Screamfest is the Best!

Screamfest Entrance

The First and Best Haunted House

October is a great time for mystics. It is one of the few times we get to travel freely between the Nether World and the Earth Realm. Most of us try to get home to the Nether Realm to enjoy our huge party “Centennial Celebration”. Unfortunately, this year I was not able to be there.  Three of my dearest friends in the Earth Realm invited me to go with them to “Screamfest”. They told me that Halloween themed fun included games, rides and haunted houses. From what they said, I thought it might be a little dark but I was so homesick and feeling sorry for myself, I decided to give it a try.

Dragon Monster Truck Ride

The Magician

This is a very popular event and line ups are typically quite long. General admission is $25 but my friends recommended that I spring for the extra $20 to purchase a Speed Pass. So I did and received a bracelet and 16 tokens to use as I pleased. No waiting in line for me!

We entered the grandstand building and had a quick look around. We decided that we would explore the six haunted houses that were included in the price of admission first so headed outside where they were located. “What Lies Beneath” was the first house we toured and we were very impressed. At the end of the day, we decided that this was our favorite attraction.

 

As we explored the outdoor attractions, we found the “Monster Truck Rides”. Although it cost a whopping 12 tokens, we decided we had to give it a try. After a brief wait, the four of us climbed into the very front of the large vehicle. Immediately after buckling our seat belts, we began one of the most exciting rides of our life. The spins, skids, donuts and the speed are not something we encounter in our everyday lives. It was like riding a dragon except we did not actually fly. It only felt like it. I ran into an unexpected visitor from the Nether World.

Andromeda, Princess of Dragons

Shape-shiftng Gorilla Woman

Andromeda, the Princess of Dragons, is a minor celebrity in our world. She is named after Andromeda, daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia and the wife of Perseus. Andromeda was chained naked to a rock near the port city of Jaffa and Perseus rescued and then married her. She had a long life and many children. After her death, she was placed among the constellations in the northern sky near Perseus and Cassiopeia. Her namesake, the Princess of Dragons, is a bit of a loner but every now and again she does briefly visit the Earth Realm to walk anonymously and explore this world. We did get to speak to her and shake her hand but she had to leave rather quickly. She did not enjoy the crowds and all the noise. It was a thrill for me to meet her.

Mad House and Buried Alive

We went back into the grandstand building to experience the games, more rides and haunted houses. I tried the “Witches Brew Game” and the “Archery Game”. No prizes for me but I did have fun. We tried a couple of rides. “The Screamer” is an aptly named orbital apparatus that spins in every direction so fast that you feel you have entered another dimension. “Neighbors from Hell” was a 3D ride that required you to flee from hellish demons that are definitely out to kill you.  We toured the haunted houses “Mad House” and “Buried Alive”. We also saw zombies, a shape shifting gorilla woman, and a magician. We made it out alive.  Will you? 

 

The Screamer

In the 4 ½ hours we were there, we did not take in all the available attractions. This is not an inexpensive evening out. Admission plus 16 tokens cost $45. Visiting the outdoor haunted houses was included in admission and did not require tokens. The two indoor haunted houses cost 4 tokens each. Monster Truck Ride cost 12 tokens and other rides were 8 tokens each. Games were generally 4 tokens each. Food services were limited and costly so I did not indulge. I estimate my total cost to be $70.

Neighbors From Hell Ride

 

To enjoy the experience, it is necessary to leave your “grown up, responsible, judgemental, adult” self at home. Come prepared to laugh, scream, jump, and defend yourself and your friends with your purse if necessary and you will have a wonderful time. We all certainly escaped our real world and left with smiles on our faces. Will I go back next year? Absolutely.  It was Spooktackular!

Zombie Smiling

Hades and Persephone Renew their Wedding Vows

Artwork provided by Sandara in  devianart;  http://sandara.deviantart.com/art/hades-and-persephone-1-91425066

That's right folks!  Hades and Persephone, the Nether Realm's hottest couple have just announced that they are renewing their wedding vows on Halloween.  Can you imagine a better time for these crazy love birds to do that?  This is the biggest news from the Greek gods since Zeus and Hera's divorce.  Some of us saw their divorce coming while others (not me) were very surprised.  No one was surprised by the confirmation of Persephone and Hades continuing love. 

The story of how Hades met Persephone is well known to all.  Hades saw Persephone wading in a fresh spring and immediately fell in love.  He quickly kidnapped her and she became a bride by abduction which was legal back in those days.  Hades also had Zeus' (Persephone's dad) permission to marry her.  Demeter was very angry when she found out Hades had taken her daughter and made her his queen.  But there is a part of the story that she didn't know.

Persephone was falling in love too.  At first, she didn't know what to make of Hades, then she saw that he was a sad, broken and lonely man who needed some feminine light in his life.  He was also very kind to her.  He never pushed her to sleep with him, he tried to do little things to make her feel at home and he gave her space when she needed it.  She noticed all of this and it touched her heart.  One day she told him that she loved him and wanted to stay with him forever.  According to legend, if you eat anything in the underworld you do stay there forever.  Hades offered her a pomegranate and Persephone willingly ate it. 

Upon hearing the news that her daughter had eaten there, Demeter demanded that Zeus return her daughter to her or else she would destroy all crops and the world would be nothing but a wasteland.  She wasn't kidding and when Zeus did not go back on his promise to Hades, the world became more and more barren.  Times were very hard for humans and mystics alike.  Zeus relented and ordered Hermes to go to the Underworld and retrieve Persephone.  However, Hermes was caught and brought before Hades to explain himself. 

Hermes told both Persephone and Hades everything that was happening because of Demeter's anger.   They all agreed that the best thing for everyone was that Persephone stay above ground for six months but the remaining six months she stay with Hades.  Demeter and Zeus agreed to this and the arrangement has continued since then.

Back to the present, Hades and Persephone are going to have an actual ceremony to celebrate their love. 

"The thing is, I always felt bad that Persephone and I never really had a wedding ceremony."  Hades explains, "She has brought so much beauty, kindness and vitality into the Underworld and to me that I want to do this for her. "

Persephone's work to make the Underworld a beautiful place makes a big difference to those who have passed on.  Not to mention the beauty she brings when she comes back to the surface.  What she does makes a difference to everyone in the world.  She is the epitome of charity, congeniality and lightness.

"It's been a long time and finally getting both of my parents' blessings, Hades and I decided that it was time to celebrate the thousands of beautiful years we've had together."  Persephone states, "It will be a wonderous night."

It is romantic isn't it?  After all these years, these two immortals are still holding strong and holding hands.  It's their story that is my favorite of all the Greek Myths.   To have an actual ceremony for their union is something special.  The celebration is for the Greek Gods and Goddesses only.  It was important to the couple that they keep the party private.  Fortunately, there is a way to celebrate it with them.  If you do this correctly, the Greek Gods and Goddesses will bless you with good luck.

You must wear a white flower wreath in your hair (look for things like narcissus, lilies and daisies because they are Persephone's favorite flowers).  Make a mixture of pomegranate juice, nectarine juice and champagne in equal parts.  At midnight on Halloween, hold your mixed drink up to the stars and give this toast;

"To true love that transcends the tests of time.  May all creatures, mortal and immortal, in the stars, on the ground and under the ground, find the light that only love can bring."

After you say your toast, you may notice some starlight appear before you.  Don't be afraid, it's just the immortals saying "Thank you" for your good wishes.  Drink the rest of your cocktail and feel free to have your favorite food with it.  Lets face it, you are blessed by the gods. 

The Legend of the Blue Moon

Do you all remember that old saying, "once in a blue moon?"  Well we officially had one last night.  A blue moon is when there are two full moons in one month. For us (Mystics) it is a few hours where everything becomes entirely different, some would say insane.  I remember seeing a vampire put his pants on his head and his shirt on his legs.  It was freaking hilarious!

But that is what happens during this rare occurrence.  Our behaviour becomes erratic but it is not in a harmful way.  For one day our behaviour becomes a little uninhibited due to the changes in the moon and the tides.   I remember the last blue moon when I put on Angelica's (the angel) fancy gown and did a handstand.  I was trying to be a bellflower.

In the Earth Realm, it is more subtle than that. My behaviour didn't change but my circumstances did.  I had just arrived to Vancouver Island and I saw the moon was bright, beautiful and so blue. It was true proof that the mystical and magical can exist in this world. 

We stop at is this whimsical little place off the road called "Ice Cream Mountain".  It's not really a mountain made of ice cream (I checked) but it is a romantic little spot worthy of first dates and moon magic. 

I got a huge surprise when I saw that they have the same ice cream flavors in this place as they do in our favorite market town of Merkiva in the Nether Realm.  So, I decided to order a scoop of  "Moon Mist" and a scoop of "Rainbow Sherbert."  I had forgotten the flavor of Moon Mist but it was very yummy.  The Rainbow Sherbet was just as I remembered; bright and lively to the taste.  These ice creams are from a company called "Island Farms."  I am curious if they are from the Nether Realm because of the names of some of these ice cream flavors.  I'd like to meet them and find out.

So there I am, enjoying my delicious moon-a-licious ice cream, admiring the view and appreciating the blue moon in a beautiful calm spot.  Come to think of it, not being wild and being serene is very unusual for me.  I guess that was my blue moon oddity.  Everyone has a weird night where the unexpected happens on a blue moon.  What happened on your blue moon last night?

Happy Canada Day!!!

Well fellow Canadians, we made it through 148 years and we will make it for even longer.  This I know.  You know it's funny.  This country and I are the same age so I will never forget how old I am.  This is the luck of being a fairy.  Today, there are alot of things going on here in Calgary.   I will take you through what I did on this extraordinarily wonderful day. 

My first trip is to Olympic Plaza.  There, I am greeted with a free BBQ (all meat unfortunately for me), a huge stage with some country music singers singing Canadian songs and photo booths aplenty.  It is entertaining but I could not help but walk down Stephan Avenue.  There I found an outdoor market where, they had a little bit of everything including some sweet little fairy brooches.  Yes, I bought them.  I couldn't resist.  It's nice to have a small reminder of my wings.  I loved the street performers.  There was a woman who played rock and roll on a violin, some young break-dancing gentlemen who had some amazing moves and some jazz dancers who gave out alot of enthusiasm for what they did. 

After such a fun experience, I decided that I needed something to eat.  Knowing that there were going to be food trucks at Prince Island Park, I headed towards Eau Claire Market.  I walked inside the oh-so-nicely air conditioned market and saw a crowd gathered around a juggler.  He was impressive too and the kids loved him.  It's amazing the skills that these jugglers have, isn't it?  Anyway, I go back outside and do some more exploring. I search for the right food truck to satisfy my need for food.  I finally find it across the bridge.  I get this giant pineapple with a pineapple smoothie inside.  Confused?  Don't worry it's easily explained by the picture.  I also get a wood-fired vegetarian pizza which I take over to a stage and watch our Native Canadians preform a dance which symbolizes friendship.

With all this under my belt I decided to go get an ice cream and call it quits.  I wanted to get some energy in for the firework show (which I can watch from my building).  And it is stellar!  Unfortunately all the pictures I got of them were terrible so I can't share it with you my lovely audience.  I can assure you, however that they are spectacular and a show like that shouldn't be missed.

Oh yes, this is what I did but for all of you who want to check it out again next year, here is what I suggest.  Go to Fort Calgary, get a free breakfast and visit the petting zoo.  These animals are precious.  Also go to the East Village around 7:00 PM and see the performance show.  I hear it's excellent.  I wanted to go but I'm a fairy not an alien.  I can't be in two places at once.  So everyone.  I hope you enjoyed our nation's birthday.  I sure did.  How did the rest of you celebrate our or your nation's holiday?

Picnic in the Plaza - Out of this World

Can anyone imagine a better way to spend a beautiful Sunday than being out and about?  Especially when that out and about happens to be in the East Village of Calgary where a lively event, Picnic in the Plaza, is taking place.  What happens there is that many food trucks are spread out by the River Plaza.  These trucks are looking to sell some food and make their presence known. They are similar to the food carts in our world that you see  most in the market town of Merkiva.  There is also a small stage with the "Bass Bus."  Live musicians and deejays played some hot beats and chill melodies.  Sounds like heaven right?  And it's just by the river, so it was paradise.
 

 I came to this event with an old Naga friend that I made in college.   We haven't seen each other for a year and she happened to be in my neck of the realms.  She asked me not to write her name for privacy reasons and I have to respect that.  Many of us know Nagas are half human, half snake creatures from the Hindi/Buddhist regions and are a part of the Siren Clan.  They are similar to mermaids, as they can change their tails into legs. The difference is that they can reside on land and not be affected when water touches their legs.  They still have to be careful because their transformation can happen when they are the most relaxed.  Now being water creatures, they are often the most relaxed when close to water.  We decided that we would go check this thing out and I am really glad that we did.  
 
Our adventure began when we paid our $5.00 at the door and went inside.  The first thing we saw was a small caravan that sold clothing and jewelry. Their clothing was of the more vintage, bohemian, casual type but the jewelry, I lost my heart to it.  It is made locally from recycled material and made to look as if it came from another time.  My friend could not leave without a blue stone necklace that reminded her of home. I don't blame her.  And you know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say these items came straight from the Nether Realm. 

After we had finished admiring the clothing caravan, my friend and I explored and sampled a little of this and a little of that.  I think my favorite was either the mango bruschetta or the triple chocolate cupcake.   Both were so delicious that I could not decide which was better.  I must warn everyone though.  Do not buy the "Love Potion".  My friend and I both agreed that all it would stir up is divorce.  One taste of this would ward off all kinds of human contact.  So naturally, we kept it for protection.  No offense to those who made it but you can't win them all.  



  

But we felt like we won.  The ebb of the river and the eclectic music made the whole event more joyous.  We decided to eat our unusual tacos out by the river since there is an opening at the fence right by it.  My friend, being a Naga and so drawn to water, was very pleased that we did this.  As we ate, we dipped our feet in the river. To me the water was ice cold and damn frigid.  Not so much fun for me but for my friend, she loved it.  To a Naga any water, especially if water is hard to come by, is sacred no matter how cold.  
 
We were listening to the music.  It had some good pulsing beats but it was mellow enough to just enjoy.  The sound of the music seemed to match the look and flow of the water.  I wonder if these musicians and deejays knew this. To be serenaded that way while we chilled out by the water was like we were back in the Nether Realm.  Because she was a little to relaxed, my friend's snake trail showed a bit causing a little concern.  But I covered it with my jacket until her legs came back and luckily no one noticed.  So all is well.

If there is another food truck event like Picnic in the Plaza, I recommend you check it out.  If you have a good friend, good food, good music, water and a warm spring day, you will have a splendid time.