(And they are led by yet another lovely lady, a doe among the bucks as the hunting and holiday weekend continues, so top it off with some music as well. Take in the Drop Tailgate country band at the Wild Badger on Saturday, and read all about it in the Picks of the Week department. And check in there for even more ongoing Thanksgiving sweet!)

As a rapper might shout, “Three lovely ladies and a hag.”
And that hag has been getting services from more minions that even the tall spy guy in Despicable Me. (They took over my computer for an avenged sevenfold number of days, that being a bit more in actuality because of being in minion time — and invoke the Minion Union, sorry, bad joke — so its only now that the full moxie of the Moose could be unfolded by this writer).
So a Halloween night at the Smilin’ Moose, the king of area costume contests, came to bear! With the Ghost of Halloween Past, see further down in another post, cheering.
The winning entry, in a return engagement, was the golden through glitter Medusa who had snakes fashioned from rope that hung all the way down to her hips. This repeat performance a Medusa is actually a beauty, and has been going on for several years now, and the winner has cornered the market in winning contests, despite the fact — to carry the metaphor further — that she’s no spring chicken.
That would be the species of the young woman, obviously a gymnast not long ago, who had all frenetic the how-low-can-you-go moves and still had the athletic dexterity to turn and twist while rapidly going down and twerking. Her costume is another sports reference, looking much like just a basic volleyball player and still getting lots of applause while on the dance floor.
Less applause for the couple who, to have a full face, had half a mask on the left cheek (she) and half on the right (he). However, before the judging could begin, he took off his half mask because one side had gotten way too hot. Some non-rotating planets had the same problem in the solar system’s contest.
Getting more technical and setting the place alight, were the electronically and rapidly flashing via dozens of lights each, Mickey and Mouse Mouse. There was no part of them that wasn’t glowing, except maybe the tail.
And then there is the hag, more specifically a disabled witch with the teeth to boot. When see was able to make her way onto the waist-high judging table, with a little help from her minion friends, the applause was as loud as for most of the Friday night bands. She was carrying a baker’s dozen (poison?) apples, which were donated of course to her victims, not eaten herself, and a lot of lovelorn lads threw a buck or two her way to sample her fruit, so to speak. One got more personal with his donation, but stopped short of stuffing it in her shorts.
News from elsewhere in town:
Last seen in the costume contest scene where the more geriatric members of KISS, although showing as much face paint as that green witch, and they still felt like they had game enough to flirt with a nun. Oh, the trials of the clergy, as one local priest was recently defrocked, and his views were a little out there. He insisted that KISS stands for Knights in Satan’s Service. He prefers George Thorogood, although he’s no saint himself.
Then there was another kind of service. I wore a literal Big Head around my waist and two women, you know, gave it head, (no its not that bad, they just each took a side of my body by my pelvis. Would Elvis approve?).
The kids would when it is for Candy O-nly. But fifty-five of them did visit our Halloween House on that night, and that’s not the only thing that was streamlined. We were behind ourselves, as far as throwing cool stuff around the roof and yard, in a way where skeletons move and so do I. For this year it would only be a mass graveyard wrapped abound our large porch. Kids still loved it, but overnight our Thing, a hand that had dispensed candy, got gnawed down by a squirrel or raccoon. (Do the latter always get the bad press?) Ask our neighborhood, who didn’t get a single trick-or-treater! Maybe it was the presence of their skittish small dog, who couldn’t seem to choose whether to be Kujo or Cuddles. I encountered downtown a man who was released from jail a few days ago, and he told of a broken light fixture that appeared, before further inspection, to form skulls on both sides. Sitting atop these was a big floppy hat, or so he said it looked. Getting up and moving closer was what looked like ET. But while only a couple of steps away, it was all a mirage. OK … Lastly from that source, there was the usual lockdown that occurs daily, and the TV show in the general sitting area appeared to be showing, well, a lockdown. Followed by “Cops.”

The hauntings started early and went on and on and on, incorporating two different weekends, and giving an opportunity and no doubt a hangover:
So, in the Spirit of this week-long-or-so scare brought by the the Ghosts of Halloween Past, Present and Future as pertaining to the Hudson area, and we’ll give them a week or more to play with (sound like the Addam’s Family?) we now offer this three-straight-day (starting now) on the web site play-by-play:
The Halloween ongoing celebration could have as many manifestations as there are minions.
But first something more timely, would HudsonWiNightlife do that, a few updating bits about Monday, which was Veteran’s Day. Our favorite former prominent U.S. military sniper who can now talk after OK from his bosses — not including the sitting, and that’s most of what he does, president — and reporting after being back from the Third World, joins his new-found squeeze in sporting their do’s around town. With that hair, he is into all colors of the rainbow now that he is finally allowed, with Mohawks showing the pattern with various lengths and places of buzz cut A cool fashion statement, and I have to say the local cops might want to go over the top and emulate this superior style of cut, not prominent with them now, but sexiness sells and it would help them get on “Cops.” And with employment with the Georgia sheriffs, although bad styles are their calling card. But his new lady friend started with a cute blonde, total pixie look that was noticeable by its difference from the rest, with Hollywood-like pink bows that incorporated lots of hair on each side, that spread over time, to the rest of their folicles, and then was replaced again by a standard blonde look. My words cannot describe the ways both those haircuts are different from the rest that’s out there. “Bones” had no such claim to fame before he died after never really getting over his stint into Vietnam, but in sharing the old stories at Pudges for years, he loved to invent dozens of fictitious (or are they?), creatures lurking in the late night downtown or the St. Croix River. One such unavoidable example involves something that is an actual item on a downtown menu, called Tres Leches, if I spelled it right, as I am not French. Bones would have said that this was referring to his go-to-joke-creature, tree leaches, which were allegedly harvested in bulk for this and many nightly specials. I will throw in a reference to my friend, simply known in many of our circles as Walker Girl, who knew the Wisconsin governor well and got that quasi-joking nick-name in addition to having been in the military with her ex-husband. If jumping off the helocopter at the nearby hospital and trekking to places like Green Mill for a Monday mostly-free meal, with proper US ID of course, do both ends of a couple get the special? Based on any experience this web site has, we’ll let you know. Maybe they just got a free chocolate “drowned” dessert, need emergency services, maybe from their past buds, to attend to them? And that crew just might have been at the Buffalo Wild Wings in-between establishments where they have been known to often do carry-out. Maybe like the guy at the Army Recruiting Center as part of the strip mall that has been seen leaving his office quite late after a long days work, and might have to go one westernway place or another to “unwind” with Veteran’s Day specials. That situation might be allegedly less urgent than that those of some veterans seen at major highway interchanges, saying they will work for not food, but get this, their medications.
And maybe looking back a bit, but with Halloween on the cusp and then also glancing forward as well, (the Ghost movie motif), that “vegie” shirt should be hiddened by fog, in several of obscure instances that are connected to “boo” but range widely:
— The big ol’ fog machine at Dick’s Bar that’s there for 52 weeks, like so many old rock concerts, has been billed as the best in the Hudson area, much like that which was the dominant factor in the wee hours prior to the Frost Your Nuts Run; good luck as approaching the midst interchange of regional Hwy’s 35 and 94 in Houlton.
— And with highway (sorry but really a holiday, and high energy movie) minions, there just may be child labor laws, although a spy occupation might constitute an exemption, kinda like when kids spend most of their day video gaming. But what, was Bob the Tomato really Elmo, as I was wearing the former on my shirt on several times out recently, both official and non-official? And are both TV series depicting characters that young, and is their a range: That appeared to be the missue of bright red creatures that was on the mind of a young girl as she crossed paths with me on the sidewalk just outside of Starr’s Bar, and asked scores of pointed questions about the duo of Big Red. Also, I led the list as far as what’s acceptable for the weather, (my old ’80s shorts and rock T-shirt in an old ’80s band).
–Amongst the ghosts and monsters hanging from the ceiling, there is an entire skeleton rib cage at Guv’s Place in North Hudson. Might the large-size point to a huge moose that has followed rivers south? And just maybe the donor is the one whose antlers are displayed at the Smilin’ Moose (Would those dismemberments cause one to smile?)
— Is it Possible the Blue Bunny ate too much? That looks likely on the rabbit mascot’s display for ice cream at many late night spots, if you would want a carry-over binge to the sunrise, and thus get the same blown-up, distorted face as your host on haunches.
— It was kiddy cool and less scary masks, and looking like a skull in their various features, at some Locust Street businesses and their night-before-Halloween, walk up the trick-or-treating mini-hill. Blocks over, places kept their cool and stayed as a theme with their big steel-brewing-vat services, such as those at Madison Avenue in south Hudson and Swingbridge Brewing in south River Falls (hope they get all their rent issues totally taken care care of in the time it takes a skeleton or ghosts to breath (no lungs, get it?)
— The fall leaves gave very bright colors well beforehand, and they seemed to stick more than usual to the way-over-the-top blood red (fitting for the holiday?). An extention of that is the multi-colored Maple just down the road from Season’s Tavern, which has been known for the tree on its sign that incorporates red, gold, brown and green colors, and fits the picture.
— This is a question of Why Now, as it translated to some spraying of scary bubbly. I got my late-night soda from the cooler, brought it 12 steps (I’m assuming) to the counter without a drop being expent, but then it started spraying the liquid all over the back area by the clerks, like champagne. And what minion might have prompted this?
— The tip-top spider webs that abound can be seen best in the windows at Dick’s Bar, but again, there is just one window missing coverage. Could this be an opportunity for Andersen Windows in Bayport?
— Then, the broad web lawn decoration reportedly made by spiders, being erected just before darkness, showed a lot more veiled coverage then all of the women still walking their dogs past, as the sexiness of summer held off a little longer. But there’s more to it as the same duplex featured lighted a smiling pumpkin along my late-night walk, making a complete face across an entire two-door garage, the earliest decoration I had seen, think well more than a month ago, with carved-version pumpkins as eyes. And you gotta love this, during the day you could see a white skeleton fished with a white rod and real. For white bass? Just how would he eat these fish, being bones with no stomach?
— Does that top this candy corn reference? A house on the main drag between Hudson and North Hudson, which is slow mo for most motorists locally, so they can get an eye-full of the sights, has those same colors depicting a different entity from the aformentioned “candy” reference, that being a well-framed, hair-falling across the sides of cheeks Goldilocks lighting around a porch.
— Let’s just call him “J” as his full name doesn’t seem to be known, but he is a local guy supplying all the dozens and dozens of frequently refreshed pumpkins in patches for local Family Fresh stores (note that’s plural), just a couple of months ahead of the time when the longtime Hudson grocer was slated to be closing in mid-November.
— What was this beastie in our laundry room, on a closeline that nearly hit me in the face? It was a washcloth dangling like a dark red bat. This is a repeat of a story, although not breaking news, when there was an ACTUAL opposum, although deranged, living high off the hog by hangling face-down from that same place.

(Just a followup aside, to continue into your holiday and post-holiday plans for tunes and drink specials. All these venues in this raft of Halloween coverage have ongoing specials that kick butt as far as their costume parties, but also continue it forward into the week and beyond with their ongoing day-to-day holiday specials and great bands. Check out the last two entries on the home page, and also last three into the Picks of the Week category, for these cool opportunities such as local music, that will recur frequently and continue into November and well beyond — into the Twilight Zone?)

Had too much of the kids being “energetic” from boatloads of sugar gained by trick-or-treating? Here are some ways you can get away from all that and reward yourself later on with more adult-type fun:
— The big front room at BX Mexican cuisine looks a bit like many other tasty food places that are authentically Mexican themed, and all of that’s very much a compliment, as many people say the margaritas that are regularly on deep discounts are to die for. But in addition the main River Falls moves can be shown on the dance floor that operates in the back area, in what is kept in a separate space and has been a best kept secret to the average person before they drop in off the street. Although you may want to get there earlier, the establishments that have been housed here over the years, have looked to the sizeable back room as a popular way to wrap up your night out, almost like the handful of storied sprawling bar venues across the country that make you weave your way to the back, not knowing what to expect, but being deeply rewarding once you get there. As for Halloween night, it will be populated by somewhat younger ghosts and witches, as BX Mexican opens its doors to the back to an 18-and-over crowd as part of a regular Thursday night offering.
— The acoustic duo of some longtime area residents, Dan and Brad, is only part of the Halloween night draw at Pedro Del Este. As their servers say, there will be fantastically over-the-top libations of all types — and did we mention that the kinda wild revelry goes for their topped-off food too? If you want the real deep dirt, so to speak, of what’s going on here, check out the dozen or so cool chalk slogans, a benefit for their comedic value alone, that form a line on the sidewalk leading from the main drag up to Pedro Del Este and let you know even more of what the draw is.
— At their relatively new haunt, the Cajun Club has decked out dancers and digs and design, and they are showing it off with dancers dressed for Halloween night — in what little clothing they will have. And there are great specials in what constitutes a new twist, in both bar areas — one has been added in the dance hall itself to supplement the longtime separate sports bar facility in the south wing — for drinks and the kind of entertainment you will only find in the St. Croix Valley at The Cajun.

Its the bucket brigade when it gets to the sheer number of Halloween parties that begin this weekend, and there’s still time to cash in all in one Saturday or begin more of a week’s worth:
— Its been a new era for a storied history, as what is currently T-Buckets near Somerset on Saturday will again unveil the new side of them as it continues to unfold, with music in the form of a deejay and karaoke and also costume recognition. In former days you might have even had a runway to show off your costume. It had been a bit since the new owners had brought in bands, so better to tip your costumed hat to them this holiday, and at the same time try out the relatively new digs. Costume judging is at midnight and the karaoke experience starts early at 8 p.m. and there are snacks aplenty. So this is a full night of tunes.
— This has gotten a particularly first, we think, for all of western Wisconsin. The zombie drop-dead pub crawl incorporates all of the places in Hammond, becoming the only place to do such things in the Twin Cities area. And better yet, they all are in a few block radius, so there is less chance for giving any of those zombies a foothold to, well, eat your ankle, and hamper ways to get away from them. The day(s) where you really have to take care of that is Saturday/Sunday.

— The Wild Badger in downtown New Richmond has really jumped into the musical fray, and it will be shown by welcoming in a Halloween way the popular area band Sunday’s Regret, in an event that shows promise, despite its name, although being held prior to the holiday on a Saturday night. They are largely country, but a little bit (or more) rock ‘n roll. The reach of their popularity shows in that they traveled all the way to Ohio and recorded a YouTube video of Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell, deftly pulling off the slightly twangy and somewhat plucky rock guitar intro, as well as the screaming vocal attributes. When people comment on the band, two words keep popping up “party” and “wild,” so enjoy. And they will be back again regularly to the Wild Badger, and other area gigs, so you can catch them then also. And you just might see an update on this web site about their recurring gigs.
— And you thought the Stones have been around for a long time. The decades-long house band that has a member, owner Brad, at Season’s Tavern in North Hudson, Thirsty Camel, will bring to the show their frenetic way they attack their instruments, perfect for Halloween, and still keep the sound tightly under control. (And they do cover the Rolling Stones). The band will take a set break and ask you to give it up for all those in costume, and every year there are quite a few, and have them vie for a contest with prizes.
— If you want the primo in Halloween decorating at stores, and the wide range of different types of specials front and center as you come in the store to go with it, much more than just candy although that is a part of it too, you need to check out Family Fresh in Hudson. All of the aisles as you come into the store have many multiples of scary/spooky characters, and to top it off, there are dozens and dozens of pumpkins all around from a local grower, in that case much more than what is simply being sold. So courtesy of Family Fresh, you can be your one stop spook shop.
— The spirits all come out, and joins others, in the haunted brewhouse offered by Hop Barrel on Saturday through 11 p.m. The online promotional cartoon adds to the appeal of the comedic but mostly haunting affair, with spider webs strewn all over the page and its brewing metal of pipes and pieces and pressure gauges to get the quality just right, and the silly spider who we just have to assume is a brew master or at least his assistant. And of course there are some bottles positioned at the bottom, as this indeed puts the brew end in brewhouse. And in a particular transaction, its Nick at night, as a buddy of mine says he feels honored and humbled to have his own specially made beer featured for an entire week and patterned to take advantage of the Halloween holiday.

— Not to pad, but if you want to experience the true and authentic Irish-based traditions that would eventually lead to what is today Halloween, you can check out Paddy Ryan’s in the town of Hudson during this holiday. This goes back many centuries, a lot longer than even your average vampire’s life (or death), but the traditions we’re talking about are as fascinating as they can be somewhat graphic. Perfect for this time of the season.