Writober 2026!

It’s here at last!

Maria at Experience Writing hosts THE BEST Halloween writing challenge out there. You can be inspired by her prompts to write poetry, take pictures or craft short stories with my favorite holiday as the theme.

Here is a LINK to her blog and here is the Calander:

Word With The Doctor: Halloween Journal Prompt #17

Halloween Journal Prompt #17

Halloween Journal Prompt: If I’d be face to face with Frankenstein, what would I ask him – and what might be his answer?

A.M. : Hello Doctor Frankenstein.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, I know how busy you are and I have heard you are buried in your work right now.

Frankenstein at work in his laboratory, etching from a 1922 edition of Frankenstein, artist unknown.

I was wondering, as you work in your lab, can you tell me what two songs pop into your mind? I mean, when you are sewing flesh  or sawing bones and fitting them all together again do you hear any songs in particular?

Dr. Frankenstein:

I’ve found that these two songs speak directly to my situation, or maybe they inspired my current project. I’m not sure:

A.M. :

Well. That was interesting. 

Do you have time to read? Are you working your way through anything right now?

Dr. Frankenstein:

I do love to read, most of the books I read lean heavily into academics, but this one is not only informative it’s absolutely  fascinating.  It begs the question, does evil grow like a weed in an unattended garden and do humans just pluck the flowers and feast on the fruit as they stroll through the grounds? Or do we plant the seeds and harvest them when their time has come?

It’s called The Wisconsin Death Trip.

 Wisconsin Death Trip, is a poetic and disturbing collection of photography and newspaper accounts about life in small-town America.

A.M:

Doctor, when you are feeling a bit off center and wobbly, do you take a nip of anything in particular? You know, something to bring your feet back to ground?

Dr. Frankenstein:

I am found of a Whiskey Cobbler, but to be perfectly honest sometimes I dose myself with laudanum when my days are particularly rough and I can’t wind down and sleep. Have you ever tried it? No? It’s a miracle drug Miss Moscoso, just remember to shake the bottle if you decide to use something like Godfrey’s Cordial. The Laudanum settles on the bottom of the bottle and it’s affects  can be lethal instead of  sweet and pleasurable.

Now, you do indeed find the idea of Godfrey’s Cordial that off putting ( as it would appear by the look on your face when I describe the ingredients to you)  if you have the taste for Whiskey, try this:

Ingredients:

·         2 Wine glassfuls of whiskey

·         1 Tablespoonful of sugar

·         2 or 3 slices of orange

Directions:

“Combine all ingredients, then fill a tumbler with ice and shake well. You can imbibe through a straw”.

A.M. Thank you for taking time away from your lab to chat with me-

Dr Frankenstein: It was my pleasure, may I ask Miss Moscoso, if I could see you eyes in the light by the window? No? You’re in a hurry? Pity. Such a pity. I could find use eyes just like yours. Yes. Just like yours.

A Howling Good Time


Werewolves leaning against the wall of a cemetery at night. Lithograph by Maurice Sand, taken from Légendes rusticiques de George Sand, Paris, Bibliothèque des Arts décoratifs, 1858.

Robert Egger’s film Werwulf is going to be released on Christmas Day.

I thought the release date for this movie was a great nod to:

The Christmas Werewolf Legends

  • The Birth Curse: Old European and Slavic folklore held that children born on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or anywhere through the Twelve Days of Christmas (December 25 to January 6) were cursed to transform into werewolves.

  • The Livonian Legend: The 16th-century Swedish archbishop Olaus Magnus documented lore in History of the Northern Peoples describing how human-turned-wolves in Livonia gathered during Christmastime to raid cellars, drink vast amounts of beer and mead, and leap over high stone walls.


    Werewolves leaning against the wall of a cemetery at night. Lithograph by Maurice Sand, taken from Légendes rusticiques de George Sand, Paris, Bibliothèque des Arts décoratifs, 1858.

I think it is very fitting that a  movie is being added to the Werewolf Legend on Christmas day. It’s very fitting.

Ready- Steady- GO!

RDP Monday: IDLE

If you are thinking this Halloween is going to be like all of the other Halloweens and that is a reason to put off jumping in now and getting into the Halloween Spirit here are some fun facts about Halloween 2026

There are going to be a Meteor Showers-

Meteor showers were viewed as powerful cosmic omens, divine messages, or warnings of impending doom rather than predictable planetary interactions with comet debris trails. 

The Ancient Meanings and Omens
  • Portents of War and Disaster: Many ancient civilizations viewed sudden streaks of light as disturbances in the sacred order of the heavens, forecasting great wars, plagues, or poor harvests.  

  • Cultural Specifics:
    • The Aztecs saw falling stars as direct messages from the gods.
    • The Blackfeet of Montana interpreted meteors as a sign that sickness would strike the tribe during the upcoming winter.
    • Chinese mythology often linked them to the souls of ancestors bridging the earthly realm and the divine
Draconids Meteor Showers
  • Active Dates: October 6–10, 2026

  • Peak Date: Night of October 8, 2026

  • Expected Rate: Around 5 meteors per hour

  • Best Viewing: Early evening, unlike most showers that require waiting until after midnight.

  • Details: Caused by comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, this is a short, minor shower best viewed beneath dark skies
Orionid Meteor Shower

  • Active Dates: October 2 – November 7, 2026

  • Peak Date: Predawn hours of October 21–22, 2026

  • Expected Rate: 15 to 25 meteors per hour under dark skies.

  • Parent Body: Halley’s Comet

  • Best Viewing: From roughly 3:00 a.m. local time until dawn, after the bright waxing gibbous moon sets.

  • Details: Known for being extremely fast and bright (traveling at about 41 miles per second), Orionid meteors seem to radiate from the constellation Orion, though they can appear across any part of the night sky

and if that isn’t enough to get you Halloween Science Mojo working there will be a Hunter’s Moon:

Photographer Unknown

  • Name origin: The name comes from old Native American and European folklore.

  • Hunting season: Historically, October was the time when farmers finished gathering crops and hunters tracked fattened deer and other animals by the bright moonlight.

  • Winter prep: This extra light helped hunters stock up on meat and supplies to prepare for the cold winter months.

The Hunter’s Moon is special because it rises only about 30 minutes later each night instead of the usual 50 minutes, providing extra bright moonlight for several evenings in a row

Folklore and Traditions Hunter’s Moon:

Herne with his steed, hounds and owl, observed by the Duke of Richmond and the Earl of Surrey, in Harrison Ainsworth’s Windsor Castle, illustrated by George Cruikshank, c. 1843

  • The Wild Hunt: Northern European legends say phantom hunters and hounds sweep across the air during this season, acting as an omen for war or change.
  • Readiness and Magic: Modern witchcraft and folklore view the October full moon as a time for protection rituals, setting boundaries, and gathering inner resources for winter.
  • General Moon Superstitions: General lore says seeing any new or full moon over your right shoulder brings good luck

The Hunter’s Moon is also known as

The Blood Moon

and

The Sanguine Moon

You can also note on  your calenders:

There are going to be Five- count them FIVE Fridays.

There will be followed by FIVE Saturdays

Halloween will be on a Saturday

( won’t happen again until 2037)

Clocks fall back on Halloween

( We get an extra hour of Halloween )

And there you have it, little factoids to help you jump start the ol’ Halloween Spirits!