Ghost Stories on the Radio - Updated 10/31

I told ghost stories on WFUV-FM radio (90.7FM) this Saturday morning, Oct. 31, at 7:30 a.m. WFUV-FM is the station of Fordham University. If you missed the show, (it WAS a bit early), you can hear it on the podcast. Click on: http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=510086 and then click on Halloween Show.... You can can also find the show at http://www.wfuv.org/audio/archive/index.html after Nov. 9, 2009.

Had a great, final ghost tour of the season today in Central Park. I'm always happy to see familiar faces and meet new people from all over the country. Hope to see you soon!

A Glorious, Spooky Autumn Day

I can't believe I haven't posted to this blog since Labor Day! I thought autumn was slowly chugging along.

Today, I led my ghost tour of the Upper West Side. The morning was rainy, a bit foggy -- perfect spectral weather! Sandy Sanford, my charming husband and (ta-da!) lovely assistant, told a great story about crime in the Majestic Apartments and things got spookier as we went along. We explored Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, the Naumberg bandshell, a stand of ancient American Elm trees, statues, and a series of story-book carvings by Jacob Wrey Mould. (You can see some of these images on my Facebook page, "Dering Walking Tours.") Later, we wound our way through a hushed and eerie part of the Ramble. I ended the tour across from the New-York Historical Society Library with a favorite story of a bookish ghost.

Witch Designed by Mould
Photo by Maria Dering

Eerie moans and screams were provided by the haunted house that was part of the Pumpkin Festival at Bethesda Terrace -- saw lots of families carving pumpkins, Park Rangers displaying giant papier-mache spiders (or maybe they weren't just paper ...), children having their faces painted, and everyone enjoying Central Park.

Next week is my final public ghost tour of the season: 11 a.m. on Hallowe'en! I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful autumn!