Things are not always as they seem to be in THE WITCHING SEASON. In fact I am going to share a few instances from my recent Fall meanderings illustrating that fact.
But first, I have to tell you that over the years my mom often shared her words of wisdom or tidbits of knowledge which I have fondly remembered and mentioned here in this blog as Mom’s “Momisms”.
One of her favorite expressions when I told her some titillating or unbelievable news was “Linda dear, believe half of what you hear and all of what you see.” “Okay Mom” would be my meek response.
Well, fast forward a decade (or three or four) and the kid realizes this “Momism” and the many others I heard in my formative years, were spot-on. Yes, things are not always as they appear to be, so don’t simply take things at face value and … rumors – well investigate ‘em before you spread ‘em.
Sometimes things appear to be scary, even frightful. But, if you let calm prevail and you do not scream and thus lose your credibility, all will be fine, even in this frightful season. Here are a few examples.
Oh no, a black cat has crossed my path – should I worry?
If you’re superstitious, like folks in the 17th century who believed that black cats were associated with witchcraft, you might walk the other way if a black cat is headed toward you.
Should I have worried when this black cat was studying me so carefully? Nope, this is Binx, the barn cat at Heritage Park’s Petting Farm and he loves the Farm’s visitors or passersby. I often see Binx when I visit the Botanical Gardens.
And really … how scary could a black cat with a heart-shaped nametag be anyway?
Yikes! Look at that big black Crow checking me out!
Most of us have seen Alfred Hitchcock’s frightful movie thriller “The Birds” and the scene where a flock of Crows are chasing the children. If you haven’t, well sneak a peek at that scene here.
Pretty scary stuff wasn’t it and, after all, a group of Crows is called, wait for it … a “murder” adding a little more sensationalism to these glossy black birds. But what about this Crow I saw in the ‘hood when gathering harvest pics for a recent post? Was it scary? Would it dive bomb me? It wasn’t interested in me – it had scored a glazed donut someone tossed onto the sidewalk. “No, you don’t need to share your donut with me” I called up to the Crow. “Go ahead and chow down!” So it did.
While it didn’t intend to share any morsels with me, it kept glancing down at me, dubious that my intentions were purely to take photos of it.
This Crow was doing nothing nefarious. It simply swooped down to the ground as I rounded the corner to return home. It took that donut “to go” while wishing it had a little coffee to wash it down with. I watched it poking and pecking at the sweet treat for a bit, then our feathered friend finally gulped it down. I’ll bet its beak was sticky, a minor inconvenience for a Crow with a sweet tooth.
Here’s a twist on a popular painting for you.
Life imitates art far more than art imitates life—Oscar Wilde
Well, that’s a fair statement, but what about when nature imitates art?
When you look at the photo of this tree …
… do you see the famous 1893 painting “The Scream” painted by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch? I noticed this tree on one of my Autumn woodsy walks and I saw the resemblance right away. What say you? Did this tree look frightful to you?
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus ….
… but really, despite their dissimilarities, remember that we all hail from Earth, the third planet from the Sun.
I am an alien as many of you know … just not THAT type of spooky alien with pointy ears, a third eye, or having an ethereal presence, nor do I glow in the dark.
I am reminded of the fact that I am a Canadian living in the U.S. once every decade when I must renew my green card. But every so often I admit to doing an eye roll when Comcast, my ISP, goes wonky when I attempt to retrieve my web-based e-mail and I’m greeted with this message … cue the spooky music.
So, yes, things are not always how they seem. They may appear frightful, but are not frightful in reality. So, I concede Mom was right. As to the photo at the top of this post …
Query: is that a selfie of Your Roving Reporter, or a witch seen in my wanderings around Heritage Park after the Scarecrow Stroll? Here’s your clue: I am scared to death of spiders, so I would never allow one to crawl on my hat, nor my chest.
On the subject of WITCHY WOMEN, please click here for your Halloween card.
This week I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills #Frightful Photography Challenge.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
you might find this interesting Linda.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia
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That was interesting Wayne. Thank you for the link. Did you see “The Scream” painting face when you saw the tree? I know you were interested in the Crow – he was a big bugger and on the electrical pole.
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Yes,I did see the scream in the tree. You should go there after dark to see what the tree has to say!
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This is a fun post and so timely!!
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Glad you liked it Anne. I was happy to have found those few things to make this a spooky and fun post.
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I asked and you answered…I knew you’d likely seen The Birds. I watched it yesterday and it is frightening indeed. And such a weird ending. I enjoyed your take on the frightening prompt. The fun pictures made me smile. The black cat reminds me of the three different black cats I’ve had over the years. I always thought of them as good luck. Happy Halloween, Linda, I hope you have a safe and cozy day!
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Yes I did answer about seeing The Birds, 🙂 It was very spooky considering it was done without all the high-tech animation available these days. A couple of the crows landing on the kid’s neck or head looked realistic in that clip. I had actually written and scheduled the post a couple of weeks ago, then after Terri asked me to join her Challenge last week and gave me the theme for this week, I knew I could tailor it to add the word “frightful” a few times. That black cat is very friendly – the petting farm is right next to the Botanical Gardens, so Binx is usually strolling around. I asked them what his/her name was as I said I was doing a Halloween post on him. Yes, black cats can be fun, not spooky … no arched backs and tail shooting up in the air with fur going sideways.
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Yes, I saw that, thanks for answering.
You combined the photos and the prompt well, Linda, nice job!
Binx is a fun name for a friendly black cat. He fit well into the post too.
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You’re welcome. Glad you liked this post Shelley. I liked putting it together. I wondered where they got the name from? I originally planned to just save the Binx pics for the next Friday the 13th, but it worked out better here.
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Yes, it all worked out so well. 🐈🐱👤😸
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Love that pretty witch with her purple accents! Interesting juxtaposition of pretty and creepy…
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Thank you Barbara – I kept collecting semi-spooky pictures along the way and thought it would make a fun post … the best part to me was the tree that looked like The Scream.
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A good post for All Hallow’s Eve!
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Thank you Kate and I was happy to find the Jacquie Lawson e-card about the witch after I saw that unique witch at the Botanical Gardens. I thought this was one of her best cards to date.
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Such a clever post Linda. The crows that we see are usually after the apples on our trees. Harmless -unless we plan on harvesting a good crop.
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Thanks Ruth – I was lucky to see all these semi-spooky items in the last few weeks and thought it would make a fun Halloween post. That crow hurried and took his donut up high lest I wanted a piece.
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Pingback: Sunday Stills: Something #Frightful for the Season – Second Wind Leisure Perspectives
What a fun and frightening post, Linda! I’m reading a book on Kindle about “witchery” in 16th-century England. Women were sought out and killed for helping townspeople with their illnesses. What is interesting about the book is the crow. Corvids are in the top 5 most intelligent creatures on the planet and it’s no wonder people were friendly with them. Their intelligence probably got many a town healer hanged for being a witch. I love that “scream” tree–even with the two autumn leaves hanging on for dear life, it calls to mind the picture! I noticed Wayne’s link about pareidolia (seeing faces in random objects). Very cool! Glad you could link up and add to the fright-fest this week!
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That is interesting about the witches Terri. When I was in college, I was in student government with a guy named Jim Mulleague whose mother was “Gundella the Witch” – she was a local celebrity who used to conduct seances and appeared many times on TV. Apparently show biz ran in the family as Jim and a friend had a Laurel and Hardy gig – they had their rituals and look down pat. I have a photo taken with them – I’ll have to use it for a Wordless Wednesday post sometime. The “scream” tree was a lucky shot – those two “eye” shadows from the two leaves hanging by a thread made that face complete, just as Wayne’s link suggested and like your teakettle/stove face and snow face. Fun stuff! Thank you for including my post for your fright-fest challenge.
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That will be a fun WW post to read, Linda!
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I should do it this year Terri as I delved into so many vintage memories that happened 50 years ago.
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To answer your query, Linda, this is not my Roving Reporter as this wicked witch is not carrying peanuts! Those spiders might be plastic. I may have to steel her bosom enlargements.
Good thing I’m not superstitious. Binx doesn’t scare me. I don’t know what the gorgeous black cat with green eyes name is who lives on the other side of the street, but I nickname it Hallow years ago.
I enjoyed your crafty post this Halloween Eve while sipping on spicy cinnamon and soothing licorice hot tea as a rainy cold front came through dropping our temperature to 47 with high of 50. I’m considering baking green apples in butter and cardamom for a treat this evening. 🎃🧙♀️🧹👻 Happy Spooks!
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Glad you liked this post TD and that you figured out it was not me as a selfie in the top photo. As a long-suffering arachnophobe, spiders scampering on my hat and clothing would have me in a tailspin for sure. I like the idea of the witch not being the Peanut Lady.
Binx is very friendly and when I walk past the petting zoo to get to the Botanical Gardens, he watches me intently.
That is very cold weather for you after you suffered in the heat all Summer. Right now it is 35 with a real fee of 30 and cold in the house. Your brew would warm me up and the baked green apples would be a treat for me too. Enjoy your Halloween!
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Ha! The card is cute, I guess you’d say. I mean I was emotionally invested in the cat, but… 😳
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Glad you liked the card Ally. I thought it was one of Jacquie Lawson’s best cards … yes, the poor cat shouldn’t have licked its lips so many times in anticipation of a sip of brew and it would have been transformed into a rat. 🙂
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That movie the Birds! I saw it when I was young and I remember one scene where the woman got in the car and as she shut the door, a bird squawked loudly as though he was in the way of the door. It was a creepy movie and I still am nervous around large flocks of birds. When my son was young, he read a lot of books as I do, and whenever he would see a Raven he would call out “Nevermore” ( from the Edgar Allan Poe poem) lol
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That is funny about your son – at least you know he enjoyed the Edgar Allan Poe poem! Have you heard the tale about the mystery person who puts three red roses and a bottle of bourbon on Poe’s gravestone every year on Poe’s birthday? No one has ever identified the person. Fun stuff there. The movie was very realistic considering it was made 70 years ago. The kids’ screaming and the birds attacking were very realistic considering they had no high tech animation back then.
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No! I haven’t heard about the roses/bourbon on the grave, that’s kind of exciting and very curious.
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Yes, how exciting and it is not just an urban legend either. Although the identity is unknown, people can vouch for seeing those items and have taken photos of them. The person who leaves the roses and bourbons takes great care to remain anonymous! We have someone in the Detroit metropolitan area that drops a Gold Krugerrand anonymously into one Salvation Army kettle every year. Everyone wonders where the mystery person will drop that coin as it is a different kettle location very year. I just looked and the current value is about $2,100.00 U.S. Dollars.
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I can remember a bunch of Mom-isms too, Linda. Most of them are just as true today as they were when Mom said them to me 60 years ago.
As soon as I saw your photo of the tree, I thought “The Scream” before I even scrolled down to read the text. Thanks for sharing your spooky photos. And I agree – that cat does not look spooky to me. He looks positively cuddly.
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I’m glad both of us benefited from our respective moms’ words of wisdom Laurie. I agree – some of those Mom-isms are evergreen for sure. I actually did a double-take when I saw that tree. 🙂 I am glad I’m not the only one that saw the resemblance. I reached out to the petting farm to ask the name of the cat as it always comes over to visit when I walk past the petting farm – so now I can call it and I wanted to mention its name in this post. It is very friendly and cuddly.
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Fun post! I recently saw a meme of The Scream that said something about the face looking like a dog with long ears. Once I saw it that way, it was hard to see the original. We have a very friendly black cat that greets us on our neighborhood walks. I hope the owners keep him/her inside tomorrow night.
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Thanks Janis! I enjoyed putting this one together. I just took a look at The Scream painting with a fresh eye and yes, I can see a dog with long ears too. I’ve read that the animal shelters closely vet potential owners of black cats they have on hand, especially around this time of year. Binx is always friendly which is good as there are a lot of events for kids that happen at the petting farm.
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What a delightful read! Your post beautifully captures the essence of the season and the wisdom of your mother’s “Momisms”. The way you’ve intertwined personal anecdotes with observations from nature is truly engaging.
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Thank you very much for your kind comments Muktaverma. I really appreciate them. In the past I have written about my mother’s “Momisms” as it seemed she had a lot of words of advice and phrases she used in my upbringing. As I have gotten older and wiser, I have realized all that she said was true and I do wish she was here so I could tell her that. This was a fun post to write about seemingly-spooky things.
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Great post, Linda! I LOL’d at the “alien” comment, not even considering the legal definition. Honestly, there should be a friendlier word out there for someone with your “status”. The “scream” tree is a wonderful lookalike, and I love your example Momism (wish I could’ve written down every one from my own mother). Finally, I think I read black cats are good luck in Asian cultures. And you’d love it down here right now – we’re in the middle of spider season. The “wolf” variety – harmless – are a legitimate fright because they’re big and FAST!
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Thank you Dave! This post was really fun to write. Remember I mentioned I had a Crow pic to use when I had the turtles bathing and the reference to “Soak up the sun?” That tree really got me with the resemblance to The Scream. I have a treasurer trove of Momisms and have mentioned them often in my blog. It’s always fun to remember things my mom told me and how they do ring true today.. I’m glad your mom shared Momisms as well. I have heard that about black cats being good luck in some cultures. Here, in our animal shelters, potential owners are carefully vetted when they are interested in adopting a black cat, especially this time of year. Oh, those wolf spiders are big and ugly. I used to follow a blogger from northern Michigan and she lived in a rural area with lots of wolf spiders. She showed us a photo and one time there was a nest of them by her back door and she had dogs, so she used the back door frequently, but with much trepidation – I’d be a nervous wreck if I had to see one, harmless or not!
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I remember watching “The Birds” from down the hall when we were suppose to be in bed. Scary stuff. That tree really does resemble “The Scream” painting. A fun post! Enjoy your Halloween.
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I was older when I saw “The Birds” and it was scary to me as an adult. Watching that video clip, I realized they had very real special effects back in 1963 when the movie came out. The tree caught my eye right away Rebecca – luckily the two leaves cast those shadows to make the eyes and complete the “face”. You enjoy your Halloween as well … things were quiet this year and I think a lot of kids and parents called it quits early as we had snow flurries at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. and a windchill of 28 degrees!
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There are very few crows in our area these days, because — like i’ve said — West Nile virus has killed most of them off… and RoundUp didn’t help either.
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That’s awful Tom. We lost a lot of Blue Jays and Cardinals back in the mid-80s with West Nile Virus. My mom and I spent a long weekend in Toronto visiting my grandmother on Summer and when we got home I went to the backyard to fill the birdbaths and birdfeeders and water and found a 10 or 12 Blue Jays dead in the yard. It was horrible to see that and I called the DNR and they sent someone to the house to pick up the bodies and confirmed it was West Nile Virus. They should have banned RoundUp and any products with Glyphosate a long time ago – sadly what we eat contains it so we are also at risk.
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Tom, on the 10:00 p.m. news I heard that Bayer, makers of Roundup, have been ordered to take it off the shelf by the end of 2023.
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Perfect post for a frightful challenge Linda. That tree did look frightful but even more frightening is what lurks inside!
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Thank you Diane. Those mysterious holes in trees makes you wonder what crawls in there to hide. You remember I saw that black squirrel using the hole high up in the tree to store its peanuts – pretty smart thinking for that little guy. I followed a blogger for several years, but she has quit blogging I guess, but her blog was about walking in the country near her home. There was an owl in a cubbyhole in a tree – it made its nest there and had owlets and she had the sweetest pictures of them looking out the cubbyhole.
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The Scream tree is wonderful! If a tree screams alone in a forest, does it make a sound?
If a black cat crosses the path of a crow, I’ll bet it would be bad luck for the crow.
Finally, if you went to the famous Area 51 and found yourself aboard an alien spacecraft, would it be an alien alien abduction?
Happy belated Halloween!
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Thanks JP – I am glad I wasn’t the only person who saw the Scream tree. That’s a good question, but I heard no utterings and it was still in mid-scream as I strolled by. 🙂 The crow might be worried if a black cat crossed its path – two very black critters may spell problems if they cross to the dark side at the same time. I hope I don’t find myself in the famous Area 51 and am abducted … I’ll tell them that after 57 years here, “I belong” so best to leave me behind so I can worry about Bigfoot! Same back at you!
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