Creepy

Home dressed as the White house for Halloween

Heisenberg

Be wary of any loose wall outlets, and don’t mind the smell of gasoline in the carpet.

My wife and I decided to turn our front window into a Breaking Bad themed display so our house could dress up for the holidays as a meth kingpin’s abandoned home.

Charlie Parr music in “Town of the Living Dead” TV show trailer

zombieThe song “Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down” by Duluth musician Charlie Parr is prominently featured in this trailer for the new TV series Town of the Living Dead, which premieres Oct. 7 on the Syfy cable network.

Photo Tour of Nopeming

Nopeming photo by Andrew Perfetti

Photographer Andrew Perfetti has posted an interesting series of photos of his time “discovering the abandoned hospital on the hill.”

For background, there’s a history of Nopeming on Zenith City Online. Also, check out Substreet’s “The Nopeming Stories: Recollecting a Century of Use and a Decade of Abandonment.”

Nopeming Chateau Roof

Creepy Duluth Night

spooky

Another Wonderful Mitchell Letter

Dennis P. Mitchell’s letter in this morning’s Duluth News Tribune is a gem.  Dennis and his wife Rosemarie gained notoriety with their London Olympics letter a few years ago. Today, they reveal the sordid happenings in the Sally Forth comic strip.

‘Sally Forth’ sets poor example for youths

Ghosts of the French River, pts. 2 and 3

Starring Erin Renee. Camera: Jim Richardson.

Part one here.

Photo album here.

Ghosts of the French River (pt.1)

Starring Erin Renee. Camera: Jim Richardson.

Photo album here.

First Tick of the Year — 2014 Edition

It was actually last week — Friday, May 23 — when the first tick of 2014 crawled up my neck after a short hike near Kingsbury Creek. Although this time of year is prime time, ticks aren’t expected to be worse than usual in 2014. Mike McLean, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District, told KSTP-TV, there was a “depression in their numbers” in 2013 because of late-season snow, and that could carry into 2014.
(more…)

Giant Water Bug, Outer Harbor by Lakewalk

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlzmqfAOWCI

The Giant Water Bug is among the largest insects in North America. Size was at least 3 inches long. They live around the edges of lakes where they trap air under their wings and dive for small fish and frogs. This mature adult probably overwintered in the mud.

Neighborhood book burner strikes Little Free Library

“Well I never!” What a way to start the day. Here at Loaves & Fishes on Jefferson Street, someone decided to set our Little Free Book Library on fire this morning! An officer happened to be driving by and she noticed flames emanating from the library so she stopped, grabbed her fire extinguisher, and extinguished the flames. Who thinks it’s a good idea to burn free books? Seriously. (more…)

Dad’s Acid – “Red Surf”

This music video from Duluth band Dad’s Acid kicks a reasonable amount of ass. The footage is from the film They Call Her One Eye.

Yoshikas Sauna Revisited

On the Bumper to Bumper show on KFAN Radio, broadcast out of the Twin Cities and on the air in Duluth on KQDS AM 1490, host Dan Barreiro and his crew took on the subject of a new “cuddle business” opening near Sacramento, Calif. The subject turned to a “health club” called Yoshiko’s Sauna in Minneapolis that was in business during the 1990s. Later in the show they discovered an old post about Duluth’s Yoshikas Sauna on Perfect Duluth Day and … well … that’s the clip above.

In a strange, unfamiliar world …

Footage of the Duluth Festival Center … in Duluth … Georgia.

Winter Wasp Woes

I have wasp problems. At least, I think they’re wasps … could be hornets, I hope not. Anyway I know I have nests in the porch ceiling pretty bad, but it’s possible they are also in the walls too. How bad? I’m afraid to know, but the real problem started last year on New Year’s Day, a couple hours into 2013.
(more…)

Fish Fountain

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y_u4iv8_3M

Rock your ice beards in Ibanuary: Six wicked ice beards

Move over Movember and make way for the Ibanuary (Ice Beard January). January is definitely ice beard season and this year is certainly no exception. With the full-on Polar Vortex there is no better time to show off your ice beard awesomeness. Above are six wicked ice beards … well five, and one pretty weak ice beard of mine.

Post your best ice beards in the comments!

Minnesota Shoplifting Detain/Restrain Laws?

Does anyone know the laws regarding detaining/restraining suspected shoplifters? I walked out of the mall tonight and found three Younkers loss-prevention staff holding a woman face-down in the snow, with their knees on her back attempting to handcuff her while she was telling them she couldn’t breathe.
(more…)

Insane Footage of Lake Superior in December

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM-Pl4Jz19Y

Halloween Demon Interview

I got to sit down in the new Kirby Student Lounge with the Duluth Demon early Halloween morning. He showed up in full costume, including his usual mask, a body suit, gloves and boots. He was polite, at ease, and very easy to talk to. (more…)

Duluth Demon Demonized?

Four weeks ago a post on Perfect Duluth Day introduced the “Duluth Demon,” a masked character who apparently jumps out from behind trees in the Bagley Nature Area and scares the dickens out of UMD students. Whether it was a publicity stunt, all in good fun or a dangerous individual threatening public safety, the topic didn’t generate a lot of attention here.

Now that Halloween is upon us, however, we should have seen a twist in the story coming.
(more…)

Scary Duluth Basements

There are so many potentially creepy houses in Duluth, especially along Greysolon Road. Aren’t you just dying to know what’s in the basement? Could be catacombs of dead people you weren’t aware of, or an ancient demon perhaps.

Rooms can be very difficult to photograph, but post your photos/video tours here anyway. If you think the space is creepy but the photo doesn’t convey it, feel free to add some description as to why this place is so dreadfully scary.

Glensheen’s Spooktacular Tips

You probably know that Glensheen is hosting a display of 1,000 Jack O’ Lanterns starting tonight. It’s a gorgeous presentation and it’s one of those few events that is actually fun for adults, as well as children. No trick or treatin’, no costumes – it’s more a visual celebration of autumn.

But, PDD’rs here’s a little inside baseball for you.

– Try to walk if you can; parking in the Glensheen lot is a bear. There’s construction going on that’s taking up part of an already smallish lot.

SATURDAY ONLY: There’s a shuttle from UMD’s Lot W running about every 20 minutes.
(more…)

Halloween Banners 2013

It’s the annual call for Halloween banners on PDD.
(more…)

Fauna of Lake Superior

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llg8rejFJ44

All the random animals that have crossed my path over 3-4 years of summer lake videography, familiar for the most part to regional residents. There were others that didn’t make it on video including river otter, sturgeon, various birds incl. loon seen threading between underwater boulders.

Duluth Demon

Just in time for Halloween the Duluth Demon emerges and has been seen lurking around UMD. It seems he was last seen terrorizing people in Bagley Park and has not broken character yet. An article from the UMD Statesman explains his presence. The demon can also be found on Facebook.