SUDOKU
... Continued from cover
named Lily is said to wander the halls looking for playmates. The shot actually raised the hair on my arms. Standing in the stairwell was the pale apparition of a nurse — perhaps on her way to find Lily and drag her back to bed. The Paranormal Fist Fight On a trip to another abandoned insane asylum, this one in the western part of Virginia, John and a
videographer friend of his discovered a vacant church on the property. The door sealing the church was so heavy that it took all of their strength and straining muscle to force it open. They managed to budge it just enough to squeeze inside the cracked door. After shooting the church, they headed back to the front of the church — only to find the heavy door wide open and swinging ominously in a nonexistent breeze. They managed to escape, but the spirit followed them to dinner at a local diner. John’s photographer friend broke out in hives, and his knuckles bruised before their eyes as if he’d fought off an apparition. The Anti-Drone Kids John has a whole collection of scary stories from his visits to Belle Meade Plantation on the James River in Powhatan County, Virginia, but the most chilling ones involve the on-site children’s cemetery. According to John, a guest of his tried to fly a drone over the cemetery to take aerial photos. It was as if the young ghosts seized control of the drone itself. No matter how much the drone pilot toggled the controls, the machine wouldn’t rise beyond a certain height. When it left the bounds of the gravestones, the controls suddenly returned. John is more than a photographer and accidental paranormal investigator; he’s also a tour guide, historian, and author. His tabletop photography book, “A Beautifully Broken Virginia” is filled with jaw- dropping interior and exterior photos. Many of these are so moody and cinematic that you can easily imagine a ghost lurking just off camera — or even breathing down your neck. John also shares the stories and legends swirling around the spooky spots he photographs in his “Stories of an Abandoned Virginia” program. You can book history tours with John through a few choice locations, like Swannanoa Palace, Belle Meade on the James, and the ruins of Presidents Park. I highly recommend the latter. You won’t believe the scale of the neglected “presidents’ heads” until the stone bust of Teddy Roosevelt is looming over you. Do yourself a favor this October and check out John’s work on JohnPlashalPhoto.com . If there’s a better way to celebrate Halloween, I can’t imagine it! –Kevin Mottley
SOLUTION
CREAMY BAKED PUMPKIN RISOTTO
INGREDIENTS
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5 cups of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
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Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
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2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp mascarpone cheese
2 cups of pumpkin, diced 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• •
•
2 tbsp olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 400 F and arrange a rack in the middle. 2. In a 3-quart baking dish, combine broth, rice, diced and puréed pumpkin, and onion. 3. Season with salt and pepper, then stir until evenly combined. 4. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until water has been absorbed and rice granules are puffed. 5. Remove from the oven and stir in basil, grated Parmesan cheese, mascarpone cheese, and olive oil.
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