Spectral Suburbia

Early October in the suburbs of Southern California. It was already happening: a witch here, a skeleton there, wraiths hanging from palm trees. And before you could say “Poltergeist” there was, scattered among the cacti and succulents, a proliferation of ghoulies and ghosties and things that go bump in the night. It was positively…scary. Making matters eerier, there’s a contrast between the perceived notion of the season (cooler temperatures, falling leaves) and the locale. It appears barmy when the weather is so balmy. Applying the methods of an anthropologist, it’s possible to view the setting of this holiday ritual with bemused interest. Tile roofs and cul-de-sacs, subdivisions dictated by homeowners’ associations, and street names that are unpronounceable for the bulk of the nation. Traditions adapt, no matter how absurd the environment may seem.

Within this backdrop, I explored some neighborhoods. There was nice integration of landscape with décor, displaying creative use of space. And it was hard not to chuckle at a wraith that had a head but no horse, suspended above a headstone that indicated: “Headles [sic] Horseman.” Imagination is at the heart of Halloween, after all. I enjoyed my perambulations through a smidgen of Southern California suburbia and hope the photos I took give you a taste of the environs.