The Dark Hedges - A Haunting

Well, it's the most spooky month of the year again....the perfect time for some of my favorite things like Jack O'Lanterns, Legends and Haints.  And truth be known some of the present day Hallowe'en customs that we celebrate here in America have their origins in the magical land of Ireland.  So I thought it was the perfect time to share a little story about an eerily beautiful location that comes with it's own 'Ghost'! It even has a sinister sounding name....The Dark Hedges!

The Dark Hedges are located in Northern Ireland in Ballymoney, near the village of Armoy, along a stretch of Bregagh Road.  What makes this stretch of road so unique is the picturesque Beech Tree Canopy that covers the stretch of road leading to what is was formerly known as Gracehill House. Gracehill House was a Georgian mansion belonging to the Stuart family in the 18th century.  The family planted the Beech trees that line both sides of the road, to serve as an impressive landscape feature for visitors coming up the long driveway to the mansion.  And there they've grown for over 300 years.

What makes The Dark Hedges so stunning,  is how they've grown across the drive towards each other,  and have entangled themselves in such a way to form a lovely Tim Burton-esque canopy over the road.  They form a long, naturally arched tunnel in which the light and shadows play in a most beautifully haunting way.  The gnarled branches seem to be a bit foreboding in appearance, while at the same time quite breath-taking to behold.  The old trees appear as though  they may come to life at any moment and pluck you right up with their gnarly branches.  So it's no wonder that a 'Ghost Story' is inevitably attached to this magical site.

Local legend speaks of a supernatural specter that haunts the hedges along the road.  She is known as "The Grey Lady".  She is rumored to be the restless spirit of a former maid that worked at the mansion who had died of mysterious circumstances centuries ago.  The apparition has been spotted gliding along the side of the road and vanishing as she turns the corner past the last beech tree.  Still others believe her to be a lost spirit from an abandoned graveyard rumored to lay hidden in the dank, dark earth of the nearby fields.  But the best tale is the one that takes place on All Hallow's Eve.

For on Hallowe'en night, when the veils between the spirit world and ours grows thin....it is said that the Grey Lady herself is joined on her nightly walk by the tormented souls of those other restless spirits buried beside her in the forgotten graveyard.  Nothing like a lil' Hallowe'en Awakening and Midnight Processional to get the blood racing and the heart pumping, eh?!  I don't know about you...but I don't think I'd be brave enough to venture down that spooky stretch of road alone at night, especially on All Hallow's Eve! 

Orange Tree Photo Wallpaper from Next Trip Tourism
Dark Tree Photo © Bob McCallion (all rights reserved)  Image can be purchased here!

Hello October....the Halloween Countdown Begins!

HELLO OCTOBER!  The most magical month of the entire year, has finally strolled back into town.  And there is no one happier than me to greet its arrival.  And the first day of October means that the HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN 2014 has officially begun.  So join me this month, along with all the other spooky Halloween Blogs, in celebrating our favorite season of Autumn and our favorite holiday Halloween!  I'll be sharing photos I've taken through the years, poems, stories, tales of specters and spooks, blog give-aways and anything else I can conjure up to add a little Magic to the chilly air!  I will attempt to post as much as inhumanely possible, but please forgive me if I fall short, as time is always elusively fleeting for me in the month of October!  So without further ado...I offer you some images of what I love most about this magnificent month...the Turning Leaves!  And a poem that I wrote for my old friend....October! 

Hello October, My Old Friend 
By Wendy A. © 2014

Hello October, my Old Friend,

So glad you've come back 'round again. 

  
I missed the Crispness of your Air,

I missed your Rustling Breeze,

I missed the Caw of Crows nearby,

I missed your Chilly Eves. 

I missed the Earthy Scent of you,

I missed the Bonfires Burning,

I missed the Meloncholia,

That makes my Heart keep Yearning.

I missed the Haybales in the Fields,

I missed the Cornstalks browning,

I missed the Pumpkins on the vine,

I missed the Scarecrows frowning.

I missed the Orange, Yellow, Red,

Of Changing Leaves above my head.

I missed the Crunching even more,

Of Leaves strewn on your Woodland Floor.

I missed your Apple Orchards sweet,

I missed the Roadside Stands,

I missed the Harvest Festivals,

That Celebrate the Land.

I missed your Moody, Foggy Morns,

and Sun Drenched Afternoons,

I missed your Clear October Eves,

Beneath the Autumn Moon.

I missed the Trick-or-Treaters,

As they shuffle door to door.

I missed the Grinning Jack o'Lanterns,

Shining bright once more.

I missed the Ghost Stories being spun,

around a Crackling Fire.

I missed the best month of the year,

The one I most desire!

So hello October, my old friend,

It's good to see you back again!

All Images © Wendy A. (All Rights Reserved)

Hello October My Old Friend!

Hooray...The 1st Day of October is finally here again! And you know what that means....it means it's time for the Annual Hallowe'en Countdown....woo hoo! As one of the official Autumn People and a Devoted Denizen of Hallowe'en, I am attempting once again to participate in this year's 2012 Hallowe'en Countdown. I promise to try my best to post as often as I can, though I won't make any hard and fast promises that I'll come close to a new post every single day. But I will try hard to fill  these 31 glorious Autumn Days with something Halloween-y or Autumn-ish, in an attempt to spread the 'Hallowe'en Spirit' far and wide!

Today's first post will be an Autumn Mosaic Slideshow featuring glorious images of Autumn that I've collected over the past year.. These are images that epitomize the glorious scenes and vistas of the Autumnal Landscape. As there is no other season so resplendent and awe inspiring as this, The Harvest Season!

None of the photos in this particular slideshow are mine. They all belong to other talented photographers. I have included copyright information for those that I could find. If any of these photos belong to you or if you know the photographer, I'd love to add their copyright information here to credit them for their inspiring work. I hope you enjoy the images and I look forward to sharing this exciting month with you all...'The Autumn People'! :o)


Images (Autumn Creek @ We Heart It, Orange Tree Reflection © Unknown, Bench in Leaf Covered Park @ Juxtapose, Pumpkin Path © Billy Parker, Fall Stags @ Pinterest, Close Up Pumpkins © Tidy Mom, Straight Row of Pumpkins © Authentica Classics, Yellow Tree Close © La Vita Bella, Red Barn © Millicent, Colored Autumn River @ Juxtapose, Autumn In Paris © Unknown, Foggy Path in Park @ We Heart It, Pumpkins By Cabin © Scott Mahon, Yellow Stone Path © Evgini Dinev, Sunspot In Forest @ We Heart It, Pumpkins Under Tree © Unknown, New England House in Fall @ Indulgy, Leaves On Wooden Bridge @ Beautiful Portals/Tumbler, Leaf Carpet to Crooked Tree © Zeb Andrews, Bending Autumn Staircase © Unknown, Fall House w/ Picket Fence @ Falling Into Autumn, Twisted Red Tree © Robert Friel, Yellow Cat on Leaves @ Steel Magnolias & Sweet Tea, Bicycle Autumn Kiss @ Juxtapose, Looking Up at Yellow Tree © Unknown, Curving Autumn Road © Amy V. Miller, Backlit Autumn Bridge © Mike Shaw, Autumn Roadway @ Juxtopose, Dark Orange Tree Close © Mark Leary, Autumn Road Fork @ Indulgy)

Hello Autumn, My Old Friend - Part 1 of 2

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.

The winds will blow their own freshness into you,

and the storms their energy,

while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

~ John Muir

Well...I am sad to report that we are now home from our Autumn vacation....boo hiss! Why is it that vacation passes SO stinking fast? And why oh why do I live in Florida when there are states out there as beautiful as Vermont and New Hampshire? {sigh}Okay, enough feeling sorry for myself....moving on! Vacation was pure Fall Fabulousness as always, BUT, it was somewhat lacking on the two most important things I look forward to when heading to New England. And those two things were 1.) Cold Weather and 2.) Colorful Leaves. Apparently we got there too early this year, and right in time for a warming trend. So not only was there a decided lack of color to the trees, but some days it was literally warm enough to wear shorts. If that doesn't suck acorns, I don't know what does!!

(My son on the zip-line)

But never one to dwell on the negative for too long...I decided I would not let it dampen my commune with my old friend Autumn! Besides...what is 'shorts' weather to you northerners, is still sweater weather for me.

(Yours truly, happily flying zipping across an autumn ravine.
All I need is a pointed hat and a broom! )

So on our first day there, we drove up to Stowe Vermont and up into Smuggler's Notch to do some Zip-Lining. We've zip-lined before in Gatlinburg, TN, but ArborTrek's ZipLine at Smugg's puts that to shame. It was truly incredibl,e zip-lining through the tree canopy in Autumn. High above the mountain sides, over streams and gorges....from one tree platform to another. It takes almost three hours to complete, has really long zip lines, (with one being almost 1000 ft. long), and two rappels off the platforms to the ground below. That was new for us....we've never rappelled before....and I must be honest and say that it was scary and I didn't much care for that part. The harness actually bruised the ribs in my back. But I'm glad that I did it, and I would most certainly do it all again. Yes, I'm pretty sure that the Smuggler's Notch Zip-Lining will now be a family tradition every time we go back to New England, because it was just that fantastic!The color was just starting to turn when we arrived, which disappoints me because those lucky jokers who had reservations on the day we came home....were zipping through a multi-colored Autumn wonderland. But...beggars can't be choosers, and I'm just grateful to have been there at all.

(My daughter acting crazy on the zipline,
and giving me a nervous breakdown.)

So after we finished zip-lining, we had to travel back down through Smuggler's Notch. And since it was so beautiful outdoors, we decided to pull off at some of the viewing areas and climb up the rocks on the side of the mountain. The color was better in this area, although it was mostly bright yellows and gold with a little oranges here and there. The kids took off up the mountain to see what they could see, while I found myself a big flat boulder up on the mountain side and decided to lay down on it and try to connect with the earth's energy. This was pure bliss for me!

I laid there feeling the coolness of that rock while staring up at a canopy of golden leaves. The warmth of the setting sun filtered through just enough to make the leaves glisten like real gold. The air was cool and dry, and had the most incredible earthy smell to it. It smelled fresh and clean...of herbs and leaves and moss and earth....it smelled like only Autumn can smell. And as I laid there, I was quite certain that it was my version of Heaven. I would gladly tarry there for eternity if only I could.Then I thought to myself..."if only my Halloween friends could be here enjoying this very spot with me"! For only THEY can truly appreciate and understand the depth of what Autumn offers to its 'Autumn People'. YOU all...could appreciate the solitude of laying on that massive rock, staring up in complete bliss at the glory of Autumn. So you know what I did? I decided I should take a few shots UP...so that I could share with you what I was viewing from my vantage point. I laid there on my back and lifted up my camera and shot what I saw above me. I was feeling very connected to the cycle of life, to the changing seasons, and to the earth itself....when my blissful solitude was broken by the excited shrieks of my children....calling out to me that they had found a 'treasure box' up in a cave on the mountainside. Knowing their active imaginations, I "yes deared" them while trying to get back into my zen space....but they were relentless. I HAD to come and see it right that very minute. Of course I was somewhat peeved that I had to trek myself up the mountain to see some imaginary 'treasure box', but my son insisted it was real. The hubster then appears on the scene and confirms that it was indeed real. So I struggle to release the magnetic force that was connecting me to my rock, and carefully climbed my way up higher on the mountain, not sure of what to expect.

I had visions of some pirate chest perhaps....or more likely, an empty fast food container that they found and filled with pinecones, rocks and other 'treasures from nature'. But I was way off! They had indeed found a 'treasure chest' of sorts, and it was purely accidental. My son spotted it up in the crook of some rocks, so he and his sister decided to investigate it. And what a VERY COOL find it was too. Turns out...we opened that box up and discovered something brand new that we had no idea existed until that very day.

So I'll stop here and share our discovery with you in my next post.
All Images © 2011 Wendy A. and ArborTrek (All Rights Reserved)