing Native American patterned blankets, which eventually moved in the direction of bolder stripes and patterns that are named after popular trading post towns in Oregon and many popular campsites through the Northwest. To this day there has been a resurgence of this style and has become a reinvented by many brands. 

campfire stories - the guests

Happy Halloween everyone! In honor of it being the scariest month of the year, we will be be bring to you 30 days of campfire stories. Some are old, some are newer. I hope you enjoy. 

The Guests

Alvin Schwartz

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Amazon

A young man and his wife were on a trip to visit his mother. Usually they arrived in time for supper. But they had gotten a late start, and now it was getting dark. So they decided to look for a place to stay overnight and go on in the morning.

Just off the road, they saw a small house in the woofs.

''Maybe they rent rooms,'' the wife said. So they stopped to ask.

An elderly man and woman came to the door. They didn't rent rooms, they said. But they would be glad to have them stay overnight as their guests. They had plenty of room, and they would enjoy the company.

The old woman made coffee and brought out some cake, and the four of them talked for a while. Then the young couple were taken to their room. They again explained that they wanted to pay for this, but the old man said he would not accept any money.

The young couple got up early the next morning before their hosts had awakened. On a table near the front door, they left an envelope with some money in it for the room. Then they went on to the next town.

They stopped in a restaurant and had breakfast. When they told the owner where they had stayed, he was shocked.

''That can't be," he said. ''That house burned to the ground, and the man and the woman who lived there died in the fire."

The young couple could not believe it. So they went back to the house. Only now there was no house. AII they found was a burned-out shell.

They stood staring at the ruins trying to understand what had happened. Then the woman screamed. In the rubble was a badly burned table, like the one they had seen by the front door. On the table was the envelope they had left that morning.

post road pumpkin ale

Brooklyn Breweries Post Road Pumpkin Ale is the best drink to kick off October! After doing some research, I found that, early colonists to America (George Washington was known to brew pumpkin beer), wanted to find alternative to brewing beer, something that was highly available in the colder months and would provide a richer flavor. Quickly, it was found out that pumpkins with their rich starches and sugars made the perfect brewing companion to beer. Because the fermentation process is not as long, the alcohol content on the beers tend to be lower, Post Road Pumpkin Ale hails a alc. of 5%. The beer is smooth and easily drinkable, quite crisp. It has a warm malty flavor that peaks with hints of pumpkin. It is not overtly sweet, but does pack a nice mix of spices.