It must be the time year — so long October, hello Halloween, sleep deprivation and soon to come snow. Just thinking about “falling” back an hour this weekend has set my mind into a different, pondering mode. The other night as I lay in bed, safely ensconced in my bedding, lights out, it came to me.
First as a joke . . .
“Hey, did you hear that the horticultural scientists at Michigan State University have figured out why the trees here all sorta’ lean southward? Yup, because Ohio sucks.”
Hey-o!
As I type this, all the little ghouls and goblins have yet to collect candy for Halloween, and remembering while I lay in bed, for some reason I thought, “Wow. Both Sir Graves and The Ghoul have died.”
As a wee lad I loved watching cheesy scary movies with those two TV show movie hosts. Sir Graves (Lawson Deming) had my attention Saturday afternoons. Just before I hit puberty, The Ghoul (Ron Sweed) was a favorite of my Saturday nights. Sir Graves was on Channel 2 and The Ghoul was on Channel 50, which at times did not have the best reception in the mean ghettos of Clarkston. I think being able to watch The Ghoul in Independence Township, high atop Rush Hill, depended on a number of things.
1. Whether or not the wind had turned the TV antenna.
2. Whether or not there were leaves on the trees.
3. Whether or not Dad was awake — if he was, he ruled the air waves.

I have autographed stuff from both The Ghoul and Sir Graves. A couple years ago local Greg Simmons went to some bar somewhere where The Ghoul had an engagement. He shelled out the five bucks, stood in line and asked The Ghoul to autograph the picture thusly, “Don, Don’t Rush Me. The Ghoul.”
Which is kinda cool. Thanks, Greg.
While still of single digit in years, I evidently sent Sir Graves a Christmas card and apparently, I shared with him my birthday was coming up in January.
One of the best days of my young life was when I came home from school and on the kitchen table was a post card with Sir Graves’ mug on it, and on the back, in blood red scrawl, “Dear Don, Thanks for the card and have a happy birthday. Happy Hauntings, Sir Graves.”
It’s been a prized possession since. But, I digress.
As I was laying in bed this week, alone in the dark after watching a scary movie on TV, Ohio came to mind. And, then the a fore mentioned joke and then Sir Graves and The Ghoul, who no joking, passed away this past April 1 at the age of 70.
Ohio. That’s it!
Ohio is the connection. Both Deming and Sweed were born in Ohio. Deming was born in Cleveland in 1913; Sweed was born in Euclid, Ohio in 1949. While both started their entertainment careers in their home state, they were most popular in the Detroit market.
And, get this: they BOTH died in Cleveland, Ohio. Yep, it’s true. Ohio is not good for schleppy movie TV hosts to live in . . . conspiracy! Where’s Fox Mulder and X Files crew when you need them?
Oh, have I said it yet? I really am not looking forward to “falling” back an hour for Daylight Savings Time. It makes me think weird stuff.
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  don rush, don’t rush me, Sir Graves Ghastly, The Ghoul