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Author Topic: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.  (Read 56591 times)

Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #270 on: December 16, 2009, 11:31:47 AM »
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The Notorious Mr Halfhand

Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #271 on: December 19, 2009, 02:26:33 PM »
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Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #272 on: December 22, 2009, 02:15:34 PM »
St. John 5
At  precisely what point does dedication become compulsion if not full blown OCD?...
Is it the adrenalin rush associated with wandering through a cemetery alone in the wee hours of the night, the need to escape the mundane banality of everyday life that only the reckless abandon of extreme sports, roller coasters or an enlisted tour of Afghanistan could rival but practicality negates?..I had to ask myself this question as I stopped on the side of the road at 4:15 am to wipe the condensation from my windshield that the billowing steam from a slopping, overfilled cup of coffee obscured...then after a gear grinding and somewhat oafish disregard for cold weather engine protocols rendered my transmission stuck between gears
 with an audible “clunk”, I was forced to pull over a second time before even reaching the main thoroughfare...A life of lifting weights has assured me that brute force is always a viable solution as I strong armed the lever in the center console into the appropriate slot thus nudging my poor, ageing ( but beloved) Jeep into part time 4X4 in order to extricate myself from the previous days wet snow turned overnight ice mold ...the indignation I was feeling at this slight delay was quickly replaced with remorse as the added traction and now fully awakened motorized monstrosity effortlessly traversed the ice packed pavement ...
  I visualized the transfer case gears breaking into pieces and ricocheting about thethe housing as the result of my primal impatience, but this moment of reticent clarity
will unlikely circumvent a repeat performance on a near future, cranky, pre coffee,cold morning ...The decision to make these early AM excursions are often
impulsive but with conviction ...Obviously there are certain mitigating factors that influence the target location but this one seemed predestined and completely logical ...at least that is what I kept telling myself as I groggily ambled out into the cold morning air with thermos in tow...
 I remember a time in unincorporated Cook County that bars would stay open to 4am and I would generally be making my way home at this hour back then, odd how the subtle things like pre dawn serenity and quietude completely escaped notice in those days ...
 St John cemetery is another registered historic landmark and is not too far from some of my previous exploits as The Country House is only a couple miles due north on the same street and
the C. H .Cemetery ( site of the infamous “Paranormal Polka”thread ) lies due southwest a mile or two...Those not as energy conservation conscious as others were kind enough to leave their holiday lighting powered up overnight on Clarendon Hills Road created a sort of multi color lined landing strip...a landing strip that strangely terminated at the corner where the old cemetery lies leaving only the unusual circular red lights flashing on a low visibility stop sign and the amber/orange glow of the corner streetlight as the sole source of illumination...As I parked the   
Jeep and glimpsed over the fence to the burial grounds beyond, the clean white dusting of snow that swirled with the sudden gusts of wind  further confounded the peripheral glimpses of movement the brush abundant property later provided ...

 Founded in 1856 this is another point of historic interest as in the case of many of my repeat sites ...there is little in the way of archival data online regarding this location, the genealogical lineage of the of those interred or their contributions as township founders...and short of a call to the parent church now located miles away or a clerical stint at the local library, there is not much knowledge to be gleaned via mouse clicks from home  ..I did manage to locate a comprehensive list of those buried there including birth and death dates (*below) but little else...I often feel compelled to connect with those that have been long forgotten and have little to remind us of their existence
aside from these stoic stone markers and whatever trace elements remain below...The inset pictures that are so prevalent at Resurrection and Mt Carmel often provide that connection when written
records are absent ...by comparison so few are fortunate enough to enjoy a legacy of historic notoriety, reverent relatives or at least inclusion in an archival list of a names and dates online when considering the probable billions of our predecessors that were simply commemorated with a pile of rocks, two sticks tied together as a makeshift cross if anything at all or worse; vulture chow but I digress ...

These night photo sessions are often the making for interesting photographic subjects albeit the fact that they make it extremely difficult to analyze for potential paranormal anomalies... I make it a policy of utilizing a combination of flash /no flash, high exposure/high ISO settings thus creating variety of different textures to some of the images that may seem cool but at the same time complicates the screening process...of course considering that I am not motivated by providing proof of the spirit world to those that are under the misconception that strict adherence to TV ghostbuster protocols are obligatory by all that choose to participate in the “paranormal community,
this is a moot point ..Ido feel there is room for both edicts but I  personally prescribe to the “elegance in simplicity” credo and prioritize artistic impression over empirical evidence for the simple, altruistic reason that my belief system has never been influenced by my photos...
                                    
Access through the front gate necessitated a walk to the front of the fence from where I parked along the side street ...the silhouetted tombstones clearly visible contrasted against the snow contributed to the shadows darting between the skeletal, gnarled old trees that groaned with protestation at the wind that assailed us from both sides of the fence... a path beyond the gate bifurcates the rectangular patch of original Illinois prairie growth at the front of he property into smaller square sections that is just tall enough to create an ominous corridor into the cemetery...the penetrating cold fogged the LCD and was straining the auto focus mechanism in the lens already... the low battery icon flashed in resignation after only yielding a picture count in the single digits this early into the shoot but I have learned that keeping the depleted batteries in my pants pocket  after replacement, the warmth will rejuvenates them enough to squeeze out a few more shots when the secondaries are discharged ...there has always been an overwhelming sense of a presence there in the past and tonight was no different although this it seemed to emanate from the tree tops overhead this time, once strong enough to take a shot of an elder Oak from the trunk base up...a cursory perusal of the display revealed nothing but I shall endeavor to at least extract a tree bark face from the full blown version to appease my detractors that like to offset there own lack of content or subject matter of interest by castigating the more subjective of my efforts (I still love the attention either way) ...I think the last time there was in midsummer and as I recall I sat on one of the decorative benches awaiting sunset only to by attacked by a swarm of winged, vampiric creatures when the sun finally descended beyond the tree line (forgot the mosquito repellent) but the memory of the fleeting shadowy figures darting in and out of my periphery in conjunction with the associative feeling of foreboding that accompanied them served to validate  the similar sensations and visions experienced on this current visit ...only this time instead of hearing a soft whispering, I smelled cigar smoke and roses ...
                                    

*  http://files.usgwarchives.org/il/dupage/cemeteries/stjohncem.txt
 

Here are the unedited (compressed) photos of my recent trip to St John ....12/09 (86 total)
http://s831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/St%20John%205/                                    



http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/St%20John%205/100_5562.jpg


http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/St%20John%205/100_5553.jpg


http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/St%20John%205/100_5600.jpg


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http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/St%20John%205/100_5555.jpg


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http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/St%20John%205/100_5620.jpg

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The Notorious Mr Halfhand

Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #273 on: December 25, 2009, 06:27:49 AM »
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The Notorious Mr Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #274 on: December 25, 2009, 12:13:09 PM »
The last photo is very intriguing I see he is looking at you!



and this one very disturbing indeed...



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Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #275 on: December 27, 2009, 02:30:38 PM »
« Last Edit: January 03, 2010, 06:59:01 AM by Barek Halfhand »
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The Notorious Mr Halfhand

Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #276 on: December 30, 2009, 03:05:36 PM »
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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #277 on: December 31, 2009, 03:46:04 PM »
 Nice Google Earth  shot! 0:)
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Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #278 on: January 03, 2010, 06:33:33 AM »
Peabody Estate Update
There is a duality associated with the Peabody Estate (tomb) legend,
and most that grew up in the Chicago land area are at least vaguely cognizant of it as some of the lore is apparently founded by fact while much is the result of fabrication and the added embellishments of countless retelling the artistic license of childhood narration permits (insert wise crack here) ....
 Recent research has nudged the sublimated memory to the surface of a tale an older kid in the neighborhood used to spin about getting chased by monks on a surreptitious night visit to the grounds to catch a glimpse of  Mr Peabody laying in state immersed in a preservative and encased in a glass coffin ... Another axiom associated with this legend purports a huge cache of gold buried beneath the Portiuncula Shrine replica that many still believe houses the body of the Peabody patriarch. When in fact all human graves have been relocated to a local catholic cemetery and only the equestrian graves remain...the legend portends that if caught on the grounds by the residents Franciscan Friars or Monks of the day you were forced to kneel on the pebble surfaced cement or the hard stones that landscaped the rear of the shrine where a cross faced by a makeshift alter still resides on a flagstone platform in a conspicuous state of disrepair on this in contrast to the chapel’s pristine maintenance and the  meticulously manicured lawns beyond ...   
 While one may find mirth in visualizing a squad of vigilant twilight sentinels comprised of seemingly agile, robed Franciscan friars wearing the tradition garb with perhaps the exception of tennis shoes, chasing and apprehending a group of fleeing terrified teens, then issuing their own version of punitive retribution for the transgression by forcing them to kneel on gravel and pray in abject penitence as an alternative to police notification, these portended tales more often than not dissuaded thrill seekers from attempting the  perilous trek through the dark surrounding forest, sprawling grounds and depending on the route selected; the potential for traversing the spot where Francis fell from his favorite steed while participating in a fox hunt in his own back yard ...at least three of his prized equestrians are still buried to the east of the main hall where the wooden crosses that  stand today are probably replacements based on the absence of visible weathering the untreated looking wood will inevitably display...
The spectacle of these crucifixion capable sized crosses casting moonlit  shadows along the narrow strip of land between them and
where the woods abruptly terminated in favor of the sprawling plush summer grass must have been a daunting sight for those that emerged from the southeast path along a lake that Pottawatomie Native Americans  probably fished as this property’s original residents ...But when the oppressive enormity of the Gothic structure beyond came into focus, full appreciation for the Tudor Revival styled construction exclusively fashioned by renowned Chicago architect Benjamin Marshall was probably neglected by the ill informed tomb searching, thrill seekers of the day...The memory of these stories alone from our older siblings or neighborhood kids with a penchant for yarn spinning are cherished with a nostalgic reminiscence that mitigates any lingering contempt I may have held for those responsible for perpetuating some of these fallacious tales in retrospection...Paradoxically; all of these years later credible seeming adults that have recounted their adolescent misadventures online and while some have mentioned being chased by monks or other nondescript pursuers, the contemporary consensus seems to be that those that were actually caught were set free following a simple admonition for trespassing on the property and a promise for more severe consequences if they returned ...
This popular local legend and the activity purported to be occurring at the abandoned house that overlooked the site of where the Grimes sisters were discarded where those that seemed to figure most proximately in my memory growing up in the area as Resurrection Mary was considered something too scary and real to even discuss back then and to some degree that has not changed ...  Some tantalizing details that have up until recently eluded me, include a disclosure a Du Page County Forest Preserve ranger that was reinforced by a corroborative source that served a stipend as an Estate curator and resident replacement following a requested reassignment by the Ranger that lived there an overnight security solution of that time ...the recurring experiences of the sound of a bouncing ball and the continual sighting of a boy of 8 or 9 with curly brown hair by both the curator and his assigned predecessor ...some of this information has been garnered but not excerpted from a book by Richard Crowe... There has been speculation that Mr Peabody had an affair with a servant and the resultant illegitimate child may be the specter bouncing the ball in that cavernous vacant wing of the estate darkened by night and long forgotten secrets ...There is a covert  passage concealed by a section of paneling in the study that I must have walked past obliviously the several times that I was inside, but there are conflicting reports online as to where the spiral staircase leads from the study...some say a bomb shelter in the basement, some contend to a sort of “panic room” should the labor dispute related tumult that was transpiring over coal mining regulatory issues become severe enough to lead a disgruntled employee to the CEO’s driveway ...Another theory points to this passage being utilized by My Peabody as discreet access to the servant’s quarters further fueling the rumors of a tryst that produced a love child not to mention a rather sordid addendum to the estate diary...there is not much information about the second marriage but considering that he named the main residence “Mayslake Manor” after his first wife “Mae”, one wonders if his second marriage was premature and made in haste by a grief stricken man terrified by the prospect of being alone or if the second wife was more of a business relationship, the first marriage to Mae had produced a son (Jack) and heir apparent to the Peabody legacy     
The famous photo of Mae Peabody alone possesses a quality that seems to transfix those that view it, this radiant woman was undoubtedly an integral part of the formula that helped to defined the F. S. Peabody that forged an empire as the coal mining mogul he became ...her passing may have compromised the fastidious foundation he institutionalized into his work and personal life and this may have contributed to the alleged infidelities that occurred during the discourse of his second marriage and adversely affected his health that subsequently lead to his demise on that August morning along the southern banks of the lake with his favored horse “Dunbar” grazing solemnly nearby ...Again, some of this is simply the result of speculative musing and hypothetical conjecture based solely on unsubstantiated internet heresy by myself and others, I stress this to divert the summation that this is all simply more Halfhand Revisionism in action, when much of it is formulated on the collective suppositions of others that have researched this subject...     

As The Friary stands at the polar opposite end of the property from Mayslake Manor and in an effort to maintain a focus this will be broken into two separate updates as the friary was not revisited on this particular occasion but I will added to this same thread at a later date ...
 A previous New Year’s resolution granted me yet another headache free New Years Day  ...the single digit frigidity of the predawn morning was humbling but was oddly idyllic in conjunction with the icy brilliance of the bejeweled Blue Moon that beckoned from above ... I neglected to consult the web for winter holiday hours of accessibility, so consequently and much to my chagrin the main entrance to Mayslake Manor was gated securely with no noticeable posted hours of admittance visible thus confirming my suspicions that the hour before sunrise and hour after sunset summer rules did not apply especially on an extremely cold holiday ...and while I had my heart set on the estate, I reconnoitered the Dog Park lot adjacent to the friary to the southwest but elected to make the intrepid trek through the woods back to the estate as opposed to simply starting with the visible and much closer friary partly because I was already psychically attenuated for that location but mostly because I already had the first half of this composed before ahead of time  ...I had to stop and decide if I really wanted to go through with this unexpected extension to the excursion as the deleterious effects of the cold started to become noticeable early into the walk down the path leading back northwest almost following the beaming lunar lamp that still shined obstinately even as it declined into the westerly horizon and competed with the increasing orange hue that threatened from just below the tree tops to the east ...
 A detour through the virgin snow and waist high, indigenous prairie weeds that grow along the path between a fenced off picnic area and the stately oaks that bordered the woods along the southern rim of the property proved to be even more of an difficult jaunt than it appeared ... the deceptively deep snow and my well insulated but less than snug fitting snowmobile boots made this part of the journey like walking in quicksand and as the sub-zero temperature stung my unprotected face, I comported myself to forge ahead defiantly ...I had to laugh when the unfrozen creek at the bottom of the western slope of the field revealed an unfrozen, rapid flowing creek that while relatively slender width wise, seemed like an amazing feat of athleticism to jump in my boots, layered clothing, camera in tow and the banks on both sides being completely snow caked ...there were several circular bon fire remnants of almost identical diameter and interspersed at  amazingly consistent space intervals on both side of the creek that dotted the landscape visibly as far as I could see coming and going ...This was the fist time I have ever approached the lawns of the manor from the emerging path the lead uphill towards the rear of the stationary Shakespearean stage and there I discovered 3 more of the wooden crosses that must represent even more favored horses from the Peabody corral, bringing the actual count to six unless some of these markers represent the final resting place of his demised hunting dogs as well  ...
 The arrival at the main building would have seemed much more triumphant had I been met by a servant at the front door and lead promptly to the Great Hall or Study for a fireside cup of Earl Grey tea and some “lively’ conversation with Francis and Mae ...I had to settle for just the  conversation....

Here are the unedited (compressed) photos of my most recent trip to Mayslake Manor ....01/2010 ( 136 total)
http://s831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/Peabody%20Estate%20and%20the%20Friary/peabody%20Estate%20Update/



http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/Peabody%20Estate%20and%20the%20Friary/peabody%20Estate%20Update/100_5636.jpg


http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/Peabody%20Estate%20and%20the%20Friary/peabody%20Estate%20Update/100_5638.jpg


http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/Peabody%20Estate%20and%20the%20Friary/peabody%20Estate%20Update/100_5640.jpg


http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/Peabody%20Estate%20and%20the%20Friary/peabody%20Estate%20Update/100_5643.jpg


http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/Peabody%20Estate%20and%20the%20Friary/peabody%20Estate%20Update/100_5654.jpg


http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/Peabody%20Estate%20and%20the%20Friary/peabody%20Estate%20Update/100_5718.jpg


http://i831.photobucket.com/albums/zz232/PsychicSlacker/Peabody%20Estate%20and%20the%20Friary/peabody%20Estate%20Update/100_5725.jpg


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The Notorious Mr Halfhand

Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #279 on: January 05, 2010, 02:59:12 PM »
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The Notorious Mr Halfhand

Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #280 on: January 09, 2010, 03:49:57 PM »
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Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #281 on: January 10, 2010, 06:22:13 AM »
Quote from: Ladygriffin on January 09, 2010, 04:19:50 PM
Is it only me or is there a dog looking out through the window? A rather ragged one of the terrier type.  :|

Coincidentally I was just thinking that one of those "items" looked like an animal myself ...are we anthropomorphizing? hard to say, but many of the Peabody pets are buried here on the property including dogs  .....b
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Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #282 on: January 15, 2010, 01:24:27 PM »
Plymouth Place Demolition


I took these photos over the course of a month and a half in Feb and March of '08 ...it is the progressive demolition photos of Plymouth Place retirement home...a reputedly haunted location as recounted by employees and confirmed by my own vigilance in chronicling the dismantling of what was considered the Ritz Carlton of nursing homes and the destination of choice for many of the more affluent and in some cases “connected” of the Chicago elite following it’s construction back in 1944...

As the dis-assembly of the original building that seemed to almost retreat in acquiescence to the new and already partially occupied facility, it seemed like an ignoble ending to this stately and venerable landmark...a new building that was not even visible to the main stretch of Rt 45 until the main body of the original structure was finally leveled to reveal the mammoth replacement in the background that was thematically modeled after the architectural design of it’s predecessor  ..the progress of this project was such that it necessitated at least a bi weekly return to this site and I tried to capture a good representation of predawn, morning, mid-day, evening and night shots...

The videos I have recently composed consist of all of the base photo from this project and I have included the stills of the more notable of the edited photos a compilation thread aptly titled: “miscellaneous debris” that still sits at some of my longer term membership sites, but as the image hosting service “Put-file” has been absorbed by “Ebaum’s World” without notification or transfer of existing files, almost all of the image links have been disabled from that thread...

Considering the chaos of my schedule back then, lack of commitment to thorough analysis, and the sheer volume of photos I have of this site I will be intermittently resurrecting this thread between new or return existing site visits as I reevaluate these photos (taken with my old 5.0 camera) should  any new “items of interest” be  discovered ...

I remember walking back to my jeep following an interrogation from a rather stereotypically  surly construction site foreman questioning my continued presence at the location and I encountered a couple of employees wearing what appeared to be uniforms of the new location and I asked them if they worked at the old site as well ...after they affably confirmed that they did, I queried them about the rumors of paranormal activity a friend of mine that worked there years ago had intimated to me back then... they simply glanced at each other then smiled nonchalantly before one of them said ”we aren’t supposed to discuss it, but yes it was VERY haunted” ..they then preceded to relate several instances of personally experiencing things like: doors of empty rooms slamming, elevators going up and down in the middle of the night unoccupied, voices, even rumors of other employees seeing full bodied apparitions roaming the halls ...” again we are not supposed to discuss it” ...I thanked them and continued to my parking spot at an even faster pace as the sensations I have fought to suppress all of my life became a little harder to deny on that day ....b


Plymouth Place Demolition Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK8eQ7SdovA   

Plymouth Place Demolition Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX3FQK5NADE   

Plymouth Place Demolition Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5XrcOIdLUg 
















« Last Edit: January 16, 2010, 09:23:37 AM by Barek Halfhand »
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The Notorious Mr Halfhand

Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #283 on: January 17, 2010, 05:19:50 PM »
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The Notorious Mr Halfhand

Barek Halfhand

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Re: Paranormal Polka: these boots were made for haunting.
« Reply #284 on: January 20, 2010, 12:36:43 PM »
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