Yesterday was a long, long day, but so worth it! After getting up at 5:30 and working for ten hours, I headed over to Ozark, MO, for my first ghost hunt with Southwest Ghost Finders! We met up at Golden Dragon and chowed down on some good Chinese food before heading just down the road to the historic Weaver House. The house was built in the mid-1800s and has definitely seen its share of Ozarks history. When the Baldknobbers (no, not the people from the Branson show. They were a group of vigilantes in the Ozarks around the 1880s.) were wreaking havoc in the area, they even held a meeting in one of the upstairs rooms of the house, and burnt their insignia into the floor. The original floor and insignia are still intact in the house, and I must say that the Baldknobber 'logo' looks kind of like a horse's head turned sideways. The house was also at one time a stagecoach stop. It is said that a young girl who had been on the stagecoach developed a terrible disease and died in the other bedroom upstairs.
The seven of us there for the investigation were SWGF founder, Kim, longtime members Oscar and Sandy, relative newcomers Scott and Paula, and newbies Jerri and me. We set up stationary cameras in both of the upstairs bedrooms, in the living area/spiral staircase, and in the basement. We each carried digital voice recorders and some of us used infrared and regular digital cameras. We also set up a motion-sensitive infrared camera in the sunroom (which is a relatively modern addition to the house), although it likely only captured us investigators as we headed toward the bathroom during the night.
We split up for the first part of the investigation, with Oscar, Sandy, and Paula in the living areas of the main floor, and Kim, Scott, Jerri, and me in the basement. While down there in the pitch dark, those of us in the basement kept seeing a small flash of light in one corner, even when there were no vehicles going by. We did an extensive EVP session, and Kim asked any spirits to play "Marco Polo" with us. During this, the gang upstairs heard a disembodied male voice say "Marco."
Throughout the night, we heard several knocks, bangs, and whispers which didn't come from any of us. When Jerri and I sat upstairs in the Baldknobber room, we both noticed a tension in the room, and had the feeling of a watchful presence in the closet. When we ended our EVP session in that room, we headed to the other upstairs bedroom, the one where a girl from the stagecoach died years ago. The feeling in that room was much more tranquil.
Kim performed a session with dowsing rods while Jerri and I were upstairs, and she seemed to get some responses from a male spirit. After a while, we all gathered in the living area near the spiral staircase, and many of us noted unexplained knocks, as well as catching glimpses of small traces of light or shadows on the staircase. As for EMF, the house really had no baseline, as certain areas of the house seemed to be at a constant spike, and not always near electric lines. On the staircase near the end of our investigation, we caught a free-floating spike on the staircase near where a team member had seen a shadow earlier, as well as a spike in the middle of the Baldknobber room.
Around 4 a.m., we called it a night and cleaned up the equipment. I had such a blast hunting with my new team, and I can't wait to find out what kind of evidence we may have caught at the Weaver House!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
A New Page
After nearly a year-long hiatus from blogger-dom, I have returned! Just a moment ago, I re-read the last post I had written, and had to laugh at the fact that I am in much the same position as I was a year ago. Yes, a few things are different. For example, I'm no longer a college student; instead I'm a recent grad full of hope that maybe I'll get a 'real' job soon. And, I'm a rent-paying adult!
Up until about two days ago, I was in exactly the same spot as I was in my previous post, at least in regards to searching for a local paranormal team. The emails I sent out over the past year to numerous paranormal teams were only rarely met with a response, and never met with a real opportunity to go along on an investigation. Needless to say, I was bummed, and kind of put the paranormal stuff on my mental back burner. But in the past couple of months, I've really regained my hankering to do some more investigations, and just last week I promised myself that I would contact one more local group. If I got a response, I'd be happy to check out the team, but if I didn't get a response (which seemed more likely at the time), I'd just point my currently-unemployed energies toward setting up my own investigation team.
So, the search was on to pick out a local investigation group to email. The first site I stumbled across was the Southwest Ghost Finders' website. It stated that they were more than just an investigation team; they're like a family. My first thought was, "Bingo!" It sounded like a great group, so I went out on a limb and sent them an email. I didn't figure I'd get a response, so imagine my surprise when I got a really polite and welcoming email!
So, a couple of phone calls later, we got a meeting set up. Just a couple hours ago, I met with Kim and Susan, and I was so impressed with the real sense of pride they have in the team. They even invited me to join them on an upcoming hunt!
Words can't describe how cool it is to meet people who share an interest in ghosts and hauntings and whatnot. It's even more amazing to know they're in my own town! I'm so excited to get the opportunity to go on a case with them and learn even more about my passion, the paranormal.
Up until about two days ago, I was in exactly the same spot as I was in my previous post, at least in regards to searching for a local paranormal team. The emails I sent out over the past year to numerous paranormal teams were only rarely met with a response, and never met with a real opportunity to go along on an investigation. Needless to say, I was bummed, and kind of put the paranormal stuff on my mental back burner. But in the past couple of months, I've really regained my hankering to do some more investigations, and just last week I promised myself that I would contact one more local group. If I got a response, I'd be happy to check out the team, but if I didn't get a response (which seemed more likely at the time), I'd just point my currently-unemployed energies toward setting up my own investigation team.
So, the search was on to pick out a local investigation group to email. The first site I stumbled across was the Southwest Ghost Finders' website. It stated that they were more than just an investigation team; they're like a family. My first thought was, "Bingo!" It sounded like a great group, so I went out on a limb and sent them an email. I didn't figure I'd get a response, so imagine my surprise when I got a really polite and welcoming email!
So, a couple of phone calls later, we got a meeting set up. Just a couple hours ago, I met with Kim and Susan, and I was so impressed with the real sense of pride they have in the team. They even invited me to join them on an upcoming hunt!
Words can't describe how cool it is to meet people who share an interest in ghosts and hauntings and whatnot. It's even more amazing to know they're in my own town! I'm so excited to get the opportunity to go on a case with them and learn even more about my passion, the paranormal.
Friday, June 12, 2009
A real investigation???
It's finally summer. The sun's out (well, for the moment. The dark clouds to the west may bring that to a screeching halt momentarily), it's hot, and for the next several weeks, I don't have to worry about classes.
So, I can focus on my real passion: the paranormal. I've been emailing like crazy, in an amateur attempt to get in contact with a real paranormal investigation group. I just reeeealllly want to go a legitimate investigation that includes a little more than a couple digital cameras and a cheap digital voice recorder.
I've heard back from a couple of groups, most recently Missouri Ozark Paranormal Society (MOPS), based in Camdenton, MO. Their next investigation is going to be Wilson Cemetery in Lebanon, which you may recognize from an earlier post of mine. I'm unbelievably excited about the possibility of investigating with this group!
I'll keep you updated on any news!
So, I can focus on my real passion: the paranormal. I've been emailing like crazy, in an amateur attempt to get in contact with a real paranormal investigation group. I just reeeealllly want to go a legitimate investigation that includes a little more than a couple digital cameras and a cheap digital voice recorder.
I've heard back from a couple of groups, most recently Missouri Ozark Paranormal Society (MOPS), based in Camdenton, MO. Their next investigation is going to be Wilson Cemetery in Lebanon, which you may recognize from an earlier post of mine. I'm unbelievably excited about the possibility of investigating with this group!
I'll keep you updated on any news!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wondering about Windyville
About a week ago, I went with my friends Courtney and Whitley to a little town called Windyville. The town isn't home to much; it's basically the intersection of two country highways, a couple rundown buildings, and a few houses. But it may be most known for being home to the national headquarters of the School of Metaphysics. Yeah, national headquarters.
The School of Metaphysics isn't something I know much about, but it's gotten kind of a bad reputation around here. Most dismiss it as a cult or something, but I don't know for sure what exactly it is. Apparently they offer tours of their premisis, and as intriguing as it seems, I probably won't ever work up the nerve to participate.
Besides the School, Windyville has somewhat of a reputation for being a haunted and abandoned town. Courtney, Whitley and I have visited several times, mostly out of curiosity. Friends of friends had supposedly had run-ins with School of Metaphysics members, and been chased back to Lebanon by a white pickup truck. I know that we've all felt it's a slightly creepy place. We've never caught any solid evidence of the paranormal, really, but last week, we did have a unique experience.
As we drove on the gravel road that passes the School of Metaphysics' land, we noticed that the barn on the opposite side of the road had a peacock in it. We all kind of laughed, but then we noticed what seemed to be the screams of multiple people some distance away. Our first thought was that it was something on the radio, but the radio was completely off. My next thought was the peacock, so I asked, "Do peacocks make that sound?" Apparently, they do not. The sound seemed to be coming from the land at the right side of the road. We were directly in front of the School's land, which was on our right.
I can't say for sure what the sounds were, but it did legitimately creep us out. We've never had anything like that happen, but I know I floored my Liberty to get us out of there.
The School of Metaphysics isn't something I know much about, but it's gotten kind of a bad reputation around here. Most dismiss it as a cult or something, but I don't know for sure what exactly it is. Apparently they offer tours of their premisis, and as intriguing as it seems, I probably won't ever work up the nerve to participate.
Besides the School, Windyville has somewhat of a reputation for being a haunted and abandoned town. Courtney, Whitley and I have visited several times, mostly out of curiosity. Friends of friends had supposedly had run-ins with School of Metaphysics members, and been chased back to Lebanon by a white pickup truck. I know that we've all felt it's a slightly creepy place. We've never caught any solid evidence of the paranormal, really, but last week, we did have a unique experience.
As we drove on the gravel road that passes the School of Metaphysics' land, we noticed that the barn on the opposite side of the road had a peacock in it. We all kind of laughed, but then we noticed what seemed to be the screams of multiple people some distance away. Our first thought was that it was something on the radio, but the radio was completely off. My next thought was the peacock, so I asked, "Do peacocks make that sound?" Apparently, they do not. The sound seemed to be coming from the land at the right side of the road. We were directly in front of the School's land, which was on our right.
I can't say for sure what the sounds were, but it did legitimately creep us out. We've never had anything like that happen, but I know I floored my Liberty to get us out of there.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Get me to Rhode Island!
If you're interested in the paranormal like I am, or just want to learn more about what it takes to do an investigation, The Atlantic Paranormal Society is offering a course called Paranormal 101. This course offers information about types of hauntings, how to assist clients, and other ways to fine-tune your ghost hunting skills. If I lived in Rhode Island, you know I would be the first in line for one of these classes! The next available course is May 16 from 11-3, and will be held at the TAPS office in Warwick, RI. The instructor is Kristyn Gartland, whom you may have seen on Ghost Hunters. The TAPS website has tons more info on upcoming courses!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Hollow Horror
A few years ago, my friends Courtney and Whitley and I went down to a place called Crybaby Hollow (or Holler, if you're a true Ozarkian) near Crocker, Missouri. We’d heard the legend that years ago, a young mother had lost her baby in the hollow during a storm, and could hear it crying, but couldn’t find it. Some say to this day you can still hear the baby’s cries if you stop along the road that passes through the hollow. Others say that if you stop your car in the hollow, small handprints show up on your windshield. Needless to say, we were psyched to check the place out.
Near the hollow, my friend Whitley’s grandparents have some land, and on it is an old house. Whitley told Courtney and me that creepy things had been known to happen in the house and surrounding area, like people repeatedly seeing and hearing a little girl, and a guy had been found dead in a nearby cave.
When we made it out to Crocker, Whitley’s grandpa told us stories of his experiences with the paranormal, and led us just before dusk down to the old house. We walked within maybe 300 yards of it, and her grandpa told us he would go no further, which took us by surprise. He made his way back to his own house after wishing us luck and telling us to be careful and not do anything stupid.
We approached the house, and it was in much worse condition than I had expected. It was dilapidated, and the roof looked about to fall in. In the nearby woods, the trees looked ominous, and daffodils were blooming. The whole place looked eerie at best.
We took pictures with our disposable cameras and explored the grounds as dusk fell. We pulled out our flashlights, including a crank light, and kept exploring. At one point, most of our flashlights died, even the crank light, while Whitley was cranking it. Thus, we decided to get the heck out of there. Once we were several feet away from the house, our lights worked again.
As we headed home, we stopped Whitley's Saturn in the hollow, and she shut off the engine. We sat almost motionless. We heard nothing. But when we got back home to Lebanon, it looked like there were a couple of small almost hand-looking prints on the back glass of the car....seriously.
Just a few weekends ago, Whitley and I were visiting, and she showed me for the first time the pictures from Crybaby Hollow. She had gotten them developed finally, after nearly four years. Before she showed me one picture in particular, she asked, “None of us went into the woods, right?” Of course we hadn’t; we were too chicken. Sure, we had taken pictures of the eerie trees, but certainly hadn’t gone very near them. This picture was of the trees, but there was a glowing figure in the photo as well. It looked like a blue-white shoulder and head peeking out from behind a tree. I was immediately intrigued and petrified.
Needless to say, I want to venture back to the Hollow, just to see what will happen. But, I’m kind of glad I never developed my photos from our excursion.
Just a sidenote: Once I get a copy of the pic, I'll definitely post it!
Near the hollow, my friend Whitley’s grandparents have some land, and on it is an old house. Whitley told Courtney and me that creepy things had been known to happen in the house and surrounding area, like people repeatedly seeing and hearing a little girl, and a guy had been found dead in a nearby cave.
When we made it out to Crocker, Whitley’s grandpa told us stories of his experiences with the paranormal, and led us just before dusk down to the old house. We walked within maybe 300 yards of it, and her grandpa told us he would go no further, which took us by surprise. He made his way back to his own house after wishing us luck and telling us to be careful and not do anything stupid.
We approached the house, and it was in much worse condition than I had expected. It was dilapidated, and the roof looked about to fall in. In the nearby woods, the trees looked ominous, and daffodils were blooming. The whole place looked eerie at best.
We took pictures with our disposable cameras and explored the grounds as dusk fell. We pulled out our flashlights, including a crank light, and kept exploring. At one point, most of our flashlights died, even the crank light, while Whitley was cranking it. Thus, we decided to get the heck out of there. Once we were several feet away from the house, our lights worked again.
As we headed home, we stopped Whitley's Saturn in the hollow, and she shut off the engine. We sat almost motionless. We heard nothing. But when we got back home to Lebanon, it looked like there were a couple of small almost hand-looking prints on the back glass of the car....seriously.
Just a few weekends ago, Whitley and I were visiting, and she showed me for the first time the pictures from Crybaby Hollow. She had gotten them developed finally, after nearly four years. Before she showed me one picture in particular, she asked, “None of us went into the woods, right?” Of course we hadn’t; we were too chicken. Sure, we had taken pictures of the eerie trees, but certainly hadn’t gone very near them. This picture was of the trees, but there was a glowing figure in the photo as well. It looked like a blue-white shoulder and head peeking out from behind a tree. I was immediately intrigued and petrified.
Needless to say, I want to venture back to the Hollow, just to see what will happen. But, I’m kind of glad I never developed my photos from our excursion.
Just a sidenote: Once I get a copy of the pic, I'll definitely post it!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
My big break! Hopefully...
This weekend, I found myself watching the most recent episode of Ghost Hunters as I put off my homework. As I watched Jason, Grant, and the crew investigate a Titanic exhibit in Georgia (I think it was Georgia, at least….) I noticed an advertisement at the bottom of the screen.
I immediately started screaming when I saw what it said, which was something to the effect of “Apply online to be a part of the next Ghost Hunters crew.” I literally ran to my computer and logged on to the Sci Fi channel's GH website and tracked down the scoop.
Apparently, the producers are looking for new ghost hunters to be in a series called Ghost Hunters: Next Generation. Sign me up!
I quickly and eagerly sent in my application, and am now crossing my fingers! I know they’re probably going to receive about a billion applications, and my chances are slim to none, but I’m still hoping that they’ll pick me! A girl can dream, right?
My ghost hunting mentors, Grant and Jason.
I immediately started screaming when I saw what it said, which was something to the effect of “Apply online to be a part of the next Ghost Hunters crew.” I literally ran to my computer and logged on to the Sci Fi channel's GH website and tracked down the scoop.
Apparently, the producers are looking for new ghost hunters to be in a series called Ghost Hunters: Next Generation. Sign me up!
I quickly and eagerly sent in my application, and am now crossing my fingers! I know they’re probably going to receive about a billion applications, and my chances are slim to none, but I’m still hoping that they’ll pick me! A girl can dream, right?
My ghost hunting mentors, Grant and Jason.
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