I was never so glad to see one of Son's friends come to the Little Bayou House as I was today. The first run of the clue hunt is barreling at me like a herd of runaway elephants and with this bum leg, I am far from ready. Son has been working like crazy to build the major props but it is the fine details that are left to my doing. Decorating has been a pain since climbing a ladder is...well, a pain. When Chris came knocking at the door, I knew that he would not have any qualms about helping. I asked...he agreed. We were good. So, while Son built yet another huge prop, Chris climbed the ladder and poked things exactly where I pointed. The leg was rested, the work got done and I am a happy camper now. No, the hunt is not ready but I feel far more at ease that we will complete it in the few days that we have left before folks arrive. As much as I would love to have added weeks before beginning, Mark has to go back to work. His group will literally be a "trial" run and I hope for the best. They are all good sports, though, so hopefully, things will be perfect.
This year's theme is "Save the Alchemist" and, of course, is set during Medieval Times. We have narrowed the "rooms" down to an alchemy lab, a blacksmith's shop, a tannery and a candlemaker's shop. By far my favorite is the alchemy lab. This alchemist seems to not only be practicing chemistry but has a deepseated desire to be a wizard. That said, the lab is filled with all sorts of weird and wonderful things. There are the usual chemistry related items but thrown in for good measure are dozens and dozens of quirky, off-the-wall, out-of-the-ordinary knickknacks. Chris spent a good bit of time pondering just why this alchemist might have a tea kettle hanging from the ceiling. I had no answer other than "Why not?" Works for me! Perhaps my alchemist is just as eccentric as I am!
Chris promised to come back and help a few more days before the first run of the clue hunt. He also volunteered to help with each running. I am so appreciative! Now that things are starting to fall into place, I can concentrate on the meal and tablescape! Fun times will be had on the Bayou come the month of October!
Each year, Son and I work our little fingers to the bone trying to piece together a bit of entertainment for others. We start planning in November for the following October so it is a year-round endeavor for us. The Annual Clue Hunt on the Bayou is something he and I do purely for the enjoyment of others. We do not get anything out of it other than the satisfaction that those attending are having a grand time. That, in itself, makes it all worth the effort. We start by writing a storyline then build props, puzzles, locked boxes and mechanical devices. We totally transform the Little Bayou House and surrounding outbuildings to meet the needs of the hunt. My oldest son said that our clue hunts are not clue hunts at all but rather LARP and Room Escape had a baby. (LARP being "Live Action Role Playing.) I suppose he is correct on that! There are very few (if any) written clues. You have to be observant and "find" your clues that help you solve the mystery.
This year, the clue hunt's theme is Medieval Times with a title of "Save the Alchemist". Since the Little Bayou House is far from being a castle, we are working more with townsfolks and leading characters. As of today, my living room has become an alchemist's lab. Shelves line the windows and are heavily laden with all those magical things that any good alchemist would need to further his/her experiments. The delving into science might easily be accomplished in our lab!
All that is left to complete the lab is the "work table" where the experiments actually are performed. That will be set up tomorrow and will be carefully arranged to allow for the teams to do whatever is necessary to complete the given tasks presented to them. Part of the appeal of these hunts is the challenge that we pose for the teams. The groups are going up against Son's brain. That is not an easy task as not only is he brilliant but he has a very quirky sense of humor. Combine the two and some clues and props need a bit of figuring. Now, toss in a bit of my eclectic and eccentric artistic sense and things get even fuzzier. It takes most teams a good three hours to complete the tasks set before them but no one, as of yet, has quit nor complained and they all want to return for the next hunt. That sure makes you feel good!
We are running a bit behind schedule (due to my uncooperative knee) but should have things ready for the groups scheduled later in the month of October. The knee put a hindrance on progress so the first few hunts had to be cancelled. Thankfully, Son's good friend has stepped in to give us a hand and I can sit back and supervise.
