photo by: Lauren Fox

Kelly Scholz has been creating scenes with her skeletons, Charles, left, and Agatha, right, every day this October to spread joy.

Charles and Agatha are truly winning October, despite the circumstances. They’ve been sunbathing, wining and dining, camping out and playing in the leaves. One might even say they are living their best lives – if not for the fact that they are dead.

Every Oct. 1, Lawrence resident Kelly Scholz’s skeletons, Charles and Agatha, emerge from the closet. This year, they were aghast at what they found.

“WTH 2020?!?!” they exclaimed their first day out in the front yard, arms raised in surprise. (For readers who lack Charles and Agatha’s knowledge of modern lingo, WTH stands for “what the heck.”)

photo by: Kelly Scholz

When Charles and Agatha emerged from the closet on Oct. 1, they were aghast at what had happened since last year.

Scholz has always loved Halloween. Since she’s lived in her home on Hearthside Drive in Lawrence’s Quail Run neighborhood, she’s always put a giant spider web up on her front porch. Then, three years ago, she got skeletons to “add to the outside fun of Halloween.” Scholz’s youngest daughter, Ivy Herndon, and their German exchange student at the time, Laura Gradert, gave the skeletons their names.

In past years, Charles and Agatha remained relatively immobile throughout October. Scholz would only move them around occasionally. But this year, Scholz is switching up her skeleton scenes daily.

“This year…everyone just needs a little bit of joy in their life,” she said.

photo by: Kelly Scholz

Charles and Agatha have a picnic.

Joe Bodine, Scholz’s neighbor, remarked that this year is “the most active Charles and Agatha have been.” He said it’s been fun to have something to keep the family entertained, and that his 6-year-old son especially gets a kick out of it.

“He wakes up, he comes down, and he wants to see what the skeletons are doing today,” Bodine said.

Millinda Fowles, who used to live next door to Scholz but now lives elsewhere in the Quail Run neighborhood, said Scholz’s decorations are always above and beyond.

“You always know her season of decorating is coming when her spiderweb goes up,” she said. Fowles said that in today’s world, it’s been nice to “have a lighthearted moment” every day when checking out Charles and Agatha’s activities.

photo by: Kelly Scholz

Charles and Agatha play in the leaves.

Scholz uses things she already has around the house to create the scenes — “I don’t have a skeleton budget,” she said. Occasionally, neighbors donate some of their items to the cause.

So far this October, Charles and Agatha have shared a picnic in the front yard, read all about the Chiefs Super Bowl win and even went on a stationary canoeing trip — with the yard sprinkler inadvertently adding some much-needed water.

Another day, Charles and Agatha chilled out and sipped coffee in a Strandkorb, a German beach basket that Scholz and her husband had shipped out from Germany for their own use. Scholz’s husband, Arne Scholz, proposed to Kelly in a Strandkorb, she said.

photo by: Kelly Scholz

Charles and Agatha chill out in a Strandkorb — a German beach basket.

Scholz also ensures that the skeletons remain civically engaged.

One day, Charles and Agatha sat in a white bathtub next to a sign that read, “Let’s turn this around: Wear your mask, wash your hands, VOTE.” Another day, Scholz took a series of photos where Agatha’s mask is on incorrectly, until she finally gets it right.

Scholz said she typically puts the skeletons away the night of Halloween, but this year, they “will have to stay out until election day.”

photo by: Kelly Scholz

Charles teaches Agatha how to properly wear a mask.

Scholz’s love of Halloween is not shared equally by other members of her family, she said, but her older daughter, Rinny Herndon, and Rinny’s friends have been pressuring her for daily content. For Scholz, her whole motivation is just to spread a little joy.

“I figure if Charles and Agatha can mask up and have some fun, everyone else can too,” she said.

photo by: Lauren Fox

Kelly Scholz adjusts the mask on her skeleton, Charles.

photo by: Kelly Scholz

Chiefs fans Charles and Agatha catch up on the news about the Superbowl win.