Haunted California in books

I love a good ghost story and of course this is the perfect time of year for one, especially if it's a local ghost story. I have two books to recommend to you if you're into that sort of thing, I know I am. 

First up in "Ghost Stories of California" written by Barbara Smith. This book includes stories about the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (haunted by the ghost of Marilyn Monroe) to The Queen Mary (the pool still used by ghost of guest that never disembarked). While it covers all of California, my one critique is that it lacks addresses or enough information for the reader to do a little ghost hunting of her own (ahem). 

For me, the more interesting of the two is "Haunted Houses of California" written by Antoinette May. Hers is broken down by area (Northern Cal first, all the way down to San Diego in that order), and gives not only addresses and directions (where prudent), she'll even list phone numbers and days opened where appropriate (The Winchester House).  One of my favorite stories is Pacheco Pass. I had an opportunity to take said Pass a few years ago, but was in too much of a hurry to get home. Re-reading the passage tonight I'm sort glad I passed on this one . 

I did however check out Thelma Todd's Garage. "The Ice Cream Blonde" started her career in 1926 and over the next 9 years made 107 films with Hollywood heavies Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart and Buster Keaton. Her ghost is now said to haunt the very garage her dead body was found in one night in Dec 1935. While it was obvious she was murdered, her death was ruled an accident. It's a fascinating tale, with gangsters, a jealous lover and an ex-husband. I regret terribly that I'm unable to find the pictures I took of both the roadside cafe she and her lover Roland West opened on PCH (it still stands and is a production company) and of the very garage she was found dead in. If I ever find them I will post them, even if it's not Halloween.

Boo!

J.

Pumpkin Patch

We checked out Shawn's Pumpkin Patch in Culver City near Fox Hills Mall. The pumpkin selection was great and the prices fairly cheap. They also had a Petting Zoo, a "train" ride, face painting, and a jumpy castle. We did the petting zoo, bought a pumpkin and did the hay bale maze, but decided against the train ride, which paled in comparison to the one at Griffith Park.

Entrance to Shawn's Pumpkin Patch in Culver City

The last Sunday before Halloween it was pretty busy.

We can never pass up a petting zoo.

Looks like Older Brother is up to no good at the hay bale maze.

A little help with the pumpkin carving. 

Boo!
J.

Saint Louis One Cemetery, New Orleans

Cities of the Dead

I describe New Orleans thus: "Visiting New Orleans is like paying a visit to an aging prostitute: She'll get you off, but her moves are just a bit too practiced, the wallpaper a bit tatty and she's just a bit too quick to take your money and kick you out of bed.

I was fortunate to have visited New Orleans before Katrina. The following are pictures from my visit to the infamous Saint Louis One.

The moment I arrived in New Orleans I asked to be taken to St Louis 1 but was told that it was too late in the day. It was not really safe to go there after dark as it was located next to the Iberville housing project which was built over Storyville. 

The next day it was raining rather heavily and I made note of the signs suggested I was entering at my own risk and I would be safer as a part of a tour. The rain seemed to keep everyone away except for myself, which is why you don't see a living soul in these pictures. 

New Orleans is located well below sea level, the dead are buried in above-ground tombs or vaults. These tombs, which can resemble small architectural buildings, have earned the New Orleans' cemeteries the grand nickname, " The Cities Of The Dead."

cribbed from: Haunted New Orleans Tours.

Two days later I returned under blue skies and the presence of tourists.

Tomb of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau

SL1 is home to the voodoo Queen Marie Laveau.  According to legend, one knocks on her grave three times, marks the tomb with three X's in chalk or brick, knock three times again and make your wish.  

Then you must leave an offering. 

J.

45 and counting....

I've had a great birthday weekend celebrating my 45th birthday. I'm half way to my goal of living to 90!!

This is the birthday video my husband made for me that I thought I would share. Who knew I smiled that much!!

Thank you baby, I love you too. 

I haven't forgotten about Halloween mind you, I'll have pictures of St. Louis One, New Orleans up this week.

Cheers!

J.

Old Jewish Cemtery Prague

This will be the last of my creepy Prague photos for my countdown to Halloween.


For our 1st Wedding Anniversary and my In-Laws 40th Wedding Anniversay, my husband took the four of us to Prague to celebrate. He had been there a few times before and was happy to play tour guide.

One of our first stops, the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague. This is a huge tourist spot in Prague and it's easy to see why. Located in the Josefov in Prague, this cemetery dates back to the early 15th century. It contains some 12,000 tombstones but the number buried here is much greater, with some estimates as much as 100,000 due to layer upon layer of soil added in order to accommodate more graves.

 

 

 

These last two are not of the cemetery but of the Charles Bridge. 

I included this one for its eeriness. 

Do you know how early you have to get up to see the Charles Bridge this deserted? VERY early!!

Boo!

J.

Sedlec Ossuary Kutna Hora

Dead Men Tell No Tales - Part II

Gosh, I had no idea how many creepy, haunted photos I had until I started pulling them together for my countdown to Halloween.

 These are photographs I took inside the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic. Also, known as The Bone House or Bone Church, most of these shots, as you can see, are rather arty on my part. You can see clear, detailed shots here.

You can read more about the Ossuary by clicking the links but the summary version is thus:

One half-blind monk, using the bones of victims of the Black Death and a war created everything (and more!) you see here. Including the chandelier that has at least one of each bone of the human body represented in it.

The skull that you saw in my Halloween tablescape in a previous post was a cast taken from one of the skulls of the Ossuary, in other words, it's not a real skull. 

Boo!
J. 

Chandelier of bones

Schwarzenberg Coat-of-Arms

The camera I was using had an infrared setting I liked to use on this type of subject.

Haunting Images - Part I

Continuing my Halloween Theme....This image is a photograph I took of a photograph by Jan Saudek. 

We were in a pub in Prague when I saw a framed photograph of this girl on the wall. I asked the barman about it and he told me it was by Jan Saudek. I had never heard of him but was fascinated by this and his other works hung around the bar. When I took this photo the reflection of the bar in the glass made for a haunting image that I enjoy for its creepy, ghost like feel to it.

From Wikipedia:

Some of the works of Jan Saudek have entered popular culture in the West, being used as covers for the CD albums of Anorexia Nervosa (band) (New Obscurantis Order), Soul Asylum (Grave Dancers Union), Daniel Lanois (For the Beauty of Wynona), and Beautiful South (Welcome to the Beautiful South).

Image of woman by Jan Saudek