It is the Season of the Witch. As we approach All Hallowed’s Evening…Hallow’s E’en…Halloween! Hey, I just got that! The veil between this world and the next gets increasingly thinner.  I set out to find a good scare.

But, not a startling OK-you-got-me-now-move-so-I-can-see-the-TV kind of scare. No. I wanted a slow, creepy, ominous sense of impending doom kind of scare that will hang with me for a few days.

I’m sure we can all agree there is nothing creepier than those twins from “The Shining”…or the little girl from “The Exorcist”…or the little girl from “The Ring”.  Once I got to thinking about it I recall that between the ages of 5 and 11 there was nothing creepier in the world than girls. Right about the time I started looking past that to some of their other charms was about the time they started telling me that there was nothing in the world creepier than me. Go figure.

Anyhow, I headed for Lanett, Alabama, final resting place of Nadine Earles. She was 4 years old when she died in 1933.

She loved her dollies and was always playing with them. So, her father built a dollhouse over her grave. (pic related)

It is full of toys and pictures and even a little Xmas tree.

Reports from other travelers over the years have said that the site has an almost tangible creepy feel to it.

I dismiss these folks as ones who have talked themselves into that feeling.

I stayed open and honest with my feelings as I tried to sense the resonance of any lingering energy. And, it’s there. But it is an atmosphere of sadness and sweetness. For over 80 years this little playhouse has been meticulously maintained. It was built out of a sense of love and honor and perhaps as a coping mechanism for what must be the most painful of all of life’s emotional turmoil – the death of one’s child.

I questioned my own integrity. Was I a bad person for treating this little girl’s burial place like a sideshow attraction? Don’t get me wrong, I am not above acting like an insensitive jerk -we all have our moments. But, in this instance I’d like to think I was carrying on the intentions of the parents. To make their little girl the focus of attention. To make her special.

Those who know me well could tell you I am not much of a praying man. But, over the years I have examined the nature and intent of prayer. My studies in hypnosis taught me a few things about brain waves and the physical properties of the electical impulses we call thoughts. There is more than the five traditional senses. If you’ve ever gotten the feeling you were being watched, or been around someone who just gave you a bad vibe, perhaps your aura was interacting with another’s and feeding you information.

In case there is any truth to it, I stood there and did my best to resonate the feelings that would be associated with the thoughts about how much Nadine’s parents must have loved her to build and maintain this special place for her. Maybe I left an imprint of my energy. Maybe I didn’t,  in which case, no harm done.

I needed something light to help swing my mood. At first I thought it might be this idiot dog. (pic related).

But, nah. The driver never went faster than 35 mph.

So, acting on a rumor that about 20 miles away there is an old gas station that vaguely resembles an elephant I set out to see for myself if it was true. (pic related)

Yep. Its true. That resemblance is pretty vague.

Heading for Huntsville, AL.  Good thing I took up space in school..heh heh.

I may be deep in the heart of Dixie, bit Trixie is deep in the heart of me.