Lacey Middlestead is a Montana native and freelance writer currently living in Helena, Mont. She loves meeting new people and helping share their stories. When she’s not busy writing articles for newspapers like the Independent Record and Helena Vigilante, she can usually be found indulging in her second greatest passion–playing in the Montana wilderness. She loves skiing and snowmobiling in the winter and four wheeling, hiking, boating, and riding dirt bikes in the summer.

Nothing rattles you like the high-pitched whine of a chainsaw gnawing its way through a moonless night. Follow that with several shrill shrieks. Oh and add those sounds to an area right down the road from your house. If it wasn’t for the fact that Halloween is only a few days away, I would be extremely worried. Thankfully, I know that the horror movie sounds down the street are just emanating from one of the haunted houses in the Helena area.

The perhaps too close to home haunted house I just described is known as the Spring Meadow Resources Haunted Barn. Although I haven’t paid my annual visit to it yet, I have fond, hilarious and haunting memories of it from years past.

The first year I managed to convince several friends to accompany me to it. They split us into small groups of two or three when we arrived and assigned us a suspicious looking hooded figure to navigate us through the lurkings ahead. First, we wound our way along a narrow path through a graveyard with freshly dug graves. I found out the hard way that not all of the dearly departed were “resting” in peace quite yet. Once through the graveyard, we made our way into a dilapidated barn. We were met by strobe lights, cages rattling with creatures I closed my eyes too quickly to truly see, and a masked man wielding a running chainsaw (chain removed of course!). I think what scared me the most was daring to look back one point and seeing a freakish clown treading closely behind me toting a four foot long wrench.

That haunted house left my heart bouncing with palpitations….that was until a brief announcement was made after exiting the barn. My friend Tara, who was pregnant at the time, had gone through the barn in a group ahead of us and apparently had already honed in on her momma grizzly instincts. She took it a little too personally when people jumped out and tried to scare her. She threw a few protective punches and kicks which prompted the later announcement requesting that guests please not assault the actors. My group burst out laughing because we knew right away who must have provoked that announcement. But needless to say, I want Tara by my side if I ever wind up in a horror movie.

While I haven’t made it to the haunted barn this year yet, I did pay a visit to Helena’s newest attraction called The Cellar Dwellers. This haunted house is located downtown on Fuller Avenue and is akin to a circus freak show but with a terrifying twist. I arrived with a group of five other friends one Saturday evening and after purchasing our tickets, we waited out on the sidewalk anxiously for our turn.

Upon finally entering, we were brought into a small room where we met Zechariah and Zeb, a husband/wife duo who explained to us that they have a dangerous passion for collecting strange and unstable creatures from all over the world. In the middle of this speech, my friend Sarah and I turned around to see one of their creatures crouched in a corner. It was wearing a long hood and kept stretching out its long, clawed fingers. It reminded me of that creature from M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village film. As the show continued, all hell eventually broke lose when that creepy critter behind us broke out of its cage and went running amuck. We were then forced to follow Zechariah as he tried to lead us to safety. He wound us through a maze of different cages filled with the other creatures him and Zeb had caught on their travels. Between the blood-curdling screeches and disturbingly realistic makeup, it was hard not to get wrapped up in the story line. Eventually, we made it out safe and sound. While the boys behind us laughed off the experience, Sarah and I walked hand-in-hand back to our vehicles. We decided to reward ourselves for surviving by paying a visit to Frozen Moose for some delectable frozen yogurt.

If you get bored with tricks and treats this Halloween and are in the Helena area, I highly suggest paying one of these haunted houses.

Jenna Caplette migrated from California to Montana in the early 1970s, first living on the Crow Indian reservation. A Healing Arts Practitioner, she owns Bozeman BodyTalk & Integrative Healthcare.  She says, " Health is resiliency, a zest for the journey. It’s about coming awake to the joy of being alive.  As a practitioner, its a privilege to facilitate that healing process, to help weave new patterns of health & well-being. “ And by the way, healthier, happier people help create a healthier, happier world.

I remember the fun of carving a pumpkin every year with my dad. Actually, each of us three girls would carve and he’d help us. Or, that’s what I think I remember.

As many photos as my dad took, he didn’t document the family pumpkins. Too bad.

In fact, the only surviving photo I have from childhood Halloween is myself in this truly tremendous squirrel costume my mom sewed. I loved squirrels. They were my California suburban wildlife. But my dad didn’t take that image -- the local newspaper did.

I haven’t carved a pumpkin for years so I still don’t have any images of them. My daughter and I might carve one this year just to try some of these tips from photographer Andre Costantini. I hope you find the same inspiration.

Tamron’s Andre Costantini reminds you that two challenges to getting any good picture (not just spooky shots in October) are getting the right shutter speed and a balanced exposure. You also need to make sure you’re using the right equipment to get the right shutter speed

Here’s a few other tips to capture the spirit of your “ultimate” jack-o’-lantern, 

1. Lenses with aperture settings of F/2.8 or wider have a larger opening to let more light in. Costantini finds this especially helpful when the light is low, such as when photographing a candlelit pumpkin in the chilly evening hours. Another helpful feature is Vibration Control. It compensates for any slight movements that you might make, helping you to achieve sharper hand-held images of your pumpkin props. (Use a tripod for long exposures and you’ll want to turn the VC off).
2. If your camera has a "Full Auto" mode, as soon as the light gets low, the camera’s going to add flash whether you want it or not. Turn your camera to the "A" or "AV” mode (“aperture priority” mode) and choose the aperture yourself. By choosing F/2.8 you'll get the fastest shutter speed available. 
3. Compose your shots carefully to give your pumpkin pal some context. Costantini suggests creatively setting up your jack-o’-lantern, perhaps placing him on the side of the frame, leaving plenty of room for the tree line and sky, which can make the jack-o’-lantern appear as if he’s popping into the frame with a boisterous “Boo!” In that case, a wide-angle lens helps incorporate the background into the images, creating a perfectly ominous environment from which the pumpkin can emerge.

Angela Jamison is a native Montanan and she grew up in beautiful Bozeman. I'm the mother of two girls and write a blog about our life here and taking in the simple pleasures of family and food.

I talk a lot about Bozeman and the beauty that surrounds us here.  About getting out in our backyard mountains and loving this community.  What I often leave out is the people.  The people who keep this town thriving.  I do believe the mountains we are nestled beneath are the soul of Bozeman, which makes each of us living here the heart.  There is such a variety of people who call Bozeman home, and we all contribute in our own way.  This got me thinking about the types of people who live here…and how they fit into the heart of this lovely community.  My thoughts on Bozemanites…

Natives-

You know this type…you’ve see the bumper sticker with the outline of Montana and NATIVE printed big within it.  Native Montanans are a proud group.  Some say they are an elusive group.   People can vary greatly from within this group.  There are those who are very protective of our Bozeman…not overly welcoming to outsiders.  (I’m sure you’ve also see the bumper stickers reading “Montana’s Full, I’ve Heard North Dakota is Nice”).  This group wishes Bozeman could go back to the way it used to be…a sleepy Montana town that no one really knew about and that never made it on a “Best Place to Live” list.  Then there are natives who embrace the diversity others bring.  Who realize that without outside influence we would be a sleepy Montana town without much to do.  This group of natives may feel just as protective of their birthplace, but love the thriving small city it is now and are proud that people want to move to this place.  Natives hold great value to our town.  They can tell the stories of how things used to be and contribute to how it grows while keeping our roots deep.

Locals-

After you’ve lived in Bozeman for a few years and begin calling it home I think you can consider yourself a local.  This makes up a huge part of our population.  People who have come here because they love it, or by accident and then fall in love and make it their own.  Those who play, work and raise future natives here.  This is an important group.  They can bring ideas from other amazing places and make it work here.  They don’t take any of our beauty for granted because they haven’t seen it everyday as natives have.  I learned to appreciate how awesome our mountains are while in college.  I had friends (soon to be locals) who would point out their awesomeness that I had never really noticed.  Locals are great and may live here for the remainder of their life…but can never become a native.  They simply don’t have the history.

Snowbirds-

These guys have it figured out in my opinion.  Unfortunately most can’t afford this lifestyle until later in life.  Soaking up the beauty of our summers here and then fleeing at the first sign of snow.   Talk about best of both worlds.  I could happily play around during the warm months and then head south during the long Montana winters.  This group adds to the vibrancy of our downtown by being a part of all the summer events and happenings.  And then balancing things out by leaving as the influx of students come in.  Keeping our population evened out throughout the year.

Skiers and Students-

This group feel just the opposite of the snowbirds.  Waiting patiently for the blue light on the Baxter to light up signaling snow fall at Bridger Bowl.  I am often met with surprise when I tell people I’m from here, but not a skier.  This is okay, there are plenty of them to make up for me.  Keeping the mountains full throughout the winter and the ski shops in business.  Keeping our community young and laid back with the ski bum vibe.  Quite often skiers and MSU students go hand in hand, many choosing to go to school here for this very reason.  Students moving in and bringing with them their excitement for life that is contagious to the rest of us.  Makes for a happy town.

Tourists-

Love ‘em or hate ‘em they are a part of Bozeman.  Yes, it can get annoying to not get a table at your favorite restaurant on a Friday night because it’s packed with out of towners having seen Trip Advisor gave it four stars.  Yes, it is sad sometimes to go up Hyalite and see tourists abusing what we love so much.  It can be hard to share our town.  But, it’s also pretty great.  People travel here because it’s amazing.  You know how you feel when you are on vacation and fall in love with someplace?  That feeling of awe you get of a new city or beach town and think how lucky people are to live there?  Well, that’s what we have here…a very cool place where tourists envy that we get to live here.  When you stop and think about your city as a vacation destination you should feel very lucky to call it home.   

I am proud to fall in the Bozeman native category.   I understand the protective nature of this place, but also embrace everyone who make it what it is.  It’s the people that make a community and this one we call home has all types and this is what makes it great. 

Kathleen Clary Miller has written 300+ columns and stories for periodicals both local and national, and has authored three books (www.amazon.com/author/millerkathleenclary). She lives in the woods of the Ninemile Valley, thirty miles west of Missoula.

“MILLET!” the e-mail from my friend Sharon read.  She has been seeking the guidance of a naturopath to accompany the physician we both see who has diagnosed us with the very beginnings of osteoporosis.   “We are supposed to eat millet for breakfast because it’s packed with nutrition…and best of all, it’s gluten free!” she wrote as if announcing that it was drizzled with hot fudge sauce.

            Isn’t millet birdseed? I think to myself but do not type as I recall that I did once own a parakeet that lived forever.  As far as going gluten free, my daughter Kate and I both tried it, as an experiment to see what the hubbub is about.  We wondered if our holistic lives might be transformed, even though we have no medical reason for the sacrifice.  After going gluten free for a month, my heart goes out to those suffering from Celiac Disease who have no option but to eliminate it from their diet. 

            Like adopting any new trend, at first it felt like a healthy adventure.  Like January 2 of a New Year’s resolution, eliminating pancakes, pasta, and piecrust was invigorating and saintly.  But by the time Kate came home a month later for a visit I felt myself shutting out all thoughts of pizza, a downward spiral that could lead to the need for counseling.  Before anti-depressants we had mashed potatoes.

My sister contributed to the gathering a ten-pound assortment of our favorite See’s Candy, which Kate and I devoured like wild bears just out of hibernation between guilt-free bites of gluten-free bread that tasted like a damp sponge and holier-than-thou chips that barely crunched.   One downfall leads to another and so I promptly baked Hollywood’s Monastery of the Angels Pumpkin Bread, loaded with luscious flour. 

            “I tried eating gluten-free for a month, and I just don’t feel any different!” Kate announced, the corner of her mouth dusted with crumbs from her winning simultaneous combination of blessed bread and sinful dark chocolate nougat.  “That’s because you don’t have Celiac Disease,” I pointed out.  Neither do the rest of us who find ourselves thinking we are supposed to suffer anyway.

            After she returned to her home in Pennsylvania, Kate Skyped to display a bag of Trader Joe’s rolls while reading the ingredients.  Chia, flax, millet, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame—you name the seed, it was present, with flour being the last item on the list.       “Do you think this much flour could hurt me?” she asked while watching her mother gnaw on a thick slab of sourdough.  I told her she will probably live as long as my parakeet.

Kyle Ploehn is an artist, illustrator and writer living in Billings Montana. He likes to spend the few hours he isn't painting hiking the mountains of Montana.

The first part of a series of owls painted in the style of scratchboard illustration. I continue to explore my fascination with owls in this piece and push the acrylic medium in different ways. These images are almost ghosts, fragmented memories of great birds in search for something lost in time. I've always been a fan of haunting, misunderstood ghost stories of displaced people always searching for the ones they lost. I kind of feel that stories like that are fading, replaced by more crowd pleasing horror ghosts and reality shows of ghost hunters. So my owls are lost ghosts searching for the misplaced sense of wonder in the unknown.

The original is still available, an 18x24, framed for $650.

8x10 matted to 11x14 prints are available for $45. Contact me at kyleploehn@ymail.com, if you're interested in purchasing a print. Or stop by my website at http://kyleploehnart.com