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(Clark Curtis/Washington Daily News))

(Clark Curtis/Washington Daily News)

(Clark Curtis/Washington Daily News)

(Clark Curtis/Washington Daily News)

(Clark Curtis/Washington Daily News)

(Clark Curtis/Washington Daily News)

(Clark Curtis/Washington Daily News)

By Clark Curtis, For the Washington Daily News

One look at the home at 108 Deep Run Drive of Washington residents Linda and Marty Schramm, and there is no doubt that Halloween is their favorite time of the year. It is totally decked out for the season both inside and out. Ghosts sway from the trees, witches, and a few goblins here and there, greet you outside, while skeletons are preparing for a hearty meal at the dining room table. “I have always loved Halloween,” said Linda. “I find it a very mysterious and mystical time of the year. It is a time when a veil opens up to another world. It just brings so much fun and excitement for me.”

As a seamstress for 50 years, it also is a time for Lindas’ creative side to shine. “I simply love creating things,” said Linda. “All of our decorations were hand done by me as I’m very detail oriented. I love gothic and old antique decorations and the ability to mix all of that in with some touches of the ‘unusual.’ I’m fascinated by gargoyles, macabre art, and Jack Skellington, the character from Nightmare on Elm Street. I have always been a little different,” she said with a grin and chuckle. 

A good example of that is an antique telephone handset that has been placed in front of one of the skeletons, wearing a pith helmet and sitting at the dining room table. When you pick up the receiver, a haunting voice says, “Welcome to the grave. Look behind you. I’m watching you and don’t hang up.”

This knack for the whimsical and unusual at Halloween is nothing new for the Schramms, who are retired transplants from New Jersey and have called Washington home for the last nine years. “We used to throw huge Halloween parties,” said Linda. “We would get 60 people there, complete with a band and all of that good stuff. Marty, a carpenter by trade, once built a coffin for one of the parties which proved to be a big hit. We love getting together with folks at Halloween and are hoping to get a group together to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Turnage.” 

Linda added, “We just love it here. The people are so inviting and welcoming. And of course there is the waterfront. We could not be happier.”

The joy of creating, decorating and dressing up at Halloween makes for a very special time for Linda and Marty. But it is also about bringing joy to the lives of others. “I love doing things for people,” said Linda. “I love making people happy. And I love to see the kids all dressed up. It does my heart good to see their smiling faces as they drive by in their little golf carts and point out our decorations.”

Come the first of November, the Halloween decorations will reluctantly all come down except for the pumpkins, which will remain up for the remainder of the Fall. It will then be time for the Schramms to pull out the Christmas decorations. But they will also be thinking about what might be in store for Halloween next year. “I’m thinking we may pull out the old El Camino and dress it up a bit, complete with skeletons hanging out of the windows,” she said with that magical look in her eye.

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