Halloween Goodies

On Halloween we headed to Lake Oswego to check out their Harvest Festival and see the awesome Dragon Theater Puppets perform "Rapunzel Redeems Rumpelstiltskin".  Their shows are always goofy fun, and for a grand finale, Jason Ropp, the chief puppeteer, tells the kids all about how he makes the puppets and sets all by hand and how he creates the voices.  

Next we went to Lone Fir Cemetery, for their Tour of Untimely Departures.  Actors dressed as many of the historical figures buried at Lone Fir, popped out from behind their tombstones to greet us and tell us all about the circumstances of their "untimely departures".  It turned out to be more fascinating history than thrills and chills.  Jasper actually told me it wasn't spooky enough, but quickly declined my offer to take him to Fright Town.  Apparently Lone Fir for years faced vandalism on Halloween, so instead of trying to keep people out, they started this fun tradition of educating the public about this amazing place.  Lone Fir was the first public cemetery in Portland, and many of the city founders, both the famous and infamous, rest there.  They offer a monthly historical tour which, unlike the Tour of Untimely Departures, is billed as truly suitable for all ages.  (The next one is tomorrow, Sat. Nov. 13.) After our ghoulish tour, we were given the opportunity to ask questions of local historians, and to see a real live spotted owl, brought there for the occasion by the Audubon Society. (They are fond of Lone Fir, and have counted 92 species of birds on cemetery grounds).