Two older women from Arizona joined my tour this summer and they were great guests. It was not their first visit which is always good to hear.
One of the ladies had a daughter who moved from Rochester, New York to Round Rock, Texas. They had bought a wooden trunk in Rochester and when they moved into a new limestone house in Round Rock they put the trunk in the kids' room and filled it with toys. But the daughter would hear thumping in the trunk and she thought a rat had gotten in the trunk during the move.
She was horrified and made her husband empty out the trunk to find this rat. He cleared the entire thing out and found nothing.
Then one night she saw a child walking up the stairs. She had children and thought one of them had gotten out of bed, but when she checked on them everyone was asleep. After thinking about it she realized none of them had a gown like that, it was long and white and looked very old fashioned.
The woman who shared the story said that of all her children this daughter was the least likely to believe in ghosts. Before, if someone had told her this story she would have told them they were nuts. But she's had a priest out there a few times to get things settled in the house. I don't know how successful it's been for her, you never know.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Highway 5
Highway 5 and Highway 152 in California have a lot of energy about them. A couple from the Bay area joined us a few days ago. They didn't really believe in paranormal activity until a drive down Highway 5. They were near the connection between 5 and 152, it was late at night and up ahead they saw a ball of light. They didn't make much of it at first, but as they got closer there was no oncoming traffic, no explanation for it. When they finally reached it, a wave of cold air passed through the car and was gone. They paused then the man turned to his wife and asked, "Did you feel that?" Both of them were baffled. The children were asleep in the back sear.
That night, after they got home, the couple was asleep in bed, their three year old between them. Suddenly she flew over her dad and hit the dresser. Blood streamed out of a gash above her eye and no one was asleep anymore.
The next day his wife was in the kitchen talking to a friend. The refrigerator was on one side of the kitchen, facing a window on the other side of the room. Her back was to both while she talked on the phone then she heard a thump. She turned around and a magnet from the refrigerator had flown across the room and hit the window.
When they first saw the light and their toddler flew across the room, the man insisted that the family ignore it, deny that anything was happening. But soon he changed his mind and encouraged everyone to accept that something paranormal was happening and just respect it. After everyone in the house came to terms with it, the activity stopped.
That night, after they got home, the couple was asleep in bed, their three year old between them. Suddenly she flew over her dad and hit the dresser. Blood streamed out of a gash above her eye and no one was asleep anymore.
The next day his wife was in the kitchen talking to a friend. The refrigerator was on one side of the kitchen, facing a window on the other side of the room. Her back was to both while she talked on the phone then she heard a thump. She turned around and a magnet from the refrigerator had flown across the room and hit the window.
When they first saw the light and their toddler flew across the room, the man insisted that the family ignore it, deny that anything was happening. But soon he changed his mind and encouraged everyone to accept that something paranormal was happening and just respect it. After everyone in the house came to terms with it, the activity stopped.
Mama Rose
Reserve Louisiana isn't far from New Orleans, but I've never had an occasion to go. A couple with two teen-age daughters came out for the tour a few nights ago. They lived in Reserve in his grandparents' house, a four room house that they had added on to. His great-grandmother died in the bedroom off the kitchen, but it is his grandmother, Mama Rose, who died in the hospital, that their daughter sees in the house, not as an old woman, but when she was young and looked just like their daughter does now.
Before they built onto the back of the house, the two girls shared a room. One night the youngest was sitting up in bed and she saw a glowing woman sitting at the foot of her bed. She told her sister to stop messing with her, she was scared. The figure got up and walked to the dresser and her sister mumbled something. The youngest said "raise your hand" and her sister's hand appeared on the pillow beside her.
Often she would see Mama Rose at the foot of the bed or in the kitchen. The rooms were side by side and most of her time, while she was alive, was spent going between the two rooms.
On another occasion the two girls walked into the kitchen and a flood of perfume followed them. Their mother said, "Girls! Do you have to take a bath in your perfume?" The girls shook their heads and denied they were wearing anything. Their father walked in after them and sniffed for a moment before he realized, "That's my grandmother's perfume."
Before they built onto the back of the house, the two girls shared a room. One night the youngest was sitting up in bed and she saw a glowing woman sitting at the foot of her bed. She told her sister to stop messing with her, she was scared. The figure got up and walked to the dresser and her sister mumbled something. The youngest said "raise your hand" and her sister's hand appeared on the pillow beside her.
Often she would see Mama Rose at the foot of the bed or in the kitchen. The rooms were side by side and most of her time, while she was alive, was spent going between the two rooms.
On another occasion the two girls walked into the kitchen and a flood of perfume followed them. Their mother said, "Girls! Do you have to take a bath in your perfume?" The girls shook their heads and denied they were wearing anything. Their father walked in after them and sniffed for a moment before he realized, "That's my grandmother's perfume."
The Big Bang
Locals come out on the tours more often than you'd think. The other night a family from Metairie joined the tour. They lived in an old house and were a joined family, divorced parents and four kids between them. There was a lot of regular activity at their house, most of it minor but consistent.
His children only stayed at the house every other week-end, but they had their own bedroom. Every time they left the beds would be made and everything in the room neat and tidy. Routinely their stepmother would peek in their room to find the comforter turned up, like someone was trying to look under the bed.
Probably the most dramatic thing to happen was one day when the father was up in the attic working, he heard a loud bang, like the kids had knocked over a bookshelf or something--something huge. He ran downstairs, "What did y'all break?" As he was running downstairs the kids were running out of their room, "Dad, are you alright? Did you fall?" Nothing had been knocked over, nothing was broken. There was no explanation at all, but everyone in the house was shaken.
His children only stayed at the house every other week-end, but they had their own bedroom. Every time they left the beds would be made and everything in the room neat and tidy. Routinely their stepmother would peek in their room to find the comforter turned up, like someone was trying to look under the bed.
Probably the most dramatic thing to happen was one day when the father was up in the attic working, he heard a loud bang, like the kids had knocked over a bookshelf or something--something huge. He ran downstairs, "What did y'all break?" As he was running downstairs the kids were running out of their room, "Dad, are you alright? Did you fall?" Nothing had been knocked over, nothing was broken. There was no explanation at all, but everyone in the house was shaken.
The Feather Cap
It's funny how people react to paranormal experiences, some rationalize them away, while others categorize them. This summer I had a group of adolescent students join the tour and one of them told me that he had one experience that he was confident about.
When he was a young kid he was in bed one night and a man walked right through the wall and sat on the bottom bunk. It terrified him. The only thing he knew for sure about the man was that he had on a feather cap.
Years later in eighth grade his grandmother died. While the family was at her house he looked through some family albums. He had never actually met his grandfather. In the album were photos of the whole family including photos of his grandfather wearing the same feather cap.
When he was a young kid he was in bed one night and a man walked right through the wall and sat on the bottom bunk. It terrified him. The only thing he knew for sure about the man was that he had on a feather cap.
Years later in eighth grade his grandmother died. While the family was at her house he looked through some family albums. He had never actually met his grandfather. In the album were photos of the whole family including photos of his grandfather wearing the same feather cap.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Weldon, IL
People move around so much these days. A few nights ago I had a family from New Mexico on my tour, but the father had grown up in a farm house in Weldon, IL. The house had been built around the civil war. He and his family would see a couple float through the house. A young couple, their heads and faces were distinct but their bottom halves were just flowing mist.
The father was just two or three when they were there and he would see them and hear them more than anyone else in the family. Some people in the town said that a childless couple had built the house, who knows. But whenever his sister would do something mean to him, the ghosts would play a trick on her, so it all worked out in his favor.
There was one room in the house that was always cold and just felt wrong. Since no one would sleep in it, it became the playroom. They had an old fashioned rocking horse, a heavy one on springs and inevitably it would rock at 2:00pm. One night it was so loud that their mother yelled at his older brother to stop. His brother said, "It's not me, I'm in bed." She told the brother to go and stop the noise. When he went to the playroom the rocking horse was bouncing from the ceiling to the floor, up to the ceiling, down to the floor, loud as could be. The ceilings were at least ten feet high. When his brother turned on the light the horse stopped in midair and floated down to the floor.
Many years later, after the family had moved to New Mexico and the man who took my tour was old enough to drive, he encountered the same ghosts. The family was at a restaurant and he left ahead of them. He heard the woman's voice say, "go back." He went back to the restaurant and road home with his family. On their way they saw a huge accident. If he hadn't gone back he would have been in the middle of it.
The father was just two or three when they were there and he would see them and hear them more than anyone else in the family. Some people in the town said that a childless couple had built the house, who knows. But whenever his sister would do something mean to him, the ghosts would play a trick on her, so it all worked out in his favor.
There was one room in the house that was always cold and just felt wrong. Since no one would sleep in it, it became the playroom. They had an old fashioned rocking horse, a heavy one on springs and inevitably it would rock at 2:00pm. One night it was so loud that their mother yelled at his older brother to stop. His brother said, "It's not me, I'm in bed." She told the brother to go and stop the noise. When he went to the playroom the rocking horse was bouncing from the ceiling to the floor, up to the ceiling, down to the floor, loud as could be. The ceilings were at least ten feet high. When his brother turned on the light the horse stopped in midair and floated down to the floor.
Many years later, after the family had moved to New Mexico and the man who took my tour was old enough to drive, he encountered the same ghosts. The family was at a restaurant and he left ahead of them. He heard the woman's voice say, "go back." He went back to the restaurant and road home with his family. On their way they saw a huge accident. If he hadn't gone back he would have been in the middle of it.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Redondo Beach, CA
Parents are funny. The other night I had a couple on my tour celebrating their kid's graduation from 8th grade without him.
Before kids they had rented a house in Redondo Beach, CA. Every night they would hear furniture being moved around upstairs. They were too chicken to go up and check in the night. But nothing was ever moved when they did go up during the day.
One night when the woman was alone it got so loud, and she was such a nervous wreck, that she screamed, "Stop it. Just stop it up there." Sure enough it did.
The neighboring house could see into their windows, and the neighbors would see an old woman milling around their house. But they never saw her themselves.
Before kids they had rented a house in Redondo Beach, CA. Every night they would hear furniture being moved around upstairs. They were too chicken to go up and check in the night. But nothing was ever moved when they did go up during the day.
One night when the woman was alone it got so loud, and she was such a nervous wreck, that she screamed, "Stop it. Just stop it up there." Sure enough it did.
The neighboring house could see into their windows, and the neighbors would see an old woman milling around their house. But they never saw her themselves.
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