Heading into the October Country...

We're just a few hours away from that special time of year, folks. Yep, we're mere hours from a complete government shutdown the first of October, that wonderful month of cool evenings, rustling leaves, dark stories, and delicious thrills.

In years past, I've attempted the task of looking at thirty-one horror movies in thirty-one nights. I'm not sure if I'll have the stamina to keep that up this year, but there are a few classics in my Amazon watch list that I'll definitely look at this weekend.

I took my little girl to the zoo on Saturday and they were just beginning to get set up for Spooktacular. My gracious how that lit a fire under her! There's something uniquely magical about being four years old and knowing that you have a whole month to revel in the excitement of trying on a brand new exterior. Lyla wanted to be Applejack at first, and then it was Rainbow Dash. I think the latest vacillation is actually toward Rapunzel, and I fully expect that to change a few more times between now and the big day.

We've been reading from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. We're planning a camping trip with some smores and the requisite campfire tales for later in the fall. We're going to watch some child-appropriate movies this weekend and start making some decorations for the front window. All of this while cooler air is blowing into Duval County and the sun is setting a few minutes earlier with every passing day.

I love all of the seasons. Each has its own special charm, of course, but October is my favorite month of the year. In fact, I just spent a few minutes down the rabbit hole of researching Moloch for a story. Looking into those materials shot a surge of creative energy right through me, and I'm pretty excited about getting back to the story in the morning. It's just the perfect time of the year to write something a little bit darker...