What we really came to see

was the oldest Yew tree in Scotland in Fortigall, but since I had already been here a few times and have many pictures of the tree, I just grabbed a few pictures of the cemetery around it.

The graveyard at Balquhidder, Scotland, where Rob Roy MacGregor is buried.

It looks like a small

kirk (church/chapel) does it not?

This is actually the mausoleum for the MacGregor clan in Balquhidder, Scotland.  It is behind a stone wall with a locked gate on the way to the grave site of Rob Roy MacGregor.

We learned this, not from our tour guide...but because someone in the crew jumped the fence to take a picture and we are sure that is where he lost his cell phone :(  So when we got back to the flat in Edinburgh, they had to send a few emails to see if anyone could go have a wee look for it.  Sadly, it is likely still on the grounds somewhere.

Reasons I love the UK

Part 1

"Cheers"
Tea is more common than coffee!
They love cheese!!! 
Speaking of that ....they have more than one vegetarian item on the menu, even in the pubs
Pub or two on each block
Cheap french wine

....and  milk chocolate Hobnobs!!

I should really mention

all the fun that I have had...but I am lazy and not up to it tonight, and my expensive and cool droid phone hates connecting to most wireless networks so that I have not been able to blog on the go and we were never able get the Internet connection to work at the castle :( 

So, here is what I am doing tomorrow :)

Monday West Penwith Explorer.


A beautiful tour at a leisurely pace that passes St. Michael's Mount and visits the harbours of Penzance and Newlyn where artists, fishermen and tourists mingle. We explore Mousehole and other tiny fishing coves along a coastal route where myth, legend and fact intertwine in an intriguing manner. A brief visit to the rugged promontory at Lands

End is followed by a visit to the beautiful Sennen Cove We experience the energy of ancient stone circles and burial sites. We will also think about the hardships of the 19th century miners and their families in the mining communities while on the paths that the miners trod. Myth & legend abound in this area and there will be several opportunities to hear some of them..

Breathtaking coastal and moorland views are a feature of this tour.

I leave at 9 am - you are welcome to join us! :)
 
Cheers!  (You have no idea how happy I am to be in a place where I can say "cheers" and it is "normal". I love it here!! :)

I am gong to be gone

in a far away land for a while.  Oh, and before you think of coming over and nicking all the stuff while we are gone....we have a house sitter.  We have three cats that are used to husband being home all day....how could we not! :D

That is why I have not been posting.

Taking a group of 11 friends to stay in a castle outside of Glasgow.  :D

I promised Courtney over at Haunt Jaunts that I would do some posts from the Edinburgh Ghost Walks.  They are my FAVORITE.  So I will email her and hopefully she can post our adventures.

I will try to update this blog as much as possible.....but that really depends on my Internet service. :)

Hope everyone had a great Halloween and I promise to look at you pictures and stories as soon as we get back.

Oh, and more information on the Haunters Video Awards when we return.  Start gathering you videos and pictures!

Everyone take care.....even if I don't post....remember, I am thinking of you!

Cheers!

The Frog Queen

Monsters are real

I have proof and a very scary story to tell.....click here if you dare!

One of the hardest things I have ever

done is not wrestle the DVD full of photos from Marci when she gave us all a private screening of her photos for Nightmare Factory.  She was under super strict instructions from the very nice producer Alex...not to show them to anyone.

Well, we all know that I am not "anyone" so we got to see them....even before Ed. :D

Sorry Ed....but here they are FINALLY!  Marci's stunning photos of all the awesomeness that is the Nightmare Factory Extreme Home Makeover project.

....thanks to all our friends that we roped into this project.  You represented the Graveyard well....which made it in the credits for about 1/2 second.....so I guess we are all due about 14 and a half minutes of fame(or so )!!

Anyway, Marci, being the angel that she is donating all the proceeds of any of the photo sales to Nightmare Factory.  I know what I am buying everyone for Christmas :D

Thanks again Marci and the crew.  We could not have a better group of friends.

What are you still doing here?  Click on this link and check out the pictures!!!

It is a little late for trick or treating

but I think I have some candy in the house....

This has to be the most fun I have had making a prop in a long time.  He came out exactly how I wanted him to.  If I have room, I am going to move him into my office....or maybe upstairs in the hallway. He is just too cute to leave alone in the garage with all the scary props! :D

Final pictures of Tot (trick or treater) one of our new props for 2010.  We were in a mad rush to get pictures of him where I envisioned before we took the yard down.

I really wanted to have him out front on Halloween night looking into the yard.  But with all the people that amass on the property, he would not have survived.

So he is out there today trick or treating.....excuse me while I head in the house to find him some candy :)

You know what should be in this post?

Pictures and video of the haunt....yes, that is what should be here. 

But it is not....and don't hold your breath.

I am so behind schedule right not it is not even funny.

I still have not packed the inside of the shop....which I must do before we bring all the props in on Saturday, so no sleeping for me!

Finally got a dry enough day to web the SpiderFest 2010 display....it looks awesome.  Would you like to see pictures.....so would I! :D

Oh and Marci has some absolutely stunning...really not exaggerating...they are amazing photos of the Nightmare Factory that we can now show you....wanna see?  I have seen them.....you really do want to see them....really you do...Oh, why don't I post them....well, yeah.....yet another thing I have not done.

My house is a disaster.....

I am really behind on thank you notes and responding to emails.......

Having a big snag with the Haunters Video Awards (again), it is always something every year....

Yesterday my phone died for the second time in two months....really bad timing because....

I am leaving for the UK in 5 days for 3 weeks! Still need to shop and pack for that....

And because I am going to be gone for so long.....I am working lots of hours at work to do three weeks of work in one.

I so need a vacation!

So my blogger friends I apologize for not visiting you as much as either of us would like (and I have been leaving much simpler/incorrect or just plain lame comments - I know, I suck) and that I have not posted pictures of the haunt and some of the cool things we did this year. 

I am lame.  I know. 

I apologize.

Gotta dance!

The dancers (and all the people) were back on Halloween and although it POURED rain for the two weeks before...it managed to not rain on Halloween night until about 10:30 after we were shut down......and then it was back to the usual rain with a side of rain.





Not only have I been ignoring all of you

I forgot to say happy anniversary to husband.  Who without all of his amazing help, the Davis Graveyard would not exist.  I am very happy and lucky to be married so someone who loves this crazy Halloween stuff as much as I do.

Thanks baby, here is to another 27 years! :D

I do love all you blog friends

All the responses to the "please don't celebrate Halloween" on Sunday post just cracked me up.

Well, fortunately I had my filter on that day - sometimes my PR voice is of use to me outside my job!

But it was funny to hear Dawn's response...cause I have had to call husband over a few times...."You need to take this one honey!" And then under my breath, "Cause I might punch someone."  He knows I am not kidding and has kindly come to my rescue many, many times.*

But I really wanted to say exactly what husband (and the same vein as others of you) said

"Even if I wanted to cancel it how could I? The road block signs are already rented. The police are scheduled to be here. The kids and families are coming and the decorations have been up for a month. There is no sign in the world that I could put up that would stop all of that."

And what really made me laugh is in my head were the same words that ShellHawk said (I knew I liked that lady for a reason!)

"Well, gee, there are about a thousand people expecting to come out here with their kids tonight to see it and have a good time, but since you asked so nicely, I guess I'll cancel it. Just for you. But would you mind terribly standing out here with a bullhorn to tell them you asked me to cancel when they plan to come here with their kids every single year and have done so for the past ten years? Thanks, ever so."

That is really what I wanted to say....almost word for word.  Scary huh?  Now you know why husband says that she and I can never live close to each other....he is not sure the world can handle it.  Me?  I am willing to give it a try....it rains an awful lot here.....

*FQF

Well, it is about time

that they aired the Nightmare Factory Extreme Home Makeover show.  Really, how long could we we go on NOT talking about it.

Seriously, really sucked - lots to share.

Anyway, saw the episode and I am sure if you did too, you did NOT see us or any of the crew or any of the helpers for that matter.

No surprise!

Rob Zombie was there.....far more interesting than us helpers!  (BTW - super nice guy to all us minions!)

If I was producing the show, I would have done the same thing! :D

It was a great experience and I have to say that I am honored to have been a part of it.

Hopefully now we can post Marci's pictures for all of you to see.  Until then, check out the ABC site for a sample of her photos.

We are very proud of her, she did a great job.

We are supposedly getting a "press kit" of footage that was not on the show and logos and stuff to put on the site. 

It will likely arrive while we are on vacation....so we will all have to wait until December to see it.

Thanks everyone that donated to the cause - the school really apperciates it!