by Sharon | Jul 16, 2018
That’s what we want . . . or is it!
A great image of ectoplasmic goo that is transforming right before our very eyes into a human form.
I was over on Twitter the other day and a “person to follow” suggestion was a woman author with a menopausal character who sees ghosts. I find it an interesting concept, but didn’t catch her name nor the title of her book. I’m wondering if she’s a “ghost whisperer” or goes out ghost hunting . . . I can only image this woman in a retirement community in Florida with all these ghosts hanging around waiting for a turn to talk with this menopausal woman.
Or . . . perhaps it will be similar to Murder She Wrote where there were all these murders taking place in this little town . . . until Jessica had to move along and travel . . . It just got too suspicious to have murders taking place around one individual . . . I suppose we do attract our interests . . .
Well . . . that was an interesting detour . . . I hope you’ve had time to study the image above.
The center left image looks a bit like Jack Skellington from the Nightmare Before Christmas. It may be his stance and those long legs. It looks like he’s wearing a suit or tux. Does the head look like a skeleton’s head to you?
Then there’s the image on the left. I think it’s too big for Sally (keeping with the film theme). And what is approaching “Jack” from his left? It looks like a man wearing a hat. Are they shaking hands? The image on the left seems to be carrying a baby. Do you see them?
Is that a portal they’re standing in on the grass? Does that look like a circle to you?
Gazing at images and gazing through hours of video recordings is much like cloud watching or trying to see through the fog.
Why do it?
Just on the off chance that you capture something supernatural to show your family and friends and anyone else who cares to see. And, for no other reason than it amuses you. As it does me.
I remember as a child going outside and watching the fog roll in. Years later there was a movie called The Fog. Had I known that then . . . and what was in the fog . . .
Have you noticed when you’re quietly communing with nature, thinking of nothing in particular, just feeling at peace and so very calm is when you see something . . . something out of the corner of your eye?
My grandmother had this huge front porch where we would sit after dinner. The only problem was other neighbors did the same and there were people walking by who would stop to chat. Quiet contemplation would have to wait until everyone settled back into their homes or were content to be quiet on their porches.
I tried to be quiet so I wouldn’t be sent off to bed, but that would have been all right. I had the front upstairs bedroom with a lovely window seat where I could sit and watch out the window. There was the apparition of a man riding in a wagon like in Little House on the Prairie. I enjoyed hearing the clip-clop of the horse’s hoofs and the creaking of the wagon as it rolled down the street.
It’s times like that when I set up my camera on a tripod, turn it on and wait.
I don’t believe I have to go to a known “haunted” place to see what there is to see in the spirit world. I can do it from the comfort of my own patio. If I don’t see anything, maybe, just maybe the camera will pick something up.
And there is always activity going on in the front of my house as well . . . but don’t tell my neighbors . . . They pretty much ignore me . . . But . . . I know what I know . . .
It’s more difficult for me to go for a walk with camera in hand, but it’s not out of the question. Sometimes we have to go to the “ghosts.”
Ghost Hunting, in whatever form you choose is an enjoyable pastime. At the very least it would be nice to have an infrared camera for your night time picture taking and video recording. I also like one that I can use in the daytime. Not two cameras, but one that does both. Ghosts, in my experience, don’t only come out at night.
Here are a few examples:
I know, I’ve pretty much broken from my tradition of telling ghost stories and got all these random thoughts in the mix . . . but when one is looking for “ghosts” or unusual paranormal activity, one does need to clear one’s mind . . . or ramble on . . .
Kind of the spooky thing is . . . a ghost will pop up and make a comment about something I was thinking about . . . or I’ll get a thought in my head about something else — although related . . .
Which reminds me of a place in Alabama a friend of mine told me about . . .
I believe it was once a restaurant with a bar . . . The woman who owned it loved the paranormal and had more money than common sense . . . She collected items from known haunted places as well as from places where crimes took place.
I’m not talking about trinkets . . . I’m talking about the actual bar from a haunted tavern . . . An old teller’s station in a bank where a robbery took place back yonks ago . . . and, of course, people were killed . . .
This woman welcomed all kinds of odd things into her restaurant . . . along with any paranormal “ghosts, gouls or gobblins” that wanted to come along . . . and stay for awhile.
And, yes . . . there were ghost stories from the workers who had the opportunity to work there. One of them I really like . . .
Every night at around 10 PM, a man would walk in and sit at the bar . . . he would order whiskey and then disappear . . . The young man tending bar would swear the man was real . . . dressed a bit old fashioned, but real . . . He never paid for the drink . . . and he never drank it . . .
Of course, in this same restaurant, there was a basement with items the owner bought, but didn’t have a place to put them . . . well, except in the basement . . . There were always sounds coming from there . . . usually whispering and sometimes loud bangs . . . and many customers and work staff alike had seen ghostly apparitions running through the dining hall . . .
There was also a couple who would dance . . . a waltz . . . they were dressed to the nines, appropriate for their era . . . and dance the night away . . .
It was a lively place. Everyone was sad when the place closed its doors. A friend of mine and I would muse about buying it and reopening it . . . I think it had three stories . . . Initially, I thought I’d move there and live at the very tippy top of the building . . . but then I thought better of it . . . plus the woman had no interest in selling . . .
I thought, too, it would make a great museum and use all the space to display the whole collection of spooky stuff. I would enjoy archiving it and making a little booklet telling the tales from each artifact as well as the stories from those who saw ghosts, ghostly apparitions, heard sounds . . . or just got a creepy feeling.
Well, nothing came of this . . . but I still think about that place from time to time.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jul 7, 2018
On Canada’s East Coast, there’s an old haunted school house.
I’m intrigued by this real ghost story as well as the school. It’s a 3 story building with a rooftop observatory and fire escape slides on both sides of the building. All grades are taught at this school — kindergarten through the 12th grade.
As you can imagine, those slides were an attractive nuisance for school personnel. Of course the kids were informed they were for emergency use only . . . but kids being kids . . . and slides being slides . . . It was only natural that the kids would sneak up to the roof and slide down the slide from time to time. No harm was done as long as no one got hurt, but one day the bolt holding the slide dislodged and the slide and passenger fell the three stories. Needless to say the child was killed on impact.
The school is still in use today . . . and it is haunted.
People claim when driving by the old school house at night they see lights or a figure moving from floor to floor with a light of some sort. Some say a candle, because it makes it spookier, but a lantern or a flashlight would cast hideous shadows about, too.
One of the more spiritually active rooms was the library. During the daytime books would fall off the shelves or one would find a pile of books on the floor. These spirits seemed quite mischievous by leading the librarian on a merry chase of dropping books — like leaving bread crumbs to a destination.
The destination was the basement that housed the old boiler.
I met Elsie quite a number of years ago. She was the librarian at that school until her retirement a couple of decades ago. She recalls on one particular day when she was retrieving books that led to the basement, she felt lightheaded and nauseous. She thought it was from bending over every few paces and picking up books. She did have a book cart with her so she didn’t have to carry all those books back into the library.
She paused in front of the door leading into the basement. She felt a cool to icy breeze coming from under the basement door.
Elsie knew she was brought down there for a reason. It wasn’t just to retrieve the books and return them to the library. There was something she needed to see. If she could help children, even children from decades earlier, Elsie was going to stifle her fear and boldly move forward.
She reached for her master key to the basement. All the locks were keyed the same except for the school administration office. She heard voices of children through the door. This made Elsie more determined to get inside and get to the bottom of this. The door opened before Elsie put her key in the door.
A dark figure stood blocking her entry.
As the door opened a bit more, she saw the figure of a man hanging from the rafters.
It was a known fact that a janitor back in the 1930’s hung himself in the basement after the boiler exploded and caused a fire in the school. Some children were killed from the blast and many more injured. He couldn’t bare working there and committed suicide when the school was empty and the repair crew was gone for the night.
Elsie was more concerned about the children she heard in the basement than the dark figure and the hanging man. She did have a book in hand, and being the librarian she was, started reading to the invisible children. She told them she would return the next day and they were welcome in the library.
Before her appointed hour to go into the basement, Elsie heard children giggling and the running of little feet.
She looked around to see if they had chosen a book for her to read. Elsie didn’t see anything out of place and picked a book she read hundreds of times to classroom children over the years.
She was getting to the good part when she heard someone shout, “Stop! Get out!”
Elsie felt little hands tugging her to her feet. She ran out of the basement and out the front door of the school, not stopping to close or lock the doors.
Once safely outside, she stood feeling a bit foolish, but that emotion changed immediately when she heard popping sounds, a crash and the alarm system going off.
She heard the siren of the fire trucks coming her way. The crew got out and immediately went to work inside the school. Elsie was rooted to the spot. Then she thought of those precious children. Were they out? Were they safe?
On the third floor, the ceiling caved in from water damage that hadn’t been repaired. The popping sound was light bulbs popping and soon the ceiling crashed to the floor, and the alarm went off when the electrical matrix caught fire.
Fortunately, students had gone for the day, but there was a janitorial crew in the building and some teachers. Everyone got out safely through the fire escape and the slides.
As teachers and janitors joined Elsie in front of the school, she heard stories of a young boy running through the school leading everyone to the fire escape. Elsie believes along with the others that the children haunting the school saved their lives. This young boy (the one who lost his life on the fire escape slide so many years ago) must have been the one Elsie heard shout at her to stop reading and get out.
It is quite comforting to know that the children who lost their lives in that old school house are still around to help future generations of children, teachers and staff. I only hope the librarian who replaced Elsie reads to these ghost children and allows them in the library to play with the books — pushing them off the shelves, stacking them on the floor . . . and leading a path down to the basement.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jul 5, 2018
I’ve always been interested in old train stations that have been abandoned or converted into shops and restaurants.
No I don’t explore them — the abandoned ones, but I will visit a converted one.
There is always an interesting story to be heard.
This one took place in Indiana. I’m sure there are many similar stories from all over the United States . . . and perhaps the world. But this particular Indiana train station was converted into a restaurant and bar.
As the story goes . . . It goes back to the first world war when men were traveling by train to join the troops.
Many women tearfully said good-bye to their husbands or boyfriends at the train station along with many families.
This real ghost story centers around Peggy and Marvin. They recently broke up. Marvin joined the army and was leaving town with other local boys. He was surrounded by his friends, family and new girlfriend.
Peggy showed up wanting to have an urgent word with him. Marvin did his best to ignore here, but she was as persistent as a gnat. Reluctantly he leaves his family, friends and new girlfriends and steps outside near the tracks with Peggy.
She tells him she’s in the “family way.” Marvin tells her it’s her problem. Plus some other choice words that were unkind and uncalled for . . . but he was going off to war and he had a new girlfriend . . . so what did Peggy expect. Marvin walks away to rejoin his friends, family and girlfriend . . . Then boards the train.
No one remembers seeing Peggy leave the train station . . . they do, however, remember seeing her talking with Marvin down by the tracks. This is what her parents were told when they came looking for her around supper time.
By the next morning, police informed Peggy’s parents that her dead body was found in a packing crate at the end of its route.
It’s still a mystery of what happened . . . but rumors spread. Marvin was never charged with Peggy’s murder . . . And to this very day there are sightings of a sad, lonely figure of a young woman walking along the railroad tracks after dark.
This seems to me to be an urban legend . . . which it very well could be . . . As I mentioned earlier, there were rumors . . . speculations, perhaps, but nevertheless a popular belief that Marvin told Peggy to meet him on the train . . . which, of course, she did — hoping he had a change of heart and would marry her . . . but instead murdered her and put her in a packing crate along with goods that were being delivered several counties away.
Well as it happened, after about 40 years, Marvin is found tending bar at the old train station. It’s no longer the train station, the tracks are still out back and used by freight trains primarily. He did return from the war, married, had kids which have grown, married . . . Marvin is a grandfather . . .
Yes, the days of his youth are well behind him . . . the memory of Peggy . . . faded the day he left for war.
Marvin is tending bar when a young woman, wearing a straw hat and sun dress walks in and orders a gin and tonic. She sits at the bar playing with the thin straw in her drink.
There’s something familiar about her, but Marvin can’t place it. They engage in small talk and she says she’s there visiting relatives. No, she’s not related to Peggy, but she resembles her in looks, voice and mannerisms.
The strange thing is that no one else in the bar saw this mysterious woman and the gin and tonic was untouched on the bar.
Marvin got some ribbing about seeing things and serving imaginary customers.
On other visits to the bar, this mysterious woman would walk in, catch Marvin’s eye and walk out back. He could see her waiting for him down by the tracks, but each time Marvin resisted the urge to follow her.
After this went one for several weeks, Marvin finally decided to follow. He wanted answers. Yes, he followed her outside, then he saw her walking slowly beside the tracks. Marvin sprinted after her. He was more concerned about following than being aware of his surroundings and met his death when the 8:30 express came barreling through.
Did Peggy get her revenge? It seems so. Now this Indiana depot, converted bar has Peggy and the bartender in residence. They can be seen playing a cat and mouse game on the railroad tracks reliving his death night after night.
Yes, there have been sightings of Marvin’s meanderings down the railroad tracks . . . some have seen him following the young woman . . . but most just claim to see Marvin . . .
This a true paranormal experience many have shared . . .
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Jun 27, 2018
There are many urban legends and downright scary stories about driving down a country road — running out of gas, seeing No Trespassing signs, seeing a ghost . . .
This real ghost story is a bit different — and maybe familiar. Yes, there is a ghost involved and a cemetery — an interesting combination.
Normally, I’ve heard, ghosts don’t hang out at cemeteries. They’re busy haunting houses and hospitals, nursing homes, etc. They may be looking for closure . . . and some don’t realize they’re dead. That’s the strange thing . . . when you’re not sure you saw a ghost or not.
Yes, this is my story — one of many real ghostly encounters.
This “ghostly encounter” took place years ago — I would say 35 to 40 years ago. I was driving down this country road, lost in thought . . . and lost.
I obviously made a wrong turn somewhere along the way. There were miles and miles of farm land. Fields of I don’t know what. I did see abandoned trucks and tractors in a field here and there. An old barn falling apart. Yes, there were “no trespassing” signs scattered here and there . . . and an old cemetery. There were a few cards parked outside. There was a funeral going on. I thought I’d stop and ask for directions after the ceremony.
For some reason I parked my car, got out and began walking among the headstones.
One caught my eye, it was overgrown with weeds. I started clearing the weeds away. The date on the headstone was 1849, 100 years before I was born. The death date was my birthday . . .
I felt a chill . . . more like a tingle . . . it wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t comforting either. The name on the headstone was nothing familiar to me or similar to my name at all — we didn’t share the same initials — just the death day (my birthday) and the year (100 years before I was born).
As I was clearing away the weeds, I was basically talking to myself and wondering who this woman was and what her life was like . . . I also wondered if there was a connection — besides her death day was my birthday with a 100 year gap.
Obviously, I was a bit fixated on it — as I am now recalling my paranormal experience.
I heard a voice behind me. “Hello. Thank you for clearing away my grave.”
I thought I heard her wrong or maybe it was “her grave” in regards to being a relative.
I immediately stood up and apologized for intruding . . . but no one was there. But off in the distance, I did see a woman walking away. I ran to catch up with her.
I was so caught up in what had happened that I didn’t ask for directions, but I wanted to know about the woman who’s grave I just cleared.
The woman seemed very relaxed and spoke of “Margaret”, the woman who died in 1849 as though it was yesterday.
“It was a beautiful day and a lovely ceremony. Paul, Margaret’s husband was devastated. Their four young children — the youngest at home . . . Margaret died in childbirth. It was a girl . . . ”
My head was whirling with questions — was this woman Margaret or the daughter — but that would make her over 100 years old — it wasn’t possible . . . maybe the granddaughter of Margaret???
Would she refer to herself in the third person if this woman beside me was Margaret??
I didn’t care if this woman thought I was a bit coo-coo . . . so I just asked, “Are you Margaret? The woman who died in childbirth?”
She did laugh, but not in a cruel way, “Of course I am!”
Oh my gosh!!! She was a ghost!!! She had to be . . . or she was goofing with me.
“So . . . ” I began, but stopped. I couldn’t take in the fact that I was seeing and having a conversation with a ghost . . . So I did what I do when I’m nervous . . . I started babbling about how I was looking for my grandmother’s house which had been bought and moved out in the country. “I must have made a wrong turn and I ended up here. I found this overgrown grave and started clearing away the weeds . . . and now . . .”‘
“I brought you here.”
“What? Why?”
“You passed your grandmother’s house a few miles back. You wouldn’t recognize it, the beautiful porch is gone and I didn’t think it would be right for you to see it. Keep your memories of how it once was and the good times you shared there with your grandmother.”
And then she was gone!! Gone, gone . . . I didn’t see her walk away, she just vanished.
I did see a ghost . . . she did do me a favor by not allowing me to see how my grandmother’s house had changed with the move . . . I suppose I did her a favor by clearing her grave of weeds . . .
But . . . I believe I received so very much more than she received from me . . . Or, perhaps, it was mutual to a degree of a ghost being able to have a conversation with a living person . . . a conversation, just like one would have with another living person . . .
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | Mar 9, 2016
Paranormal Vs. Crazy
Have you watched a movie with a paranormal theme . . . and then discovered that the lead character was actually mentally ill?
For those of you who have seen, The Attic . . . I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t . . . so this is a spoiler alert!
There is a woman who sees a woman . . . a dobbelganger? or a twin? . . . that prevents her from leaving the house . . . but she’s also in the house . . . and in the attic . . .
I can accept the fact that others may be messing with her mind . . . but in the end . . . a new family look at the house . . . initially the daughter expresses her fear of it . . . but does go into the attic and meets a spirit . . .
When Delving Into The Paranormal Are We Walking A Fine Line?
Our experiences are not usually prove-able.
We see things, we feel things . . . we get scared by things . . . is it real? . . . or figments of our imagination?
I believe in the paranormal . . . I’ve had too many experiences not to . . . plus I’ve met too many people with similar experiences . . .
I just know that when a house tries to possess you . . . is that even possible? It’s time to seek professional assistance.
There is usually a logical explanation for many disturbances within a house . . . but there are also things that can’t be explained . . . and the simple solution is to say the person is mentally ill. This is unfortunate . . . or the person has no choice but to do as the woman in the movie did . . . Don’t want to do a total spoiler here.
As I’ve said before and most likely will say again and again . . . what is the creepiest for me are homes and common areas where we go regularly. Places that are supposed to be safe.
I had once thought that spirits can’t harm you . . . but they can . . . and they do . . . sometimes on purpose and sometimes by accident . . . maybe due to our own fear we fall down stairs or out a window . . . but when knives are being thrown . . . that’s no accident.
I’d like to tell you a true story . . . not one about scary stuff . . . something light and reassuring.
A good friend of my mother’s was in a nursing home suffering from cancer.
Harriett was unable to walk and care for herself. Her daughter had no choice but to put her mother in a nursing home. So my mother visited her daily. She helped her eat . . . and sat with her while she slept.
One morning I saw Harriett’s ghost walking around the house. She seemed to be looking for something . . . or someone . . . probably my mother who was out shopping before going to visit Harriett.
When my mother returned home, I told her I saw Harriett walking around the house, looking for her.
My mother took it as a sign that Harriett had passed and was able to walk . . . her way of letting my mother know she was all right. A few minutes latter, Beth, Harriett’s daughter called to tell my mother Harriett had passed in her sleep.
Not all ghosts are scary or manipulative. They do come around to let you know they’re all right . . . and sometimes to check up on you . . . just to let you know they still love you.
It is reassuring that there are psychics and paranormal investigators available to contact if you find you have spirits in your house that need to move on . . . there are those that are harmful and cause disturbances in our lives. Some have brought on illnesses . . . sometimes the removal of these entities don’t take the illness with them . . . they remain for the living to deal with . . . so the sooner you can rid your house or work place of these entities that affect your health, the better.
We are living at a time where there are still skeptics, but there are more with open minds . . . we aren’t immediately labeled crazy.
Until next time,
Sharon
by Sharon | Dec 8, 2014
I don’t know these ladies nor where they were when this selfie was taken, but I can only imagine their surprise when they took a good look at it. The ghostly figure looks happy enough. I guess she was having a good time, too.
It may give some people pause and others a bit of a fright. There are also nay-sayers who will claim it’s fake. That’s fine, too. I’m wondering why the image is so small compared to the women in the picture. It makes me wonder if there was a picture on the wall behind them or some sort of reflection.
I do find the picture interesting . . . I have no real explanation . . . I can’t answer my own questions. I don’t like to think everything is a fake, but this doesn’t ring true to me, but what do I know. I could be taking a selfie one day and get the same type of thing and need to go through all kinds of explaining . . .
Well, real or fake it’s interesting. I do have a story, of course I do 🙂
Here’s Jake’s Story and why he now believes in ghosts.
He was up at his family’s cabin in Michigan with some friends on a Saturday night. He was afraid of the woods at night. Not that he believed in ghosts, but he was uncomfortable with what could be out there that he couldn’t see. It makes sense to me.
He began talking brave about the woods and such, so his friends decided to call his bluff. They bet that he couldn’t go out in the middle of the woods alone to a particular old logging site that is told to have a single grave with a candle that is always burning.
Jake wasn’t going to admit he was just “talking big” so he agreed. The proof was to take a selfie at the grave.
As he walked through the woods with a flashlight in one hand and his cell phone in the other, he thought about the cute animals that would be in the forest. He didn’t want to jump out of his skin when he heard the “hoot” of an owl.
The woods were quiet. He could hear the crunching of dead leaves and small twigs with every step he took.
He did find the grave, but the candle was not lit. He lit the candle and snapped the selfie.
Jake thought he heard someone talking. He looked around, but could see nothing. He thought a lone grave out in the middle of the woods was activating his imagination. He was curious, but also didn’t want to see anyone out in the woods — real or spirit.
He heard something fall with a loud thump. He looked around. Then he saw a man walking around in circles, like he was looking for something he lost. The strange thing was that his footsteps didn’t make any sound among the dead leaves and twigs.
Jake took off running for the safety of the cabin with the selfie to prove to his friends.
Sorry to report that there was nothing with him in his selfie snap shot.
©Sharon Harvey 12/2014
https://oldhauntedstuff.com
