Martha Stewart Living October 2018

THE BLUE HOUR, that time of day right before sunrise and after sunset, certainly has its merits when it comes to beauty. But I love the magic of the golden hour, those moments just after sunrise and before sunset when the world turns soft, sun-dappled, and particularly stunning. It’s the perfect light for capturing breathtaking outdoor photos—seemingly everything (and everyone) is illuminated. Happy hour, indeed. For me, October is the golden month of our year, and it’s one of my favorites. It borrows its brilliantly balanced weather from the warmer months that precede it, and the cooler ones that follow. The light during this time is also awe-inspiring. Thanks to the sun’s new angle, it cues up crisp mornings and stretches out over beautiful autumnal afternoons. Add fall’s fiery leaves and…

| ON THE ROAD | TREAD LIGHTLY Walking tours of haunted historic places offer brainier thrills than sticking your hand in a bowl of cold spaghetti. On the torchlit Horseman’s Hollow trail at Philipsburg Manor (right), the 18th-century gristmill made legendary by Washington Irving, you’ll circle the misty pond, then cross the famed bridge and come face-to-torso with a certain headless horseman, just like Ichabod Crane. Here, three more attractions. Sleepy Hollow, New York; hudsonvalley.org SEATTLE See Pike Place Market’s dark side: Storytellers reveal its back alleys, where crumbling abandoned graveyards await. eventbrite.com NEWPORT, KENTUCKY This popular gangster-ghost tour takes you to the lairs of criminals seeking revenge beyond the grave. americanlegacytours.com ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND A candlelit stroll drops by founding father William Paca’s home, where objects are said to hover in midair. annapolistours.com | ON OUR BOOKSHELF | The takeaway from…

BARCStoberfest Enter your furry BFF in this Baltimore costume contest (October 27), then practice down dog together at a yoga class, race in a fun run till you both pant, and sit and stay at a beer garden. barcstoberfest.org Barkitecture Austin The bar for creative getups is high at this Texas event (October 28), where you can also bid on your dog’s dream home: Past models on display have had midcentury-modern details, cedar decks, and real solar roofs. barkitectureatx.com Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade More than 400 Fidos will be suiting up in Long Beach, California, for the annual competition (October 28). Previous years’ highlights include Boston terriers throwing a tea party and pioneering “prairie dogs” in a covered wagon. hautedogs.org…

When I moved to my farm about 17 years ago, there on the property were several dozen old, shapely apple trees. My second year there, I harvested my first full crop from them. I was astonished at their productivity, the variety of fruits, and the absolute tastiness of the apples. I had not touched the trees since I moved in: They had not been pruned, nor sprayed or fed, yet they produced a flavorful crop that was excellent for both eating and baking, and amazingly juicy for pressing. My first thought was This is great apple country. The open land, oriented toward the north, was right for planting, and the soil, which I tested, had a balanced pH of 5.6. I ordered several dozen more trees, mostly semidwarf in growing habit…

| CELEBRATE | SMOKE & MIRRORS Create an entrance that transports all who dare to step inside with these eerily elegant ideas. Entwine your sconces with hissing snakes, place dramatic black calla lilies in vessels dark as tombstones, and unleash the ghost who’s been trapped behind the glass. One glimpse, and friends will never forget the night they reached for your candy bowl. To re-create our haunted mirror: Download the template at marthastewart.com/hauntedmirror. Measure your mirror. Head to your local copy shop and give them the template file and mirror measurements. Tell them you want to have the image in the file printed on removable clear vinyl adhesive the size of your mirror. (FedEx Office can create these for from $78 per square foot.) If you prefer to craft one from scratch: Photocopy your…

Natural Talent ALICE OGDEN BLACK ASH BASKETS FRANKLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE Master basket weaver Alice Ogden doesn’t buy materials to fashion her heirloom-quality vessels. “Everything I make began with green leaves on it,” she explains. She searches local swamps for a fast-growing black ash to fell and haul home. Then the self-taught artisan pounds the trunk with a mallet and peels away layers to create splints, before relaxing into the rhythm of her craft. Ogden’s works embrace form as much as function: Nested sets hold towels and throws; minis with attached lids (a style once used to store feathers for making pillows) keep jewelry and mementos ensconced. And exquisite acorns and open-weave tubs simply inspire awe in the beholder. (From $195 each, aliceogden.com.)…