Coming Home, Part One

(Above: Entrance to Mark Cline's Haunted Monster Museum at Natural Bridge, Virginia! The best spooky attraction ever! Click on images to enlarge!)

Leaving the MacNamara Foundation was a mixed emotional experience. Sadly, my "month of Sundays" had come to an end. Happily, I'd be seeing Steve for the first time in six weeks. He flew to Manchester, Rhode Island in order to drive me back home. Along the way we stayed near Natural Bridge, Virginia.


(Above: One our our "guides" through Hallowscream!)

The plan was to burn the petitions for forgiveness in a bonfire. These petitions had been collected in a Plexi-Glass box during my Blues Chapel solo exhibition in Pickens, SC during the summer. I had a sign stating that the petitions would never be read but burned on Halloween...at midnight...the hour separating ancient pagan festivities from All Saint's Day.

(Above: Another view of the Haunted Monster Museum!)

On-line research indicated that Mark Cline's Haunted Monster Museum and Dark Forest Maze would be a perfect place. I even called this eccentric artist and his wife. They thought the plan was totally COOL, but drought conditions in Virginia eliminated the bonfire. Steve and I decided to burn the petitions later...back in South Carolina...over the grave for our recently deceased cat, Siren. In the end, this was a far better plan. The burning was last night. It was quiet and peaceful and the spiritual moments I'd hoped to create. The papers turned to ash. Smoke rose like prayers. Pond water extinguished the flames. Forgiveness and memory melted into the night sky.

(Above: Siren's resting place. Below: Burning the petitions for forgiveness.)


This also meant that Halloween night at Hallowscream was a total BLAST!






We first went to Mark Cline's famous FOAMHENGE...an April Fool's joke that has turned into a funny tourist attraction. Steve and I took photos of our shadows too!


After dark we went to the Haunted Monster Museum and the Dark Forest Maze. It was undoubtedly the best Halloween attraction I've ever experienced and completely worth every penny!



(Above and below: It's hard to take photos in a haunted house. These were "outside" and the only shots I could get!)