We’re well into October and I’ve been remiss about speaking much about my favorite time of year – the launch of autumn into winter that happens in Seattle around this time of year. Right now, we are looking at a La Nina winter starting early.

Today’s air had a crisp chill to it and that particular clean, cold, scent that I can only prescribe to winter. It’s one of my favorite smells, heralding the time of the year that I feel most alive. I’m considering pumpkins, red leaves, and what all will look like, dusted in snow.

Right now, I’m also preparing to hunker down for NaNoWriMo next month. I will be announcing the project on November 1st with a write up and more information both here and on Patreon. You will need to become a patron to read any of the work in progress during the month of November, but a preview and some basic information about the project will be posted starting November 1st.

Currently, I am watching through Twin Peaks with the spouse (and sometimes the cats) as part of our Spooky Season celebrations. We’ve also been indulging in some horror films of the milder variety as the other Mihulec is less inclined toward *most* horror films or television. Supernatural and creepy vibes have been a good compromise there, allowing for some compromise.

Depending on schedules, I think we might indulge in one of the Seattle Underground ghost tours that we didn’t manage during our first October here in the city and that definitely wasn’t an option during the time warp that was 2020. If so, I’ll let you know how that goes and which of us had a conversation with any of the many no doubt irate, confused, or annoyed ghosts who fell to their death due to poor city planning. (It’s good to know that some things haven’t changed about Seattle, eh? *bah dum tss*)

We’ve definitely got our eyes set on a small concert with The Heebie Jeebies this week, accompanied by pizza and beer at one of our favorite neighborhood haunts. Probably with a Stephen King novel each in hand, since we’ve been both been indulging in his fiction as part of our seasonal motifs.

I’ve recently started a reread of Christine, it was my mother’s favorite Stephen King novel and frankly, she is the reason I love all things creepy from Poe to Barker. I miss her, but I like to think she knows she’s not forgotten either. Not sure what things she would have preferred to be remembered for, but I grasp on to the little things that we had in common.

And you know, in the end, Mom was right about me getting into healthcare, just not in the way she might have envisioned. Clinic management is a good career fit for me and I think she’d be proud anyway, even if I didn’t wind up doing the hands-on side of healthcare where she thought I might go. She was also right that I’m still here, plugging away at a keyboard, writing. She probably would still be equally annoyed at how many unfinished manuscripts lie in my literary graveyard, awaiting revival and completion.

Finally, a Halloween/Samhain playthrough of Dead Space is tentatively in the works, in the dark for full jump scare enjoyment. I’ll be honest, Valentine’s Day was the original holiday that those playthroughs happened, but we’re trying to swap up some of our old traditions.

What are your favorite Spooky season must-dos for the next couple of weeks? And for anyone who celebrates the remembrance of lost loved ones during this time of year, what stories are you going to tell between now and November 1st? Please feel free to comment below – I really appreciate hearing from readers.