Bats!

bat_vampire_GNUNo one can say for sure if vampires really turn into  bats and fly away when they’re discovered, but vampire bats do exist! There are several other kinds of fruit-eating bats; these are the kind that you see in North America. They might look creepy, but they’re not bloodsuckers. Admit it, if a bat swooped over yuor head, you’d scream like a little girl! EEK!

But vampire bats are real! They actually do live off a diet of nothing but blood. They only come out at night to feed, live in dark places, and they hang upside down to sleep –that sounds eerily like a vampire. doesn’t it?

Bats use echo-location to find their way around. Vampire bats live in small colonies, and at dusk, they emerge from their hiding places to hunt for blood. Not human blood! Certain types of bats will bite and drink the blood of cows or other sleeping animals. They have fangs that can bite through skin so they can lap up blood from the wound. Since bats need blood to survive every couple of days, if a bat hasn’t eaten, one of its bat family members will give the bat a ‘transfusion’. One bat will give blood from their mouth to the other’s so it looks like they’re kissing.

Did you know that bats are the only flying mammals? Well, not the only ones–if you count vampires and witches, they’re one of three flying mammals.

Bats can live to be 20 years old or more in captivity. At the Bat Conservation Center, there’s a 30-year old bat named ‘Barnabus’, so he’s older than many of our guests at Thrillvania.

congress-bats

One of the largest bat colonies is in Texas. Austin is the home to about 2 million bats that live under the Congress bridge .It’s a spooky sight when they all come out at night. No worries about those bats though, these are fruit eating bats, and not vampires. But you never know…what if  there really are vampire bats that suck humans’ blood and transform their victims into vampires?…

Join us this weekend at Thrillvania Haunted House Park  2330 County Rd 138, Terrell, Tx 75161. And keep your eye out for those little blood-sucking creatures..

Scary Eyeball Snacks

101540580.jpg.rendition.largest

Sometimes you just have to go all-out with the creepy treats at Halloween. Sure those Halloween party foods look a little scary, but you might as well join in the fun and sample some frightening snacks! Get a look at these these easy  eyeball goodies!

Bloodshot Peanut Butter Eyeballs

To make these, stir together one half-cup of  peanut butter, gradually adding 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar, stirring until it makes a creamy paste. Shape into 1-inch balls.

Put them on a sheet of waxed paper and let them dry for about an hour. Melt 8 ounces of vanilla white candy coating (you can also use white chocolate) in a heavy saucepan. Stir constantly on low heat until smooth. Cool slightly, making sure the coating is still liquid. Dip peanut butter balls into candy coating, one at a time, making sure to cover the whole surface. Let you eyeballs stand until the candy coating  is firm.

exps34167_TH1191752D3B

Paint red food coloring on the coated peanut butter balls to look like bloodshot eyes, and then use raisins or place on small dots of black icing in the center or the pupils. You can also use brown or blue M&M’s.

 

Place on a tray and you’re good to go!

Join us this weekend at Thrillvania Haunted House Park  2330 County Rd 138, Terrell, Tx 75161. We’ll be on the lookout for you….

The Blood Moon!

Thrillvania Haunted House

What could be a more perfect prelude to Halloween?  Goblins all over the US are eagerly waiting the “blood moon”  that will be visible this week. The red-hued moon will appear in the sky early this Wednesday morning…very early…so set your alarm clocks for about 5 a.m. if you want to see this spooky sight.

According to NASA, the full eclipse will start at 5:25 a.m. CST and last until 6:24 a.m. CST on October 8th.Weather permitting, one of the best places to see it will be Texas and the Dallas area, so we’re in luck and ready for a front row seat.

eclipse_total_espanek_10-27-2004-e1358526755212

The creepy color comes from the edges of the sun peeking out around the periphery of the Earth,  creating a global sunset shining on the moon. The planets have to align in just the right position for the rays to illuminate the moon. This lunar eclipse is rare, even more so that the moon will appear even larger than normal, making it that much more impressive.

Werewolves are sure to be howling as the red moon sets!

Superstitions abound surrounding the red moon. Many people think it’s a bad omen, but that’s just a superstition. But blood moons may bring out the werewolves and ghosts, so keep an eye out for anything strange that you might encounter on Tuesday night, as the blood moon approaches!

Mark you calendar for the blood moon later this week, and visit us this weekend at Thrillvania Haunted House Park.