October has long been one of my favorite months for a few reasons, primarily because of the cooler weather and the turning of the leaves. Back home, in upstate New York, October brought a much-needed respite from the humidity of late summer. Not to mention the occasional very early winter storm; years ago my nephew’s first birthday party, which was in early October, saw very people able to attend, as an ice storm had everything glazed over, from roadways to power lines and tree branches.

That wasn’t the norm, but colorful fall scenes were, as the frost would help bring out the bright hues on the hillsides surrounding the Schoharie Valley where I grew up.

Fall was also a favorite because of a unique fundraiser. For many years I was a volunteer with the American Cancer Society and we were lucky enough to have Howe Caverns – a major tourist attraction in the area – turned over to us for an evening where we set up scare sites deep underground in the cave and had several tours come through. There were lighted walkways but we always had only a portion of the lights turned on, just to keep people guessing about what might be around the next corner. I had one particular spot they assigned me to; it was a feature in the cave called the winding way, a passage that led you from one part of the cave in to the next, with plenty of twists and turns. I always – with permission – borrowed a black choir robe from my church and either had a ghoulish mask or just did ghostly make-up and had a blast leaping out at people as they meandered through. Sometimes I would hide around a corner, there were also a couple of small grottoes from which I could just emerge and often did so with an ear-shattering shriek. Those of us who volunteered had a great time and it was always a sold-out event, with multiple tours coming through during the evening.

It was also for a good cause, raising money for the American Cancer Society, so it was a win-win all the way around.

The cave was a constant temperature – 52 degrees – but that actually was perfect considering all the running back and forth, jumping, screeching and robe swishing I was doing for several hours.

Each year we fine-tuned the event a little bit; by the last year I could run up and back the winding way with my eyes closed and never hit my head on a stalactite or trip over a stalagmite.

Fast forward (quite) a few years and this October, I was blessed to take part in the Once Upon A Tomb fundraiser for the Oakdale Citizens Cemetery, hosted on Saturday night, Oct. 4. This special event takes place in the cemetery itself, with the actors and actresses sharing the stories of their characters at the actual gravesite where they are buried. For me, the character I portrayed was Tomasa Griffith, who owned a restaurant and also opened her home to anyone in need. She raised dozens of children – many of them orphans – and was known as “The Mother of Oakdale.” We had seven tours come through on that Saturday night; they had six different stops to make on the guided tour and each monologue went for about seven to eight minutes. It was a wonderful way to share some history and spotlight people crucial to the development of Oakdale, while also raising funds to make sure their final resting place is well maintained.

Something tells me next October, you might just find me suiting up for the show again …

Marg Jackson is editor of The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.