Week in Review

 One of the projects on the list is installing guttering on the back room, and incorporating the new rain barrels we picked up. These ones have the bells and whistles - they have a fine mesh screen at the top so mosquitoes can't get in, and a spigot threaded for a hose, to access the water. Our more decorative wine barrel lacks those advantages.

Stace and Violet worked hard Sunday and got this side finished!

Meanwhile, I spent time with Kelly - we went to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and got dinner before heading to Fright Fest. 

Kelly is a friend who has supported Cora in her acting over and over through the years.

The black light was intense where we were taking photos!

We enjoyed our time with Lorraine Lurane, too. It was great catching up with Kelly; we hadn't seen each other since our June trip to the Hollywood Bowl. 

Cora joined her Fright Fest coworkers for bowling after Sunday's shift, and had fun. I'm so happy she's socializing, and enjoying her coworkers enough to want to do so. But it did make for a very late night! She slept a lot of Monday to catch up, after her English class.

Violet and I went back up to DeBellis Farm in Acton on Tuesday after school to pick up half-price pumpkins, with Halloween coming this week. They weren't "cheap" but definitely fair priced, and I love supporting local small businesses.

On Thursday, Violet had her monthly walk with the hiking club at her online school. This time, at the urging of her teacher and office staff, I joined. We walked at Mentryville, and our group included a teacher who is a geology expert. He explained how the area formed, and discussed the strata in the hillside there.

It was a pretty morning!

On Thursday, Stacey had dental work done, so I made potato soup, which would be easy to eat. Then I went to watch Eloise, while her parents went to a candlelight strings concert. Gibby the cat was very relaxed!

Here are the pumpkins Stace and Violet carved. That's about as Halloween as we got this year - Cora was working at Fright Fest (so she had AMAZING makeup and costuming), and Violet didn't dress up or trick-or-treat. Stace and I enjoyed passing out candy with our neighbors - the last few years, we've had the tradition of standing outside together and chatting. This year, Ryan and Sally had a TV out front with the Dodgers' World Series game on. It was fun!

Fright Fest 2025!

 We returned to Fright Fest on Friday, with my Dad (and his good camera gear) and Colleen and Rigo. We came upon the spookiest siren!

The makeup artists are truly amazing, artists in every sense of the word. 

Cora was ON. It was fun to watch. See the video below. She's loving her crew and being a scare actor. The hours are long but she really is enjoying the experience.

Rigo said he was more creeped out by her persona, and the sounds she made, than he'd ever felt at Fright Fest! She makes a shrieking sound by inhaling; she swears it doesn't bother her throat. It sounds like the shrieking eels in Princess Bride, or the Ringwraiths from Lord of the Rings.

We watched her work for a while, and got these photos. Thanks to Colleen for this one - the black light was cool! - and to my Dad for the rest. She's wearing her contacts here.

We then went up to Mom's new scare zone, Thunderbolt Alley. Here, there are numerous characters you might find in a '50s movie - well, the dead zombie type of movie. 

Lorraine Lurane introduced us to her new friends, including this poor guy. He apparently was a star football player who had an unfortunate in-game head injury.

We also enjoyed the slider show again - Cora would love to be a part of this team next year. They really put on an impressive show. With my dad and his camera, we got VIP treatment and viewing! 

(Colleen took this photo.)

Dad got this photo prior to the show, of two of the chief sliders. Jinx the Fool, on the right, has been encouraging to Cora about learning to slide.

We took a break with a drink in the bar, and chatted. It was a great night with my Dad and friends!

Frightful Beginnings

 It's been a big week for Cora! Fright Fest opened on Friday, and she had two trainings that went very late, on Monday and Wednesday nights. Her work nights will go until 2 a.m. pretty often. Also, the college play she's in started rehearsals on Saturday morning, so she had to go on very short rest after Friday's late night.

She spent the beginning of the week creating 3D-printed items for her Fright Fest character, a siren in the Devil's Triangle area. She made this mandible and painted it, and will hang it from a net she'll tie around her waist, along with other trinkets like shells and pearls.

Oh, and she also MADE the net! She looked up a video on how to knot twine into a net, and went to work. My girls are both so creative, crafty, artistic... it's astonishing.

On Wednesday night, Stace and I got to go to the training, which was a dress rehearsal for the scare actors and maze workers, and an Employee Night. This meant all employees could go, and bring one guest. Though my mom and Cora were both working, they put in my name and Stacey's name, as their one guest they were inviting.

My mom has been moved to a new scare zone, and it wasn't open Wednesday, so no photos with her yet.

It was great seeing her and meeting some of her new coworkers. She speaks very well of them all and is happy to be in this scare zone with them.

Because it was an Employee Night and dress rehearsal, Stace and I were able to go in all the mazes. That was fun, and a first for us - during normal Fright Fest, you have to pay extra to go in the mazes, and there are long lines, so we never have taken part.

Meanwhile, Violet and I went to the archery range on Monday night with Stace, and got frozen yogurt. Her schoolwork kept her very busy this week - she had a couple of writing assignments that were time-consuming. 

On Friday afternoon, she got her hair cut - not the best photo to show it off here though. Oh well. 

We watched Rango that night with Stace, and over the weekend watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, in honor of Robert Redford's passing. Vi has more of an interest in cowboy films and art, because she's been playing Red Dead Redemption 2, a western-themed video game.

On Sunday evening, Stace, Violet and I went to Colleen and Rigo's house. Our friends Christina and Eric were there, too.

I brought a keto-friendly broccoli salad, since our friends aim for that type of diet. But I totally overestimated the amount of broccoli we'd need. Ha! Four cups of chopped florets sounded like a lot but I definitely didn't need as much as I bought. No matter, it keeps in the fridge and we'll eventually eat it up. 

Fun, Full Weekend

Violet and I did some PE at Vasquez Rocks on Friday afternoon, at her request. It was a gorgeous day.

We stopped for coffee drinks at San Fernando Coffee Company on the way home. 

That night, I had dinner with Christina and we saw a mystery play at The Master's University.

On Saturday, Vi got some more PE credit, taking a long bike ride with Stace. While near the mall, they came upon this hawk by a bridge, chowing down on a squirrel. Nature in action.

Meanwhile, Cora went to a big drama competition at Calabasas High with more than 60 schools, and I was able to chaperone. She took part in a musical theatre scene. Here, she is resting during this big day, and rehearsing lines with Mackenzie, who plays the second Stage Manager in Our Town.

That evening after we got home, we adults went to Fright Fest with Colleen, Rigo, Lucas, and our friends Christina and Eric.

It's always good hanging out with Lorraine-Lurane.

On Sunday afternoon, we got together with the same friends at River's End Pub on the other side of the valley. The bbq here is so good! Stace and I shared this humongous rib and sides.

Stace and Rigo drove their classics.

I found a new bread recipe that worked really well with my fresh-milled flour. Success! 

Violet and Liana went to a fun youth event at her church while we were at River's End. 

A good week!

Fright Fest 2023

Cora and I ran over to Magic Mountain on Thursday after school to see our favorite witch.

It was the first Thursday Fright Fest of the season, and being it was still September, we figured it would be one of the least crowded times to be at the park.

We were right! We had a great time together, and were able to ride seven rides with basically no wait time.

 

I was happy to be out spending time with my girl, and thought this Oktoberfest photo opp was screaming out for our photo. Cora obliged, kind of.

Weekend Fun

Cora's school marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with this flag display on the front lawn.

We happened to be there Saturday, because the Show Choir was having its annual fundraiser car wash and rummage sale.

Grandpa got his car washed, and shared this photo of me of one of the students who worked on his car.

Violet and Stace got a new recurve bow, similar to the one Vi used when she did mounted archery (which she'll restart when it cools off). Violet said she likes it better than her old bow, though it does hurt her hand a bit with the knocking.

 

Later on Saturday, Cora and I went to the opening night of Fright Fest, and took her friend Zach with us. 

We went to an illusionist show, and Zach was picked to go on stage! Not only that, he was selected to be the one to lie on the horizontal board while the other helpers held it around the edges. One by one, the people removed their hands, and then the supports under the board were moved. MAGICALLY, Zach and the board remained suspended in the air! 

Cora got to see her favorite slider clown; Cora has hung out with this lady before, when she went with Grandma and Grandpa to the ghosts and ghouls convention. 

We had fun with our favorite witch!

Frightful Fun!

 We didn't make it to Fright Fest during the Halloween season, but this year Magic Mountain continued the fun for the first weekend in November.

This year, we went with Colleen and Rigo again, and all the kids came along.

Our favorite witch was on form! We politely declined her offers of chiropractic treatment.

After all these years, it was nice to finally have Violet along. She was OK with the witch, but pretty nervous about everyone else, and truthfully, hadn't wanted to come.

Cora loves it all, though. In fact, after her fun doing her own gruesome Halloween makeup, she is interested being a scare actor when she's old enough.

After a bite to eat, Grandpa, who was on hand taking photos, took Violet home with him.

We closed our night with the slider show, a new addition this year. It was so fun!

And yes, it's another aspect Cora would like to learn and do!

Enjoy a bit of the show.