The Ironton Tribune | Have a happy and safe ‘Howl’oween

Halloween is a fun time for children to dress up as their favorite character and get tons of free candy, but before you put your wiener dog in a set of buns and mustard, let’s go over some basic safety.

Many dogs are scared of people wearing costumes and are easily frightened during Trick or Treat. If on a walk, the stress of all the increased activity can cause your dog to jerk away from you, so be sure to keep a tight grip on the leash.

Be sure that your dog is wearing an up-to-date I.D. tag, incase he does escape.

Unless your dog is extremely friendly and outgoing, keeping him in for the night might be best. If he is afraid of loud noises or crowds you may consider placing him in a quiet room as far from your front door as possible during the time of trick or treat.

If you do not have a room for your pup, consider a crate. This could make him feel secure and greatly reduce a chance of escape. You can provide him with his favorite toy and blanket to reduce his stress level. Play soft music or turn on the TV to further relax him.

If you want to have your dog greet your ghostly visitors, be cautious. A nervous dog is an unpredictable dog.

The extra stress of goblins asking for candy might make him feel threatened and cause him to growl, lunge, or even bite.

It is not a good idea to leave your dog loose in the yard during Halloween festivities. In addition to strange looking figures lurking the sidewalks, many people use Halloween as an excuse to tease and harm pets. Also, don’t forget your feline friends.

It is a good idea to bring them indoors too. Black cats are a definite target for Halloween tormenters.

Save the candy and chocolate for the ghouls and away from your four legged friends. Chocolate contains theobromine, which can cause nerve damage and death in dogs.

The darker the chocolate, the more concentrated it is, so do not give your pet even a small amount. Some signs of chocolate poisoning are excessive drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and coma.

Candy wrappers are also dangerous. They can cause choking or an intestinal obstruction.

Pet costumes are cute, but can be highly annoying to Fido. But, if he does not seem to mind his festive outfit and you decided to go for it, don’t for get common sense safety.

Double check to make sure he can breathe easily, see and hear, and that it is flame retardant. If the costume has any small, dangling accessories, remove them so that they are not swallowed or choked on.

Halloween can be a time for fun for the entire family. Keeping safety as a priority will keep you home eating left over candy and out of the animal ER. Remember, every dog deserves to be treated like a show dog.

Tony Barker, The BARKer Shop

Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade Long Beach CA 2008

This was the scene at last years Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade. Over 600 dogs participated in last years event and they are expecting the turnout this year will be similar!

Halloween Day, Sat., Oct. 31, 2009, 2:30 p.m. The start/finish is at Livingston Park, 4900 E. Livingston Dr. (@ Park Ave. in Belmont Shore), Long Beach, 90803. The vendor fair and pet adoption fair is in the park from noon to 5 p.m.

GhostBust'n in Savannah, GA

A little GhostBust’n today in Savannah, Georgia, I am told there are lots of Ghosts in Savannah to be Busted! Anyway, I am on the lookout right now, walk’n around in Bonaventure Cemetery this morning tying to stir a few ghosts into action. I hear there are plenty of Ghosts here. They give tours of Bonaventure Cemetery; they say it takes about 4 hours to see it all. Bonaventure was featured in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Had to catch a ride out here, since it is not within walk’n distance of the Historic District of Savannah where I am stay’n! It was worth the trip!

Now it is back to the Historic District of Savannah, think I will stop first at 17-Hundred-90 Restaurant and Inn where there is a very friendly ghost named Anne Powers who in the 1800’s jumped to her death from the 3rd floor balcony or was she push, you be the judge…

Then there is The Olde Pink House was the home of James Habersham Jr. and his family. Construction on this home was begun in 1771, but was not completed until 1789, it was built of red brick covered with white plaster, and maybe the quality of the red brick or the white plaster was up to par because the home turned pink. Painted many times, the “pink” just kept coming back. There are many ghosts residing in The Olde Pink House, Habersham can be seen in many place in the home, his grandson usually seen at the bar, a couple of unknown females in the upstairs rooms, and the ghost of a servant girl in the basement. This place is really in need of some GhostBust’n!

The Kehoe House built in 1892 was home to William Kehoe and his large clan. Ten children, maybe more ran through the halls of this home. It is said that visitors to the now B& B often hear the laughter of his children at play.

At the Pirate's House Restaurant, legend has it, that many an unsuspecting man drinking in the restaurant bar in the early days of Savannah, found themselves on a ship sailing to a foreign post when they awoke. It was hard at the time to get the sailors need and the ships’ captains’ would sometimes used this method to man their ships. Poor guys never knew what happened!

Fort Pulaski was completed in 1847. The United States realized it’s vulnerability to attack after the British sailed up the Potomac River and burned the White House during the Revolutionary War. Fort Pulaski was virtually unused until the Civil War. At one time it was a prison for Confederate soldiers captured by the Union Army. The treatment these prisoners received was harsh, many died, and it is believed there are many ghosts of these Confederate prisoners and their Union captors walking the grounds at Fort Pulaski even now.

Here are some video clips of some of the places I visited as well as another Savannah Haunt!

Howl-O-Ween GhostBusting Part 1

This week I will visit Haunted Houses, it is Howl-O-Ween Week, isn’t it?

Today it will be The Stranahan House in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Seems there are ghosts galore haunting this house. Frank Stranahan was a founding father in Fort Lauderdale. A man of great wealth and prominence, he committed suicide in 1929 after losing his fortune in the stock market crash in 1927 and being held in the grips of the Great Depression that followed.

Stranahan was the first Postmaster in Fort Lauderdale and he established the first banking institution there too. He was on of the largest landowners in the city at the time and donated land for Stranahan Park and for a hospital The Stranahan House began as a Trading Post on the New River and then became home to Frank & Ivy after their 1900 wedding. Ivy continued to reside at Stranahan House until her death in 1971.

It is not just Frank Stranahan who remains an unseen resident at this historic haunted home. As many as six family members have died in the house. The ghost of Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, who died in an upstairs bedroom in 1971, is reported to appear accompanied by the strong scent of an antique fragrance. The uneasy ghost of her father, Augustus Cromartie, who died in that same bedroom years before, is reported to make his presence known on occasion; other ghostly residents include Ivy’s brother and sister and the apparition of an Indian servant girl seen outside the rear of the building.

Tours of the Stranahan House, (which is now a Museum, restored to 1913) are available, so the next time you visit Fort Lauderdale and are in the mood for “haunting” a nice place, come by and meet Frank, Ivy and the rest of the ghostly gang at the Stranahan House.

Walk'n in Memphis...

Walk'n with my feet ten feet off of Beale, yes I am walk'n in Memphis...



Okay, so I am back on the tourist trail. I am walk’n in Memphis, walk’n on Beale as a matter of fact. Yes, Beale Street, the Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock & Roll! Historic Beale Street, where I am watching the street performer play’n the harmonica. Down the way I see the dancers, gosh, that guy just did a triple flip! Beale Street Flippers, that's what they call them!



Yes, on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, you can do all that and more. There are taverns, clubs, restaurants, boutiques and even a pool hall and a museum right on Beale. Did you know that cars are not allowed on Beale Street? Well, at least on the part of Beale where all the clubs and stuff are.

On Friday nights, you can buy a Beale Street Wristband and it will get you into all of the participating clubs to see the bands with no “cover charge”. This is a great deal, since the cover charges can set you back quite a bit. Although the names of some of the clubs have changed over the years, the music is still some of the best Memphis has to offer.

The Beale Street Music Festival 2010 will take place from April 30th through May 2nd. The Beale Street Music Festival kicks off Memphis in May festivities which culminates the last weekend in May with the Sunset Symphony. Right smack dab in the middle, they will hold the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest now that is for me!

So if you have a chance to do any Walk’n in Memphis, May is a great month for the walk! If you can’t make it in May, anytime in the Spring or Fall is great, the weather is wonderful. Come stay at the Peabody Hotel and be close to the action, walk to Beale or if you don’t feel like a walk, ride the Main Street Trolley!

I ain’t nothin’ but a hounddog…

I ain’t nothin’ but a hounddog…

Yes that’s right, this morning I arrived in Memphis, Tennessee at the Gates of Graceland! Elvis Presley, the King of Rock & Roll and several member of his family lived here with Elvis and are also buried here on the grounds. Graceland is pretty much preserved as it was in the 1970’s when Elvis was living here, right down to the shag carpet! Although, No Dogs Allowed in Graceland, we can walk right by the front gate and the wall, where fans have left messages for Elvis since his death at Graceland on August 16, 1977.

I will be in Memphis for the next few days visiting all of the attractions. Visit me everyday to see my featured places.

Elvis purchased Graceland Mansion in 1957 for $100,000, seems incredible in these times. The mansion sits on 13.8 acres in Whitehaven, which was located in the Memphis Reserve, allowing for future city growth. Whitehaven was annexed by the City of Memphis in 1969. Secured by a large beautiful gate and surrounding wall, Graceland gave Elvis the privacy he desired. Fans could “cruise” by the Mansion at 3734 Elvis Presley Blvd, but Elvis was a guy who pretty much liked to be out of the public eye unless he was performing.

Graceland is made up of several buildings besides the white-columned home that was built in 1939. Elvis had a building just to house his Gold Records and today this building houses those Gold Records and many of his personal items, including the suits he wore when he performed and his military clothing.

Meditation Gardens on the property of Graceland is the final resting place of Elvis, his mother Gladys, his father Vernon and his grandmother Minnie Mae. Meditation Gardens is the last stop on Graceland Tours.

So, the next time you find yourself Walk’n in Memphis, walk right on over to Graceland for a visit with "the King". You know, I was in Burger King just down the road and I saw him, I swear I did!!

The Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson

I will continue my stay in Key West for another day so I can tell you about a great Key West side trip. About 70 miles west of Key West, Florida lies a chain of seven islands called the Dry Torgugas. These islands make up the most remote of our National Parks, Dry Torgugas National Park. Located on these unspoiled islands is Fort Jefferson.

There are Day Trips available from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park by high speed ferry. These trips are provided by two different ferry services, Yankee Freedom II and Sunny Days Fast Cat leaving mornings from Key West. Because of the location, there is never a bad time of year to vist Dry Tortugas National Park, it is blessed with year-round warm weather.

There is very limited Primitive Camping Sites in the park, restrooms are available, but nothing else, including water. You must bring all of your provisions with you and you must remove everything you brought in when you leave, even your garbage. Lists of needed provisions are available online. The ferry services, in addition to the Day Trips, offer Campers venturing to Dry Tortugas National Park transportation for themselves, their gear and their provisions. This is on a first come, first serve basis and only a limited number of Campers can be transported each day.

Visitors to Dry Tortugas National Park will find unspoiled beauty beyond their imagination. The water surrounding the islands is crystal clear, warm and very inviting for swimmers and snorkelers alike. Visit Fort Jefferson for a look back in history or just relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the park.

By the way, there are "No Dogs Allowed" in this park, but the humans really love it.