ghost stories and awesome haunted places

The countdown for Halloween has begun. In roughly 48 hours, it will be time again for scary costumes, trick or treating, distant screams, eerie music and marathon horror binge-watching sessions. Many people are already sharing horror themed lawn decorations, but this Facebook group touches on the spirit of the uncanny, with posts ranging from haunted castles and mysterious photographs to personal ghost stories and unexplained nighttime security footage. See ghost hunters at work or discuss protective measures against the supernatural. Posts and media blur the lines between the elusive safety of the mundane world and the reality of a mysterious world we know so little of. 

Members: 15k, at the time of writing. 

Trigger warnings: Scary stuff

Go here to visit or join.

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Forever Fall and Halloween

S.A. HORRORFEST

Deep Space 9 Lovers

Deep Space 9 is one of the most finely nuanced Star Trek shows, with a range of complex characters that reflect the diversity of a space-age civilization and shows a socio-political landscape that reaches beyond Star Fleet and Federation culture. It features one of Star Trek's most insidious villains in Gul Dukat, two of the most noble and best loved Klingons in Worf and General Martok, and the most subtle of threats represented by the Dominion. The dialogues and relationships are endlessly fascinating, from the mutual superstition between Odo and Quark, to the enduring friendship between Sisko and Dax, which spans through several incarnations and the delightfully layered bromance between Garak and Bashir. If you're a fan, this Facebook group is the place for you to speculate, share memes, media, memorabilia and fan theories. 

Members: 30.9k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit of join. 

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Tree of Life - Depictions of Trees in Art

To see a collection of bare, leafless trees clustered in a snow landscape is to be reminded that, however cold it gets, the world will endure, and other seasons lie dormant amongst their seeds. Some trees cast dreamy shadows into ancient woods and attract the magical remnants of other worlds. Other trees carry a heavy load of summery splendor or hold the secrets of our yesterdays safe within their gnarled bark. And the beauty of riverside trees reflected in the water. Trees enhance the world with their serene and eternal presence. Or perhaps an English poet said it best. "Wild is the music of autumnal winds among the faded woods. " -William Wordsworth. Trees can be so many things, which is probably why landscape painters are so fond of them. This is a stunning Facebook group with an amazing collection of art. 

Members: 18,4k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join.

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Vintage and Rarely seen comic strips

It's hard to believe that cartoon strips are over a 120 years old, and what would newspapers be like without them? (Although we may soon need to get used to life without the stallwart print media dailies). Equally unbelievable is that longstanding familiar faces are a lot older than most people realize. Take for instance Blondie (94 years), Popeye (95 years) and Little Orphan Annie (100 years). This Facebook group, though, focuses on obscure rarities. I was surprised (and delighted) to see one of the grandfather's favorites - the Danish strip Ferd'nand. There were also vintage Addams family, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, the Outbursts of Everett and - just to illustrate that not all strips are gags and punchlines - a rare New Zealand episodic strip called World Patrol - The Adventures Of Mark Steel And Dawn Randal. Comic aficionados, this one's your call. 

Members: 28.3k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: Outdated and un-PC ideas/phrasing/motifs.

Go here to visit or join. 

Small Bikes Big Adventures

While big motorcycles seem to have all the glamor, power and sex appeal, they are also harder to handle and not particularly forgiving to beginner bikers. By contrast, a small bike is lightweight, easy to maneuver and budget friendly, with lower fuel and maintenance costs. But despite a humbler design and more modest capacity, this Facebook group is proof positive that even little bikes can dream big. Small bikes can reach places that automobiles can't, and because they often serve as first motorcycle, they loom large on the gilded tarmac of memory lane. There are snapshots from all around the world - mountain passes in northern Pakistan, empty beaches in Indonesia, the Mediterranean coastline, Vietnam, Uruguay, Australia and even good old John O'Groats at the northern edge of Scotland. Some posts celebrate acquaintances and travel companions of yesteryear. There's even an old photo of a narrow postman's track.

Members: 26.7k, at the time of writing.

Trigger warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join.

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Snapshots of the World

Sketch in Travel

Collages

Before photoshop and AI, there was the collage. A humbler and more honest method of adapting and combining different and sometimes conflicting elements into something new. A successful work is something that blends seamlessly to become a world wholly its own. Artists share their techniques and even how they went about sourcing different components of their work, or tell stories about the inspirations behind their masterpieces. The layering adds texture and depth. From bold splashes of color to gently harmonious attempts at visual storytelling. The beauty of the collage is that it seems so accessible. It's a discipline where you add and add and add until the picture seems complete. It is visually rich and vibrant. And fun too. Don't forget that. Look at these images for long enough and you'll start looking for a scissors and something to cut up.

Members: 149.5k, at the time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

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I love Haworth and the Bronte Parsonage

The Bronte sisters have always fascinated me. Their incredible bond with each other and to their Byronically tragic brother Branwell. Their imaginative exploration of the inner worlds that fueled their creativity. The sheer audacity with which they set out to undertake what so few women of their age did - get published. This Facebook group is dedicated to the English town where the Brontes spent most of their lives, and nurtured their talent. Where their father preached his sermons. The pictures shared breathe life into the powerful backdrop of their classic novels, showing the timelessness of Haworth and the moors that inspired them. Contemporary perspectives are interwoven with historical narratives and memorabilia. We get a rare glimpse of one of Charlotte's miniature books. There are historical photographs from the 1850s, showing Haworth and its people as the Bronte sisters must have experienced it. A post on Charlotte's friend Elizabeth Gaskell, who wrote a biography of Charlotte and later became a literary giant herself. For anyone who loved the books and want to get closer to the young women who created them. 

Members: 14.4k, at the time of writing

Trigger warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

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