First Friday of Summer!

Go out and have a wicKED weeKEnD!

Happy wicKED Anniversary, First Day of Summer, and Father's Day!

Today marks the anniversary of our wedding. Since we got married on the summer solstice (the longest day of the year) it's a nice reminder. It also happens to be father's day so happy father's day to all those fathers that fulfill that role in one capicity or another.

Winners of the 2014 Haunters Video Awards are in and look who is among them!

That's right! The wicKED weeKEnD Halloween Party took best Party Haunt for 2014!

CLICK HERE FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO

*we are announced at the 3 minute mark*

Best Yard Haunt	Mike Bachman	Saint Joseph, MO	39th Street Cemetery
Best Yard Haunt (Vanguard)	Mark & Belinda Faucett	Kissimmee, FL	Shingle Creek Manor
Best Indoor/walkthrough Haunt	August & Pandora Rose	Aurora, CO	Dark Rose Manor
Best Indoor/walkthrough Haunt (Vanguard)	Chris Ainsworth	Thornhill Ontario, Canada	Thornhill Woods
Best Static Prop	Chris Baker	South Yarmouth, MA	Village Mire
Best Static Prop (Vanguard)	Mark & Belinda Faucett	Kissimmee, FL	Shingle Creek Manor
Best Animated Prop	Steve Koci	El Cajon, CA	Sanctuary of Spooks (SOS)
Best Animated Prop (Vanguard)	Jim Slanker	Carol Stream, IL	Canyon Trail Cemetery
Best Party Haunt	WickED Meade	Big Stone Gap, VA	WickED Weekend
Best Video Production	Brad Goodspeed	Scarborough Ontario, Canada	Butcher of Provincetown
Best How-to	Chris Baker	South Yarmouth, MA	Village Mire
Propmaster Award	JIm Jwal	Charlestown, IN	Haunters Hangout

This was our first Halloween Party in the new house and we tried to go all out. I am humbled and excited to see our little video in this list.


Congratulation to all the winners, especially my Blog Buddy Mark Faucett over at Shingle Creek Manor for taking home TWO awards! Well Deserved!

Here is the Video of last years Party. Hope you enjoy!

CLICK HERE FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PARTY PICTURES

May Monster Madness (Creepy Crawlies)

It's time for our fourth annual May Monster Madness, hosted by the infamous author Annie Walls .
This year we are going with an insect type theme so I figured I would post some of the creepier things that have crawled on me in my great home state of Virginia!

To start things off, I want to show you one of my most feared and hated creepy crawly. I am talking about none other than the dreaded HELLGRAMMITE!

This is actually the larval stage of the Dobson Fly, It is the bane of fresh water waders, usually fishing for trout. I have been bitten on the ankles more times than I ever want to remember. 

These guys have a terrible bite and they tend flail about when they do sink in.

They are strong enough to pick up rock the same size of themselves. I hope you never encounter one in the wild. 

The rest is just a quick rogues gallery of some of the things I see on a daily basis in my back yard....enjoy!

American Pelecinid Wasp

Arrow Shaped Micrathena Spider

Banded Woolly Bear Caterpillar

Black and Yellow Garden Spider

The Black Widow (not an Avenger)

Bold Jumping Spider (it earns it's name!0

Bollweevil

Earwig (yes...EAR wig)

Common Ground Spider

Hag Moth Caterpillar (one of the worst stings in the animal kingdom) 

Halloween Pennant (Favorite Dragonfly)

House Centipede (Yes, it gets it's name from wanting to dwell in your HOUSE!)

Orange Millipede

Pseudoscorpion (No stinger in tail, but it has venom in it's pincers)

Saddleback Caterpillar (another bad stinger) 

Spined Micrathena Spider

Banded Garden Spider (These are all over the back yard)

The Tick!

Wolf Spider (Large and Aggressive, just like a wolf)

Yellow and Black Centipede (the forest floor is littered with these in summer/fall)

Are you ready for May Monster Madness?

Head over to http://www.anniewalls.com/#article/1049 for more info and sign up!  Or just click HERE

Patrick Wilson, star of "Insidious" and "The Conjuring" rocking out in my home town.

Really it was just across the street from our house...literally! Each year we have a music showcase called, "Gathering in the Gap". This year, Patrick Wilson and his brothers showed up with there band, The Wilson Van. They were here to commemorate the release of "Big Stone Gap" (the movies about and set in my home town) This October 9th! Here are some shots of him in action!

Memorial Day! Remembering those who made this country great!

All gave some.....some gave all!