A Head Full of Horror

Prior to the pandemic, it was a ritual to travel to the Cambria Scarecrow Festival. Cambria is a lovely town situated in California’s Central Coast. Denizens of Cambria enthusiastically participate in this month-long seasonal tradition, placing mannequins/scarecrows at store fronts and in open spaces. It’s hard to not appreciate the cleverness and creativity exhibited in this exuberant celebration of Halloween.  The joy of the season is infectious. And reveling in it at a picturesque seaside town that features fine food and libations added an extra treat to the already bountiful delights of trick or treat. To learn more: Cambria Scarecrow Festival

Horror fans have fondness for certain critters: cats, bats, spiders, corvids are among them. While I appreciate all those beasties, there’s a special place in my heart for owls. When this aspect of my personality became common knowledge, my small collection of decorative owl tchotchkes and artwork mushroomed. Friends and family no longer had to scratch their heads about what to give me as a gift. My home was transformed into a quasi-aviary bedecked with inanimate owls. In April of 2022, a live owl came into the picture. For roughly a month, it used a tree outside the master bedroom as its homebase. This resulted in comments such as “Don’t…