tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52068032668418174972024-03-13T13:02:34.862-04:00Sherri Brake's Haunted HeartlandSherri Brake gives her musings on life and the darker history of West Virginia,Ohio and beyond.Exploring folklore, haunted locations,and forgotten cemeteries on a daily basis.Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-8991406578501906552019-10-08T10:05:00.002-04:002019-10-08T10:05:45.094-04:00It has been a LONG TIME!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been a really long time since I blogged here....so....since it is October, I thought I would share with you a little story I wrote for Graffiti Magazine.<br />
A wee bit spooky and tragic as well.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Lewisburg’s Angel of Death</span></h1>
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Appalachia has a long and rich folklore tradition and as anyone who has ever sat around a campfire at night or held a flashlight under their chin knows, ghost stories are one of the most thrilling parts of oral tradition. The month of October finds our nights getting chillier, wind rustling through the tree branches and as All Hallow's Eve draws near, I thought I would share with you a story and ghostly legend of one of my favorite cemeteries in the Mountain State.</div>
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In the town of Lewisburg, there is a very old cemetery with beautiful markers, statues and headstones. In the Old Stone Church Cemetery on Church Street, there are hundreds buried, including carpenters, soldiers, squires, homemakers, farmers and doctors. The rich, poor, famous and forgotten lie interred here, death being the Great Equalizer, rules us all in the very end.</div>
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Among the hundreds of graves there is a striking statue known to some as the Angel of Death. The beautiful yet dramatic statue is the marker for a little girl by the name of Maud Montague Matthews. She was born in 1876 on Monday, Oct. 2 to parents Alexander and Laura. As the old poem states "Monday's child is fair of face" and I am sure she was a lovely girl. As a child, she became ill during a pneumonia epidemic and succumbed to that condition on May 30, 1888, just a few months shy of her 12th birthday. Maud was buried in the Old Stone Cemetery next to the grand old Presbyterian Church. Her parents must have been in shock as just one year prior, their precious baby Anne had died at just 15 days old. Now, tragedy had struck again taking another child of theirs, darling Maud. On the base of her white angelic statue, these words are inscribed:</div>
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<i><b>"Love hath a lien nor time nor death can sever. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>Our own are ours forever and ever"</b></i></div>
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One year later in the year of 1889, Maud's sister died at the age of 10 and I am certain the Matthews family felt as if the Grim Reaper was living at their doorstep. Florence Vane Matthews lies buried directly next to her sister Maud and shares her statue.</div>
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The story, as if not gloomy enough, takes a bizarre twist. Shortly after the statue was erected a few years after Maud's death, her young twin cousins came to visit her grave. Before leaving her grave, they each kissed the angel's cheek. They considered Maud not only a cousin but also a best friend. Soon afterwards, they both perished by the end of the year. One of the girls contracted the influenza virus and the other was a victim of a carriage ride gone wrong. The local legend has it that anyone who kisses the angel will suffer the same tragic fate and be dead within a year.</div>
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Stories such as this one can be found worldwide. Tales of grievous statues of death, headstones that eerily glow, hound dogs of hell barking at night on a graveyard hill and apparitions who walk among the stones just seem to go hand in hand with the Halloween season. I can tell you thison my visits to the Old Stone Church Cemetery I pay my respects to Maud, often taking a flower to her grave.</div>
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What is that you ask? Did I ever kiss the cheek of the Death Angel?</div>
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I'm still here, aren't I??</div>
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Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-32717471041751267302016-05-16T15:40:00.001-04:002016-05-16T15:40:03.281-04:00Celtic Crossing Tour with Haunted Heartland and Sherri Brake<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w-awb4phwqM" width="459"></iframe>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-40828096263881303232015-10-27T17:04:00.002-04:002015-10-27T17:04:31.062-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's almost Halloween.....</h2>
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“Be silent in that solitude,<br />Which is not loneliness—for then<br />The spirits of the dead, who stood<br />In life before thee, are again<br />In death around thee, and their will<br />Shall overshadow thee; be still.”<br />—From <a href="https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/spirits-dead" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(211, 211, 211); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: black; text-decoration: none;">“Spirits of the Dead”</a> by Edgar Allan Poe</h3>
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I simply love Autumn. The cool nights, the crunching of leaves underfoot, the smell of a bonfire and the approaching night of Halloween! Did you know that many of our Halloween traditions had their beginning thousands of years ago?</div>
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<span class="largecap" style="color: #528357; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: bold;">H</span>alloween had its beginnings in an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of the dead. The Celtic peoples, who were once found all over Europe, divided the year by four major holidays. According to their calendar, the year began on a day corresponding to November 1st on our present calendar. The date marked the beginning of winter. Since they were pastoral people, it was a time when cattle and sheep had to be moved to closer pastures and all livestock had to be secured for the winter months. Crops were harvested and stored. The date marked both an ending and a beginning in an eternal cycle.</div>
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The festival observed at this time was called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween). It was the biggest and most significant holiday of the Celtic year. The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain, more so than any other time of the year, the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living, because at Samhain the souls of those who had died during the year traveled into the otherworld. People gathered to sacrifice animals, fruits, and vegetables.</div>
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They also lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid them on their journey, and to keep them away from the living. On that day all manner of beings were abroad: ghosts, fairies, and demons--all part of the dark and dread. Many feared this nights activities and hope to survive unscathed.</div>
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So here's to the best holiday of them all. HALLOWEEN!!!!</div>
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Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-35937359795260238042014-12-04T13:36:00.001-05:002014-12-04T13:41:10.592-05:00Into the Mystic?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>INTO THE MYSTIC?</b><br />
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<b>Lower Mystic Cemetery in Mystic, Connecticut</b><br />
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I first visited this cemetery back in April 2014. As a taphophile, a lover of cemeteries and all that is related, I had spied this one from the passenger seat as we sped past headed to the historic seaport town of Mystic. I told my husband that we were going to stop on the drive back to Groton...or else.<br />
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I have a 'thing' for old cemeteries and I just KNEW this one had some interesting stones and maybe a mystery or two. After all, I had high hopes for a cemetery with "mystic" in its name!<br />
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I first saw the old stone well when I was strolling toward the center of the cemetery. It stood in a large area unmarked by trees, shrubs or headstones for that matter. It looked odd and a bit out of place. I mean, how often do you really see a big well like this in a cemetery?</div>
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As I walked closer, I noticed that it had an old metal handle that looked as if it was still operable. Should I? I have seen PLENTY of horror movies when the innocent chick gets axed because she's more nosy then needed. The curious cat gets the...how does that go? Oh yeah. Curiosity killed the cat.<br />
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I had to try the handle though. I couldn't help but look over my shoulder. It felt like I was on the movie set of "The Ring" or that old zombie film of all zombie films, "Night of the Living Dead"..<br />
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After my big adventure at the cemetery well, I continued my walk around. I saw many cracked headstones and markers with anchors carved on them. Since this area was on the coast, I knew I would find some burials of old fishermen, sailors and salty sea captains. The cemetery was well kept and I wish I could have spent more time. This cemetery had stories to be told. It's on my list of places to re visit the next time I am in Connecticut.<br />
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Hopefully when I crank the old stone well on my next adventure to Mystic, I will remain unscathed from any horror flick creature crawling up from the watery depths. The human imagination is a powerful tool, isn't it? My real hope is to catch the caretaker while he is tending to the grounds. I would LOVE to know the rest of the story!<br />
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Would YOU crank the handle??</div>
Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-85254509875925032912014-01-17T17:32:00.001-05:002014-01-17T17:32:35.063-05:00Cemeteries in the Snow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here the dead sleep – the quiet dead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> No sound<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Disturbs them ever, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">and no storm dismays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Winter mid snow caresses the tired ground,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And the wind roars about the woodland ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Springtime and summer and red autumn pass,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; text-align: right;">With leaf and bloom and pipe of wind and bird,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; text-align: start;">And the old earth puts forth her tender grass,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">By them unfelt, unheeded and unheard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Our centuries to them are but as strokes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In the dim gaunt of some far-off chime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> ~ Archibald Lampman</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Cemeteries in the snow. Utter silence but for the crunching of the white snow underfoot. I enjoy walking through these silent cities of the dead. The snow lies upon various tombs and monuments adding a new dimension to the stauary's stance.</span></div>
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Walking in the stillness of an old cemetery gives you time to reflect on life as you gaze upon the many who passed before us.</div>
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<i>Old stones lie tumbled and crooked with pieces missing </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In winter’s months when all is bare<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">No flowers to distract looking eyes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We see the gravestones wearing away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And the remainder of unfinished good-byes</span></div>
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New tree growth next to old stones can cause them to be buckled upward</div>
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President McKinley's Monument standing silently in guard over the cemetery</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The mists swirl, the moon shines bright.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">No one dares stray here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">They would never desire to,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Unless the earth covers what they hold dear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I watch as nature masks herself </span>In flakes of snow that leap and twirl</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">They fall in endless chaos<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hiding her unveiled cruelty. The stones bear the weight of snow and ice</span></div>
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Graves covered in pure white snow as if a cloud from heaven had descended and shrouded the stones in a ethereal blanket.</div>
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Take time out to visit a cemetery in the early months of the new year. </div>
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Walk gently, dress warmly and take a camera. (and something hot to drink!)</div>
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Until next time, Sherri </div>
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www.HauntedHistory.net </div>
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Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-19801709904601546742013-12-15T16:08:00.001-05:002013-12-15T16:08:14.325-05:00Carnegie Hall Ghosts?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span>s I sit here and look out the window at sleet falling and snow and ice on the ground, it is hard to think ahead to warm ghost hunting season. Of course, here at the haunted office, GHOSTS are always in season but to the average investigator, warmer weather is required. The older I get though, the more I can agree to that statement! Warmer weather, please!</b><div>
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<br /><br />There is ONE location here in West Virginia that I am anxuous to sink my teeth into. Pardon the vampire reference- but it gets my blood flowing when I have a new location plump for the attack...err....study.<br /><br />Carnegie Hall is located in Lewisburg West Virginia and was built in 1902 by steel baron and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie as a classroom building for the Lewisburg Female Institute, later the Greenbrier College for Women. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Carnegie Hall was incorporated in 1983 as a regional not-for-profit arts and education center. According to their website, the cultural center annually serves more than 75,000 patrons with live performances by outstanding companies and artists from around the world. One thing it neclgets to mention at the website is that they have visits from other dimensions. That's right! There are many a person who whisper of the odd events that happen on occasion. Poltergeist activity, shadow people and a few apparitions have been reported in the halls (and some of the rooms) of Carnegie Hall. It's no wonder as the entire town has a haunted history dating back to the Civil War era. remember those tried and true theories of imprinted energy and residual?</div>
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Lewsiburg was home to the Battle of Lewisburg which took place here. Going waaay back in history, Lewisburg was formally established in 1782 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly. uring the Civil War a number of engagements were fought in and around Lewisburg. Several of the present buildings in town were used as hospitals and barracks by both sides in the War Between the States. Bullet marks can still be seen in some today! The Virginia Supreme Court library, which was located in Lewisburg and served as the Greenbrier County Library until 2008, was used as a hospital and has preserved a section of wall with soldiers' graffiti. Can you imagine? </div>
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Up the road from Carnegie Hall is the Confederate Cemetery. A gray garbed soldier has been seen walking from the old Stone Church cemetery in town and up the hill past Carnegie Hall while he makes his way towards the Confederate cemetery.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old Stone Church Cemetery</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Confederate Cemetery</td></tr>
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The entire town has stories to share of darker history and paranormal events- you just have to know who to ask. As usual, there are some folks who don't believe or think its a bunch of "hogwash". But then again, there are those who I have spoken to who believe and in hushed tones, have shared with me their experiences.</div>
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All in all, I am very excited at the prospects of having another Ghost Hunting class in Lewisburg thru the New River College. I am hopping it all works out schedule wise and that one evening this Spring, we will be packing our equipment into the hushed hallways of Carnegie Hall and ready for a night of investigating.</div>
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Exit stage left.......</div>
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Stay tuned! <a href="http://www.hauntedhistory.net/paranormal-classes.html">For more info on Paranormal Classes:</a> </div>
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Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-33968100191294238852013-11-09T14:41:00.002-05:002013-11-09T14:41:46.735-05:00November Musings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here it is November and I am very glad to have survived the crazy season. Ask anyone who works in haunted houses, plans ghost hunts, has a job at a costume store or works at anything spooky and they will tell you this; we are glad its over!<br />
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October came to a close and with it some semblance of "quiet" arrived here at the haunted office. The last ghos thunt of the season is this Saturday November 16th and it will find me hosting a <i>Death by Dessert Ghosthunt </i>at the historic Ohio State Reformatory. I am very excited to be back on site there as it has been a couple of months since I have visited there. What an amazing place and what great staff and volunteers!<br />
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<i>The Ohio State Reformatory</i></div>
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<i>photo by Sherri Brake</i></div>
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Many love the buildings architecture and find themselves drawn to the old reformatory in Mansfield for one reason or another. Me? I was hooked the first time I saw it! In my book "The Haunted History of the Ohio State Reformatory" I said it best in the foreword when I wrote "It was a rainy
afternoon back in 1999 when I first laid eyes on it. I peered through the
chain-link fence like a sugar-deprived kid in a candy store. There it stood,
massive and monstrous, as if plucked from the very hills of Transylvania. I
felt as if I had stepped onto the movie set of Bram Stoker’s <i>Dracula </i>as I glanced at the building.
Giant stone walls, foreboding doors and massive turrets returned my stare. I
had heard stories of this fortress, and now I was finally seeing it, albeit
from a distance. I did not go inside the building, as it was closed that day, but
I knew that one day I would be back and would venture inside its winding
hallways. The building I fell in love with that day was the historic Ohio State
Reformatory<span style="color: blue;">."</span><br />
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I continued on "One year later I returned, and did so with
camera in hand, partaking of a normal daytime tour of the building. The tour
guide on that day gave tidbits of history, gruesome stories of past prisoners
and Hollywood movie trivia of films shot on site. It was an informative tour,
and being the history lover that I am, I ate up every detail and factoid that I
could. Little did I know that in a couple of years, I would be back and would
be leading hundreds of ghost hunters on investigations throughout this castle-like
building?<o:p></o:p></div>
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What draws people to visit the Ohio State
Reformatory? It’s a compilation of various things, but it basically boils down
to three: the grand architecture, the history and the ghost stories. I asked
various tour guides what originally drew them to the reformatory to volunteer.
One volunteer guide told me that the building picked <i>her</i>…she did not pick the building. That pretty much sums it up!"<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even though the busy season has passed and many of us ghost hunters have packed up the EMF meters and put away our cameras, we at Haunted Heartland Tours continue to study, research and plan for events and investigations in 2014. I have to say that we have some new offerings in 2014 and I am excited to announce them at our website www.HauntedHistory.net at the end of December.</div>
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Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-43684803600103332452013-02-04T12:20:00.004-05:002013-02-04T12:22:28.702-05:00The first blog of the year...and it's already February!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwL9rXHKN7KDuPY1Y3_iQsMCHEQ8ldCMIPseExi7aqPNzzI2kZHnki5vmNyjLQ8ToVj5vigp-FYNrYCL8x9LbrXejlQsdvaZWn94LCuyhkm0CwoO9Vz9c9OmOrP2E65CIop23kv0BI6Hg/s1600/snow+2010+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwL9rXHKN7KDuPY1Y3_iQsMCHEQ8ldCMIPseExi7aqPNzzI2kZHnki5vmNyjLQ8ToVj5vigp-FYNrYCL8x9LbrXejlQsdvaZWn94LCuyhkm0CwoO9Vz9c9OmOrP2E65CIop23kv0BI6Hg/s1600/snow+2010+030.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I measured snowfall with a bottle of Wild Turkey. Call me creative. :-)<br />
Besides, it's handy to have around for medicinal purposes...of course.</td></tr>
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Yep. It's February and I am blogging for the first time in 2013.<br />
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I am not the resolution type of person...I never have been. Sure, I'd like to lose weight, be a better wife and mom, find more haunted locations, blog more than I do, improve my work writing habits, spend more time discovering the roots of my family tree and solve world peace, but where do the hours fly to? If I could do ANYTHING this year it would be to figure out how to get more hours out of the day.<br />
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Snow days in the years of my childhood meant sitting around watching TV, reading a good book or sled riding. I LOVED ice skating when I was in my teens and couldn't wait to hit the local ice pond at the park. The snow days of the last few years seem to revolve around getting more work done....cleaning....catching up on more work and if I am not working...I am THINKING about work. Aye, yi, yi! I thought as you got older you were supposed to slow down a bit?<br />
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Today was another snow day off from school for my son, Mason. There were 3 snow days last week and just yesterday I told my husband and son that I would love to go sled riding. We have about 10 inches of snow on the ground and everything is pristine, white and crisp. Did I go sledding? No. What did I do? I came into the office on a Sunday, worked a bit on the next book, organized my office a little and signed a few boxes of books for the next book event.<br />
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Sigh....I looked out the window today at home and saw a huge hill calling my name while I wondered where my sleds were at.<br />
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<em>Fog and snow on the hill</em></div>
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Even though we have had massive amounts of snow this year, the cats seem to enjoy it. We have 5 outdoor cats and they all weather well. Please don't think they stay outside in the horrid temperature's. Perry has a lovely 8 car garage with a cat door. They have it made!</div>
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<em>Petey</em></div>
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I am looking forward to spring time this year as I <em>never</em> have before. The warmth of the breeze and the promise of warmer days, more sunshine and no more bone chilling nights with air so cold your nostrils stick together! It cannot get here fast enough.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXqmhGxJEMDyKK8Nyv1WgQQgU4GLWfkw44C3ymRbY1AL0vmh-AAINa0r5PkiHtarv5naZE346fOtlGV7ABrDDdS6HASgzlLzLsg_Bpn0AE3JfEWt89b4IVcrAdJXYyXPspNInCcisCPA/s1600/property09+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXqmhGxJEMDyKK8Nyv1WgQQgU4GLWfkw44C3ymRbY1AL0vmh-AAINa0r5PkiHtarv5naZE346fOtlGV7ABrDDdS6HASgzlLzLsg_Bpn0AE3JfEWt89b4IVcrAdJXYyXPspNInCcisCPA/s1600/property09+012.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<em> The deer seem to not mind the snow</em><br />
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With spring arriving I look at my haunted calendar for 2013. I cannot wait till my first overnight ghost hunt of the year! April 20th will find me haunting the halls of the West Virginia Pen in Moundsville. I cannot wait to see old familiar friends, the great staff at the Pen and my home sweet haunt!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDUu8rCTwEjeVRWAeeibo_seJNRsKMF08VJOJR510F3TUKZoGaWY_cSisR1Qmuu9zUjKF1O-gvSTgrPgtDPi9H8QXuBXJ6FDEKqVCNT3zz6Ca32-L19cgL3wuoWA6xlXf_JA3e2Ax468/s1600/Melanie+Kipp+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDUu8rCTwEjeVRWAeeibo_seJNRsKMF08VJOJR510F3TUKZoGaWY_cSisR1Qmuu9zUjKF1O-gvSTgrPgtDPi9H8QXuBXJ6FDEKqVCNT3zz6Ca32-L19cgL3wuoWA6xlXf_JA3e2Ax468/s1600/Melanie+Kipp+2.jpg" height="256" width="400" /></a></div>
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<em>The West Virginia Pen cover shot from my book </em></div>
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<em>"The Haunted History of the West Virginia Penitentiary"</em></div>
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Today, the sky is gray and there is hardly any sunshine. One day this week, I am hoping to go find my sled and perhaps steal a few hours away from the work schedule. I hope to dig my heels into the snowy slope and perhaps fly as fast as I can on that plastic saucer sled that keeps calling my name. I hope you get time to steal a few hours as well and perhaps do something fun. Snow Angels anyone??</div>
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Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0Summersville, WV, USA38.2812203 -80.85259810000002338.1814988 -81.013959600000021 38.3809418 -80.691236600000025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-34217924681866786092012-12-12T14:04:00.002-05:002012-12-12T14:04:18.181-05:00December Musings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Well, here we are again. Winter weather is here!</b></div>
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It's the end of another year, and perhaps the end of the world if we listen to some of the folks who believe it all comes to a grinding stop on December 21st. I am of the belief that perhaps this will not be the dire event that some people believe it to be, but rather a bit of an awakening spiritual for many people. I think the sun will set on December 21st<i><u> and</u></i> will rise again on December 22nd and life will continue on. (hopefully!)</div>
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It's been a busy year. Even though I cut my schedule down quite a bit, it was still chaotic! The last book came out in January, there were book signings to attend, haunted events to put together, overnight ghosthunts to attend, kids to enjoy, a house to plan, a husband to supervise and all while working on yet another book. </div>
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It seems as if research is never done. I love the research part of any project to the point that I believe I must have been a project manager in another life. (that would be sandwiched between my previous life as a country singer and my other past life as a Confederate soldier LOL)</div>
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Research on book #5 (2014 Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum) will continue and I hope it will be out in late 2014. Before my favorite holiday of Halloween would be ideal! </div>
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Book #4 should be out in a week or two...and will hopefully be a great resource for lovers of West Virginia hauntings and folklore. It is called "Fireside Folklore of West Virginia"</div>
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The new book will feature 24 chapters with each chapter focusing on old, and not so old, haunting's and folklore across the Mountain State. I was very happy to have Lisa Minney, owner and publisher of West Virginia's largest independent publication, write the foreward for the book. Thank you, Lisa and thank you Two-Lane Livin'!!</div>
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To write a book is like giving birth. Cigars, anyone?</div>
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<b>Power outages during the Franken -Storm</b></div>
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Halloween this year was very odd. Never before have I seen that much snow at one time!</div>
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We had the effects of a Noreaster hit us while Hurricaine Sandys moisture added to the mix. All in all we had about 3 feet of snow in central West Virginia. The power was off for 8 days. What fun though! I DID miss hot water, but it was great to slow down a bit and enjoy life. Farm chores had to be done in daylight hours, house cleaning was minimal, and water to wash with was warmed on the woodstove. I read by oil lamp and flashlight at night. Kinda cool. On the down side of the storm, people lost homes, business roofs collapsed (8 here in Nicholas County WV) and food spoiled. Many people lost entire freezers and fridges full of food. Gas stations couldn't pump gas if they did not have electric and of course, that added to the chaos. We survived though!</div>
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Snow on the Swinging Bridge and broken trees</div>
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<b>Website Updates!</b></div>
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Tour dates, festivals, conferences, and events that I am scheduling will be posted at my website this month www.HauntedHistory.net </div>
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I have already listed the Ohio State Reformatory dates for 2013. They will go up for sale online on Saturday January 5th at noon. The Reformatory holds a warm spot in my heart...and always will. Strange how a building can "grab" you like that. One of the volunteers told me years ago that the building picked <u>her.</u>..not the other way around, So true!</div>
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<i>The Ohio State Reformatory</i></div>
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<b>Mobile Phone update</b></div>
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Our website is now a more mobile friendly website with text that is much easier to read on smaller screens and a sleeker more simple design. Check it out on your smart phone at www.HauntedHistory.net</div>
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As the month draws nearer to its end,</div>
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I hope you have a great Christmas season and a wonderful, memory filled New Year!</div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sherri Brake</span></i></b></div>
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Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0Summersville, WV, USA38.2812203 -80.852598138.2313628 -80.9315621 38.3310778 -80.7736341tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-64179132735490138762012-03-01T15:15:00.001-05:002012-03-01T17:29:21.960-05:00March already?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It's March?<br />
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I just got done packing away the last of my Christmas wreaths last week. <br />
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Well, not really but has time flown by or what? May be that time went by so quickly as I had my little head buried in my new little book.<br />
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</div>It published December 31st 2011, and just in time for me to celebrate New Years Eve! Actually, it's not THAT little. 618 pages and a weight of 2.2 pounds make it's a tad bit bigger than my "Birds of West Virginia" manual. Seriously though...it was a labor of love. What is it with me and old prisons? My mom is starting to worry!<br />
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With all the hubub about 2012, polar shifts, planets aligning, and the Mayan calender, I think it'll be an interesting year for sure! How about you? I thought about planning an End of the World party on Friday December 21st and thought twice about it. Hey, why tempt fate?<br />
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So March is here and with it the arrival of spring is sure thing. Outdoor chores will start back up and oh....nice weather arrives and beckons me to explore some haunts and old cemeteries. Not that I don't mind checking out old buildings and cemeteries in sub zero weather but these bones are getting, dare I say it, old? If I can't have heated truck seats and a thermos of hot coffee, I may actually think twice about heading out anymore. HA!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, it felt good to stretch the typing fingers a bit today. Everyone keeps pestering me to blog more and I promise I will try harder!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've been a bit out of commission with bronchitis this past week and it put me behind. I'm ready to open up the widows, breathe deeply, and get outside to investigate haunted locations and spooky cemeteries. Just as long as I can sit on those heated truck seats and sip my coffee outta my favorite WV Pen travel mug. :-)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Life is....haunted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now how about some suggestions for places to explore???</div><br />
</div>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-89723390430589489512011-10-31T17:10:00.000-04:002011-10-31T17:10:50.801-04:00Happy Samhain!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><strong></strong> <strong>The end of October has arrived.</strong><br />
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<strong>The air is crisp again. Green has turned to red and gold as the hand of autumn begins to make itself seen upon the mountains. Many leaves are scattered to the ground crunching underfoot as they are trod upon. Pumpkins are wearing faces. Black cats, scarecrows, ghosts and cornstalks stand watch in front yards. Halloween is here and I am ready.</strong><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>The past month is a busy one for people like me. I often laugh and say October is like Christmas retail season around the haunted office. Many people call and email with spooky stories, unusual photographs and questions about the paranormal. This past month was filled with library presentations, book festivals, haunted cemetery walks and haunted history walks and I loved every minute of it!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmldydHsd49C9kqR1rDRu_CDCuqfWm3HlCd6XmhQkR6LZ84D1qv2yQ8Thy12sZlACtQmjx_5cHhZbUlGlB21TlRD8WqK8V6PePM7bjv-8wv_qd2h0lt1nNF8nN_kXTOaNMh7d8j9jeLWg/s1600/oct+07+079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmldydHsd49C9kqR1rDRu_CDCuqfWm3HlCd6XmhQkR6LZ84D1qv2yQ8Thy12sZlACtQmjx_5cHhZbUlGlB21TlRD8WqK8V6PePM7bjv-8wv_qd2h0lt1nNF8nN_kXTOaNMh7d8j9jeLWg/s320/oct+07+079.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The 2 cemetery walks I held in Massillon Ohio in mid October went very well. One night we had a bit of rain but it did little to dampen the 60 some souls who attended on those 2 nights.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I always enjoy the stroll by lantern light and cannot wait to go back next year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhvrnBkFOJAo2_pigXiGNxou8CeC8d1a7AB9kxsNFOijvUEOQXMemH38VUxfANl1SQfxjoZtelHwk-Esi29_KS2Gx3Hw-HNAAFn257WVWeHtNOxlMlneOlmu6a5b8zBXTaChcuNgUeP0/s1600/october+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhvrnBkFOJAo2_pigXiGNxou8CeC8d1a7AB9kxsNFOijvUEOQXMemH38VUxfANl1SQfxjoZtelHwk-Esi29_KS2Gx3Hw-HNAAFn257WVWeHtNOxlMlneOlmu6a5b8zBXTaChcuNgUeP0/s320/october+063.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Twilight in the Potters Field of Massillon Cemetery</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdP-Cj1zL9JeWBDla664CkdgtNZn9KgWd2c_llj0959h1-e2gso1ufgpJhAbvLXSz_SVCiflekvMcb4XeFE8R_YB5P6KW7FGSWFz29_OwK9lh2UfVKWadJOQxkHVwL1WRBQ_R3ysyMjs/s1600/october+084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdP-Cj1zL9JeWBDla664CkdgtNZn9KgWd2c_llj0959h1-e2gso1ufgpJhAbvLXSz_SVCiflekvMcb4XeFE8R_YB5P6KW7FGSWFz29_OwK9lh2UfVKWadJOQxkHVwL1WRBQ_R3ysyMjs/s320/october+084.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Civil War Memorial</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>We had several people who captured EVPS in the area of the soldiers memorial on our walk. The statue was unveiled in 1876 and is in honor of the fallen Vets. </strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nYmpfFCdljv3Q-OLKWXdWSEYcOSP5Ily1WvRxIanj11X8BWE5XpmneMo9qK8w-_IFpECvBW2YNAp_XPGK110vY0n0YDGxSz8_3iC4d0-ijWCUWeH2CQc3R-r6eO5XDo0InKlU4YyDSM/s1600/october+187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nYmpfFCdljv3Q-OLKWXdWSEYcOSP5Ily1WvRxIanj11X8BWE5XpmneMo9qK8w-_IFpECvBW2YNAp_XPGK110vY0n0YDGxSz8_3iC4d0-ijWCUWeH2CQc3R-r6eO5XDo0InKlU4YyDSM/s320/october+187.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The cemetery office building as seen on October 11th. There are always questions asked about this structure. Is it vacant? How old is it? Is it haunted? Find out when you come and do the walk with us next year. (tease tease)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>I cannot wait to return to the cemetery in 2012!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>The Haunted America presentation with the Tuscarawas County Public Library was a blast. 220 souls attended and I had a great time presenting this new slideshow on haunted locations across the nation. Lemp Mansion, Area 51, Salem, Mansfield Reformatory,Winchester Mansion, and the Trans Allegheny Luntatic Asylum to name a few. It was nice to see old friends and meet new ones as well. Very cool!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oa7nQ1jWVawqzCVNXlDvVV1c2MKLcUmSMShg0fDL4I2N9Ti0X6iS993Qe8ixJwz5ULAfqPdeRPhfI7JeuKYvl-eWK05DIHjvCcSIhcT7j4VdM3YejG-OkAX2fDDP6MdVJlUVuW42UZ4/s1600/monsterlandscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oa7nQ1jWVawqzCVNXlDvVV1c2MKLcUmSMShg0fDL4I2N9Ti0X6iS993Qe8ixJwz5ULAfqPdeRPhfI7JeuKYvl-eWK05DIHjvCcSIhcT7j4VdM3YejG-OkAX2fDDP6MdVJlUVuW42UZ4/s320/monsterlandscape.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>The West Virginia Book Festival was held in Charleston, WV at the Civic Center. This was a first time event for me and I enjoyed meeting all who stopped by our booth.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I enjoyed hearing the spooky tales people shared with me and hope to see you on one of our haunts!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>I greatly enjoyed leading haunted history walks in Ohio and West Virginia this year. Hard to believe I have been doing this since 2003! The weather was good on the walks and many people brought cameras , tape recorders and camcorders as well. Local Cleveland news and Metromix covered out walking tours in Canal Fulton. There were kind enough to send us some photos.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpc4bGHZtaz4wKfhZ-LdCzz1A4SH-B_lnpaARTBOMdLd7BKQ3XqRKjKxKVFWOD95g4eKwgU60qSEciIYK7gTMu8MAwWd-SGBx2ALtfUtvSLmAnKqqWR51YXg3anpkeRyVzGC1dxaxRfU/s1600/2872203_height370_width518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpc4bGHZtaz4wKfhZ-LdCzz1A4SH-B_lnpaARTBOMdLd7BKQ3XqRKjKxKVFWOD95g4eKwgU60qSEciIYK7gTMu8MAwWd-SGBx2ALtfUtvSLmAnKqqWR51YXg3anpkeRyVzGC1dxaxRfU/s320/2872203_height370_width518.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Signing some books on the Haunted History Walk of Canal Fulton Ohio</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9PkojCJImZRYWM-SoMfh5d6ioWGV9PuvR1kWbspkfehjmVvGhzHZK-z0QmGVPMbsuFPcIlub_4h_dX91UYELyB-EoEWgvQr9QXTFXdH8x1En_JPv4K-1XanG7B468q2Mv88xnMDMaFo/s1600/eric+sever+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9PkojCJImZRYWM-SoMfh5d6ioWGV9PuvR1kWbspkfehjmVvGhzHZK-z0QmGVPMbsuFPcIlub_4h_dX91UYELyB-EoEWgvQr9QXTFXdH8x1En_JPv4K-1XanG7B468q2Mv88xnMDMaFo/s200/eric+sever+2011.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> <em>Instructing dowsing at the cemetery in Ohio</em><br />
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<strong>I was invited to film a show in Macedonia Ohio on Cable CHANNEL 9 called Teen Focus and had a great time. The hosts had wonderful questions and the entire program can be seen </strong><a href="http://cable9.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=ade0528086a96054097c40f793eda0d4"><strong>here</strong></a><br />
<strong>The hosts are local students and did a fantastic job!</strong><br />
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<strong> MORE ON HALLOWEEN</strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Halloween is a holiday filled with mystery, ancient meanings and best of all....candy!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>I remember dressing up as a kid and try to carry the tradition on as much as I can every October... to the chagrin of my teenage kids. This year I dressed as a evil Catholic school girl.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircQrXrGd5v5hkgbYva1-15kw9HwWLEhLKjK6HushNX6nhfBmzNMQtewYepujzaSD9GKw0zM-eIdqIL9sSNd3-YWZHZa-7PLQY9fPkvk-jVFo52tLXfeS2QxKUWM8f3HqKpUodlUmPXWc/s1600/october+251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircQrXrGd5v5hkgbYva1-15kw9HwWLEhLKjK6HushNX6nhfBmzNMQtewYepujzaSD9GKw0zM-eIdqIL9sSNd3-YWZHZa-7PLQY9fPkvk-jVFo52tLXfeS2QxKUWM8f3HqKpUodlUmPXWc/s320/october+251.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Here are my kiddies a few years ago at a Halloween costume contest in Ohio. Mason is a spooky Confederate and Sage is the girl "thing" from the movie The Ring. Needless to say, Sage took First Place!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>MYSTERY & LORE</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>The origination of Halloween is veiled in mystery and lore. Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced: sow-in). As the festival of Beltaine (another Celtic festival) celebrates the return of lush vegetation to the earth, the birth of animals and the fullness of life, Samhain celebrates the end of these things. Samhain was and<em><u> is</u></em> the recognition of the other half of the eternal cycle of life. After the last harvest had been gathered in and before the onset of the harsh cold of winter the people of the Celtic lands marked this time with observations that have been carried forward into our own time and across the sea into the mountains of Appalachia. </strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>It was at Samhain time when livestock was slaughtered and the meat was preserved for winter use. Even today, on family farms in America it is the first of November that marks the time after which hogs are slaughtered. It also marks the beginning of hunting season.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAULALtJ2eVqanLWAYuDKBiqHBX-TZ3XTCEhzngArjmLucFKmAfWCsEifGkiyDL4COQXNEMXB_3f2SDy5hNyUytPrBR9Pb3ttvrhBmGdmjcK_BrxGwNeCbYGTkGJTUUeHrGQwaghgtac/s1600/637462_halloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAULALtJ2eVqanLWAYuDKBiqHBX-TZ3XTCEhzngArjmLucFKmAfWCsEifGkiyDL4COQXNEMXB_3f2SDy5hNyUytPrBR9Pb3ttvrhBmGdmjcK_BrxGwNeCbYGTkGJTUUeHrGQwaghgtac/s1600/637462_halloween.jpg" /></a></div><strong><br />
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<strong>For many centuries throughout Celtic Europe it was believed that the souls of the dead returned at Samhain to visit their old homes and families. It was customary to welcome them in, to once again warm themselves by the hearth fire and share in the family meal. The family would prepare a meal consisting of traditional foods that were always eaten at Samhain for good luck. In Ireland this would have consisted of colcannon which is a mixture of potatoes and cabbage or kale, brown bread and porridge made from the grain harvest. A place was set at the table for each family member and visitor present as usual. But, at Samhain one more place was always laid. This was for the visiting spirits. The extra plate was filled with food just as those of the living participants in the feast. The meal shared with the spirits was known as the "dumb supper" and is still a part of both the European Celtic and Appalachian celebration of Halloween in many families. </strong><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Samhain was a natural time for the living to ask advice of the spirit world since the spirits were traveling about the earth at this time. Many customs and games came about as a result of attempts to divine the future with the help of the departed spirits. One old custom is to place two nuts in the embers of a fire, naming one after yourself and one after your sweetheart. If one of the nuts pops and jumps from the fire the match is ill fated. If both of the nuts stay near each other in the fire and burn to ashes, the match is true love. A custom that is still very common in Ireland today is to serve a special fruit cake called a barmbrack. Inside the cake there are charms such as a button for bachelorhood, a thimble for spinsterhood, a coin for wealth and a small horseshoe for good luck. Whoever gets one of the charms is destined for the next year to be blessed by whatever the charm signifies. Since Samhain is the beginning of the dark season of winter, the twilight time of the year, and the Celtic way of reckoning time begins with the onset of darkness, Samhain was considered in many regions of the Celtic world to be the true beginning of the year. Thus, whatever could be divined on this night was fated to be until Samhain came round again. The consuming of special foods for luck during the coming year was an important part of Samhain and later on was transferred to our modern custom of eating special foods on New Year's Day. </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>The true meaning of Samhain never has been based on Satan, evil spirits or wickedness in any form. In the modern western world, where infant mortality is low and death is confined largely to the sterile environment of hospitals, we have little exposure to the end of life. This was not so in the world of our remote ancestors nor even in the world of our grandparents. Humans have always had difficulty facing death and the Samhain traditions that have been passed down through the centuries were how the Celts did so. It is an affirmation that life and death walk hand in hand. </strong></div><br />
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wanes and the dying light of the shorter days is brightened by the warm glowing fire in the hearth, let us remember the true spirit of Halloween. Let us remember and cherish those that have walked this earth before us.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Happy Samhain</em></span><br />
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</div>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-41375445453035165302011-10-07T11:46:00.000-04:002011-10-07T11:46:31.692-04:00Library brings author to speak on haunted sites<a href="http://www.timesreporter.com/entertainment/arts_leisure/x1581986190/Library-brings-author-to-speak-on-haunted-sites">Library brings author to speak on haunted sites</a>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-18708308580712884522011-07-21T11:12:00.000-04:002011-07-21T11:12:31.021-04:00Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum ghosthunts in 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><strong>Call me crazy.</strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why would anyone want to walk and roam the halls of the 2nd largest stone cut building in the world with the lights out?</span><br />
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</div><span closure_uid_ggid6m="143" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We rented out the entire old hospital in Weston West Virginia for two nights in 2011. It was called the Weston State Hospital in 1913 but has now reverted back to the original name: the Trans - Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. Each night, we packed in ghosthunters, skeptics and <em>wanna believers</em> who all admired the architecture, history and ghost stories. Most hoped something of the paranormal sort would happen, and to some, it did!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLy8ttimOaA38UrIySzxQ94Fffy_n36A25bNqBiB9N2u7OHvwdli1OK-LwooE6sVAe1r0NEwwC7Qhw2SdQwS704PPsSpGRJafM2W6trTLvOqlmjI2PwQlVv34ieAHWS4gmbez4eM_AqA/s1600/145139908_ebdb190c23_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLy8ttimOaA38UrIySzxQ94Fffy_n36A25bNqBiB9N2u7OHvwdli1OK-LwooE6sVAe1r0NEwwC7Qhw2SdQwS704PPsSpGRJafM2W6trTLvOqlmjI2PwQlVv34ieAHWS4gmbez4eM_AqA/s400/145139908_ebdb190c23_m.jpg" t$="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Darrin and Danielle did not expect to have it happen to them but it did. It occurred on a day time tour! Darrin and Danielle both felt as if "something" moved thru them when they took the history tour at TALA before our private ghosthunt there on Friday the 13th of May 2011. It happened at the same time and caught them both off guard.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsjPLpBR2nuiJ7lLnNkRP8Y3a5rZfzhfbI6PRgnk9S1Dz91H_8It0LjDLVmf-uOaLI8BPEo2psVzNHUIOe23TSc8xhh5z3ooWwGH2IxvoYiRCJbQHbeAklyIifS16CnczIESuUS9PgbI/s1600/1737406431_4821d6d9e3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsjPLpBR2nuiJ7lLnNkRP8Y3a5rZfzhfbI6PRgnk9S1Dz91H_8It0LjDLVmf-uOaLI8BPEo2psVzNHUIOe23TSc8xhh5z3ooWwGH2IxvoYiRCJbQHbeAklyIifS16CnczIESuUS9PgbI/s320/1737406431_4821d6d9e3.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Why investigate this building? Come on! Looking at the history alone, one can almost imagine what kind of energy has been left behind here. Lobotomies, electro shock therapies, insulin therapy, and cold water immersion? The list goes on and on.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wH-xzgzjc5_skVvfsBUG23FVWSGtN2FA8MMYAqsfcXtQaUMxP58ME7Kro_LiC2DoH9Q59jujMbWfOdLg3T1oaPgQDcsRAtxD3qQnsnxyAoYBPnA-E4GSErWQclcuKB4E2kqS06qxXp8/s1600/may+134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wH-xzgzjc5_skVvfsBUG23FVWSGtN2FA8MMYAqsfcXtQaUMxP58ME7Kro_LiC2DoH9Q59jujMbWfOdLg3T1oaPgQDcsRAtxD3qQnsnxyAoYBPnA-E4GSErWQclcuKB4E2kqS06qxXp8/s320/may+134.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The hospital structure was begun in 1858 using prison labor and eventually the help of European stone masons. Construction was halted during the American Civil War for almost a year. The final stage was completed in 1881 but patients had already begun arriving in 1864. The first patients were several housewives from Ohio. Hmmm....<br />
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The hospital was originally built to house about 250 and ended up blowing that number away by 1950 with around 2400 taking up residence. The hospitals original grounds were 666 acres. Yes.... 666.. The hospital had its own dairy farm, gas well, water supply and its very own cemetery. It was all intended to make the hospital self sufficient and it pretty much did.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMR_m75Pal-nMGDJ_odorVrxZgNiAYY_PSShb4R6M0riVoARwycijM-loLBT2jPqdDstJwXDYcs2DMEa8iz1wdPOZcxdUPowl_SqY9FKpLo6t45HLevmuAYjgcr_wtxwnVlIfPYj0yhM/s1600/may+161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMR_m75Pal-nMGDJ_odorVrxZgNiAYY_PSShb4R6M0riVoARwycijM-loLBT2jPqdDstJwXDYcs2DMEa8iz1wdPOZcxdUPowl_SqY9FKpLo6t45HLevmuAYjgcr_wtxwnVlIfPYj0yhM/s320/may+161.jpg" t$="true" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The famous clock tower. One side does not have a clock face so workers could not look up and see what time it was while they were hard at work!</em></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The hospital building commands your attention.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>It was designed by the renowned architect Richard Andrews following the Kirkbride plan, which called for long rambling wings arranged in a staggered formation, assuring that each of the connecting structures received an abundance of therapeutic sunlight and fresh air. </strong><strong>The Kirkbride plan influenced the construction of over 300 similar facilities throughout North America. Other Kirkbride</strong> <strong>buildings include the Athens Lunatic Asylum in Athens Ohio, Columbus State Hospital, Danville (PA) State Hospital and the Maryland State Hospital for the Insane to name a few.</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSh0y34uA5i2danFd7VTu799O6b57OSQ5TMeqvE0PN0m0n49tAoVh5dJWUGHmCk_ww5qaRdZ-4QRbsIB3_IxK0vCImSx23SHrct8b2l8ZyJGHHYIhYpw8Zw-fuMnLpmC_w937cMpQPFeA/s1600/tala+old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSh0y34uA5i2danFd7VTu799O6b57OSQ5TMeqvE0PN0m0n49tAoVh5dJWUGHmCk_ww5qaRdZ-4QRbsIB3_IxK0vCImSx23SHrct8b2l8ZyJGHHYIhYpw8Zw-fuMnLpmC_w937cMpQPFeA/s320/tala+old.jpg" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em> Weston State Hospital aka TALA</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>On our July 16th 2011 hunt at TALA, one participant was thrilled to get her first "ghost voice" or EVP on tape. Electronic Voice Phenomena or EVP can be captured on audio tape, which means video recorders and voice recorders. She emailed me this:</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>"</em> I've not gotten through my pictures yet, but I started listening to my audio (not all the way through all of them yet either). My FIRST recording, where I had walked in on a group doing a light session in the children's ward, I got something that literally made me go "Ho-Lee Shit!" (pardon my .... not french). During the session the guy who was asking questions was talking. Over that, you hear a male (sounded about 20 years old) say "Go away. Please leave me alone". The recording was no one in the group!"</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Needless to say, this was just one of the many EVPs captured on our ghosthunt at the old hospital. </span></strong><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We look forward to more investigations in this grand old building in 2012.</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hauntedhistory.net/">Check our website for information!</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in the mean time, swing by their </span></strong><a href="http://trans-alleghenylunaticasylum.com/"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">website</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> or stop over and do a day tour.</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'd be crazy not to.</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div></div>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com1Weston, WV 26452, USA39.043453013040484 -80.468330758300839.028194013040483 -80.4887667583008 39.058712013040484 -80.447894758300791tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-45199542992037045872011-03-14T15:42:00.000-04:002011-03-14T15:42:10.890-04:00Camp Chase Cemetery and the Gray Lady<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe65oFoSai7VegU34UNq-QaLc2LELZRWpNaRe89zhzCEdCVB4aXWdG9eIQAgRLlkk9iUhhOJAL0E_y-sRiCFRzuLgZJrkVHrG38Cct0OzbHXZdRWWSsO4ZakIJIbK-AzwyekOULpa1Io4/s1600/Camp_chase_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe65oFoSai7VegU34UNq-QaLc2LELZRWpNaRe89zhzCEdCVB4aXWdG9eIQAgRLlkk9iUhhOJAL0E_y-sRiCFRzuLgZJrkVHrG38Cct0OzbHXZdRWWSsO4ZakIJIbK-AzwyekOULpa1Io4/s320/Camp_chase_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Camp Chase Cemetery, Columbus Ohio</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Another bleary day in March and I find myself staring out my office window wondering about odd things as I typically do. Go figure.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My thoughts drift to some of my favorite cemeteries that I love to walk through. This leaves me wishing for warmer weather of course! As I look through some Ohio cemetery photographs, I wonder about some of the entities that are said to haunt these locations. There are many stories of ladies in white, women in black and gray ladies as well that dot the very fabric of ghostly strorytelling. Some border on fact, not fiction as everyday people have caught glimpses of these specter like visions as they walk the silent cities of the dead.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Lady in Gray has been seen on many occasions. She walks the stoic rows of stones at one of Ohio's two Confederate soldier cemeteries, Camp Chase. Camp Chase was a prison during the America Civil War and was home to thousands of Confederate soldiers, and even some civilian prisoners of war. The cemetery is located at 2900 Sullivant Avenue, on Columbus's west side. The Gray Lady we are referring to is Louisiana Rainsburgh Briggs. At least that is what some people say her name is. She never interacts with other visitors and tends to disappear before your very eyes. She weeps quietly over the grave of one Benjamin F. Allen, a private in the 50th Tennessee Regiment, Company D. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><em> His date of birth was Jan. 30, 1842. </em></span></div><em></em><br />
<em> His date of death was on Sep. 15, 1864. </em><br />
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Today people see fresh flowers placed on the grave of Benjamin Allen on a regular basis. Also, there are several stories about people hearing sobbing or crying while visiting Camp Chase. Once during a Civil War memorial, many participants heard the crying, followed by a huge gust of wind that blew over tables and tents. Many believe it was The Lady In Gray. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtIvwlTIxopyI5qHOk1o7jFXjEYcSB7gKar65OaE0Q8Rikath50fvFqwWcQuZxAEy7-ny6gvHREdrtOhLnOcE6t7T50bMjCA5YLv1Pb-Uay1MCxDt2VRLEoiA42ULOBIPOMiLyMvH2hs/s1600/6282078_109915140751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtIvwlTIxopyI5qHOk1o7jFXjEYcSB7gKar65OaE0Q8Rikath50fvFqwWcQuZxAEy7-ny6gvHREdrtOhLnOcE6t7T50bMjCA5YLv1Pb-Uay1MCxDt2VRLEoiA42ULOBIPOMiLyMvH2hs/s320/6282078_109915140751.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Some claim to see shadowy figures that walk among the graves.... </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t7uKcSeItHYCQ_5O-RKdiBeor2lyvujzNphjQhjZhdtyT-ItPha_aOgjj8F87MkBHQNIZAuuRMWZmC2IUOUIDQSVulXw9HB03eDn6h_jIJVfR2xkvoZwVpv07K5ukaCloxMWL5H5Fqs/s1600/chase1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t7uKcSeItHYCQ_5O-RKdiBeor2lyvujzNphjQhjZhdtyT-ItPha_aOgjj8F87MkBHQNIZAuuRMWZmC2IUOUIDQSVulXw9HB03eDn6h_jIJVfR2xkvoZwVpv07K5ukaCloxMWL5H5Fqs/s320/chase1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcIYjrQDQBZGk1gsJEDEs3gkNHEv7rP_ykd9KyONGS4s07op1IW9FVCjDRzaLgM0cv9mTn77-n4I6rarx9ylhFRYnbnF_igL3bGAq7ekW9aNz6BOYDGaFsKKvX_uazZcfeEJwBjTEDDw/s1600/cchase-mapdrawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcIYjrQDQBZGk1gsJEDEs3gkNHEv7rP_ykd9KyONGS4s07op1IW9FVCjDRzaLgM0cv9mTn77-n4I6rarx9ylhFRYnbnF_igL3bGAq7ekW9aNz6BOYDGaFsKKvX_uazZcfeEJwBjTEDDw/s320/cchase-mapdrawing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">In May of 1861 a Union military training ground was established here under the name Camp Jackson. Two months later in July, the first prisoners were admitted. The name had been changed to honor President Lincoln's Secretary of State (and later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court), Hamilton County native Salmon P. Chase. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The prison population grew rapidly. Small Pox epidemics, dysentery and poor sanitary conditions claimed thousands of men.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> By 1863 there were 8,000 men incarcerated behind the high, staked walls of the Camp. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc_u8ZoJGa6ksIByJjbt_hDc-nNg5V4Y2fdgWuFYxFNlSdI4OWDH-CxfUFjqSFbfXCrgiNa3cRM6ttT0L5Dm9QgrTEJiPQo5YXCwZOYRdiToHF6dodtfN0GTz4dvXDP-GJkMBsJUjWCU/s1600/cchase-sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc_u8ZoJGa6ksIByJjbt_hDc-nNg5V4Y2fdgWuFYxFNlSdI4OWDH-CxfUFjqSFbfXCrgiNa3cRM6ttT0L5Dm9QgrTEJiPQo5YXCwZOYRdiToHF6dodtfN0GTz4dvXDP-GJkMBsJUjWCU/s320/cchase-sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Why would a cemetery be haunted??</em></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Overcrowding forced two to three men to share single occupancy bunks, and led to severe shortages in food and medicine and general health care. Clothing and blankets were scarce. The men were malnourished and low in morale making them susceptible to disease. In the February of 1863 alone, 499 men died from smallpox. My own 3 great grandfather is said to have been one of these men who perished. No grave exists for him at the cemetery. Many people believe that there are unmarked braves that exist at this cemetery. I believe that as well. And I am speaking from personal experience as I have used dowsing rods to locate unmarked graves on several occasions at this site. I have also come across newspaper articles stating that local medical schools would visit the cemetery and remove bodies so that they could be studied...and they did this at night and before laws were enacted protecting the dead.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">When you walk the lines of gray stone markers, take a moment to read the names and dates as you stroll past. Each one has a story, each one had a family, a life, goals and dreams. All were cut down early and probably by disease, starvation or wounds received in battle. If you are quiet...and a bit observant, you may also see a melancholy figure in gray bending over gracefully to place a flower at a grave. </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzS4uP3CyChtr0HtFnxEHSjrTmtzfCVH_H0f2pk-qOCE-qhAKmmw_bF5xRvOMBarCVrFKi2EkgVPSU38bG2DqlqaLByvlxEiHqN2d_eF0p1TyvhXPegO32PMAhaORqKvJfr__0vmwZn4/s1600/cchase-archold.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzS4uP3CyChtr0HtFnxEHSjrTmtzfCVH_H0f2pk-qOCE-qhAKmmw_bF5xRvOMBarCVrFKi2EkgVPSU38bG2DqlqaLByvlxEiHqN2d_eF0p1TyvhXPegO32PMAhaORqKvJfr__0vmwZn4/s1600/cchase-archold.gif" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>If you visit</em><div style="text-align: center;">Private Allen's grave is number 233 out of 2,260.</div><div style="text-align: center;">All Confederate soldiers or southern in their sympathies.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Camp Chase is open daily from 8AM-5PM</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Do not visit after dark!</span></em></strong><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div></div>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-879296020981088602011-01-25T16:31:00.000-05:002011-01-25T16:31:03.436-05:00Cemeteries in the Snow<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXn1N4hwj1PYdzeaZ1X4-yOQD9YYM5fRC3MauE1ODCG8JBcUqvuIQRCDm1lchZy9e_9NKUl1aD_5ZkTwCKATTVBO6k-JJFJkjdOut-UftMVa67U1wbqzZYT2pnf7zpAS8yxpZVzHNWi0Y/s1600/graveinsnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXn1N4hwj1PYdzeaZ1X4-yOQD9YYM5fRC3MauE1ODCG8JBcUqvuIQRCDm1lchZy9e_9NKUl1aD_5ZkTwCKATTVBO6k-JJFJkjdOut-UftMVa67U1wbqzZYT2pnf7zpAS8yxpZVzHNWi0Y/s320/graveinsnow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Cemeteries in the Snow? </strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Okay, call me a taphophile if you must, but I REALLY love photographing stones and statuary in the snow. Most people I "used" to know only went to cemeteries when they had to. You know, funerals and to maybe place flowers at Memorial Day or special days such as birthdays etc.. The people I know<u> now</u> spend a great deal of time in cemeteries walking, having lunch, studying genealogy, taking tours , and also practicing photography.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Whoa. Let's back up a bit.</div><div style="text-align: center;">What's a "TAPHOPHILE" you ask?</div><div style="text-align: center;">Taphophilia is a passion for <u>and</u> the enjoyment of cemeteries. The singular term is a taphophile. Taphophilia involves epitaphs, gravestone rubbing, photography, art, and history of (famous) deaths. I love it all! All except the gravestone rubbing because it can actually hurt the stone and affect its appearance after awhile. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Epitaphs can be funny as well as advice laden.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here are a couple:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dean Martin</div><div style="text-align: center;">______________________________</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare,</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">To digg the dust encloased heare!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Blest be the man that spares thes stones,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And curst be he that moves my bones.</div><div style="text-align: center;">William Shakespeare </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUgztxgF0bMB-_ZnCanX-bhQ4Y8ilkj6jUUi6JxgoDjgUod-CCtbDP1hLNOhKwMiJn2dTc47iYxjiAg5Nyt8JywLHmWM2Tbb-1bmdDyuxdi5TU_6D1n_ItX65y5dOoaIWYEVEjWqRMGg/s1600/2290434427_7e48c4290b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUgztxgF0bMB-_ZnCanX-bhQ4Y8ilkj6jUUi6JxgoDjgUod-CCtbDP1hLNOhKwMiJn2dTc47iYxjiAg5Nyt8JywLHmWM2Tbb-1bmdDyuxdi5TU_6D1n_ItX65y5dOoaIWYEVEjWqRMGg/s320/2290434427_7e48c4290b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">I have been a fan of cemeteries and I'm not really sure where that came from? My earliest memories of actually spending any <span style="background-color: white;">amount</span> of time in a cemetery was when my parents would haul all of us to remote Webster County WV cemeteries to clean stones and place flowers. Having lunch on a blanket was a typical event during those afternoon treks as many southerners have done and still do.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My love of cemeteries entered into my professional life in 2005 and leading cemetery tours seemed a natural addition to leading ghost hunts and haunted tours. I loved grabbing my candle lantern, donning my civil war era cape and leading people into the dark shadows among stones and the somewhat eerie crypts.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrms_VnN-6d1jkx1uO23Bh2VsACjjVmu5RljKpdSKNPmLB1MTlc0cQrFbkGR0Vo_6ISTTJactQ6r_r-qA3X28WuiG4XR5vJTnlxeu3MgKspyadTlPkNkxFTDGqysOziVtWbL_qYT4z0I/s1600/stuff+516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrms_VnN-6d1jkx1uO23Bh2VsACjjVmu5RljKpdSKNPmLB1MTlc0cQrFbkGR0Vo_6ISTTJactQ6r_r-qA3X28WuiG4XR5vJTnlxeu3MgKspyadTlPkNkxFTDGqysOziVtWbL_qYT4z0I/s320/stuff+516.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">I have led nighttime tours of cemeteries since 2005. Cemeteries I have done professional tours at include:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Massillon Cemetery (Massillon OH)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Akron Cemetery (Akron Ohio)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Seville Cemetery (Seville OH)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Gnadenhutten Cemetery (Gnadenhutten OH)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Summersville M.E South.Cemetery (Summersville WV)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Pioneer Cemetery (Canal Fulton OH)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Schoenbrunn Village cemetery (Tuscarawas County OH)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But getting back to cemeteries in the snow...</div><div style="text-align: center;">Cemeteries in winter take on a whole new feeling. It's a fresh and clean landscape. Gone is the grass and the muddy car tracks and in it's place lies a crisp white coat of snowy pureness.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YZPjQRIxKEM5BxCpTsqn0hX2AEON3qEAo99sIQ68TvhnSnVyiJWgGjRr5HO8I6jtrxnCIlGtUy-kclrg3p6-TtmH3LLfos9fAQ2NqbzAC2OhYuNDVxb2-9Qddrsyek6eitrqzYMTr_o/s1600/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YZPjQRIxKEM5BxCpTsqn0hX2AEON3qEAo99sIQ68TvhnSnVyiJWgGjRr5HO8I6jtrxnCIlGtUy-kclrg3p6-TtmH3LLfos9fAQ2NqbzAC2OhYuNDVxb2-9Qddrsyek6eitrqzYMTr_o/s320/untitled.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Snow on the hillside cemetery</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAKv3RCMx0RFtNeSqDBinhyZx0lrM6llBkwQvuROhOwFRr3Zh72vdLLDNSqL4yBDpQcmVvdaDx4OzjdyHRpz7V2elYU97I_AWujqz3x2JVt2oz2_qfbTnlNaXcx0sWCLYtugvt7sIs3Y/s1600/54870042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAKv3RCMx0RFtNeSqDBinhyZx0lrM6llBkwQvuROhOwFRr3Zh72vdLLDNSqL4yBDpQcmVvdaDx4OzjdyHRpz7V2elYU97I_AWujqz3x2JVt2oz2_qfbTnlNaXcx0sWCLYtugvt7sIs3Y/s320/54870042.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> P<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>hoto by Renee Deal, Summersville WV 2010</em></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One of the reasons I love cemeteries in the winter is because of photos like this.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Statue's tell stories and they are made all the more poignant when dusted with snow.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1prY6sEdMu-ACF8t4P97O6GBka9GG9oLT8D2-RC7_u-_Nx84DcF0s0bJGOZpSv0GBOLr-7GFp5BcDpNAdO6uNGLWk_qQRip0Nv3BeDCF3XdX7-1VyxFrZag3hvEGd4N2pHRYeTppz8_0/s1600/%252877%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1prY6sEdMu-ACF8t4P97O6GBka9GG9oLT8D2-RC7_u-_Nx84DcF0s0bJGOZpSv0GBOLr-7GFp5BcDpNAdO6uNGLWk_qQRip0Nv3BeDCF3XdX7-1VyxFrZag3hvEGd4N2pHRYeTppz8_0/s320/%252877%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Angel draped in white snow</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWECdB5qCrrMdx1dLYhXhdxiRj-b_VcNrP-zQWYoka4i6xX2CLKRewAf7P_oUWIVEtf2-ioM-aZlM9qCoLuB-2L6wr1I6CuN0UzGDWRNBHUJJaKXSxqhnZArMS-05X48Tcu3ScmN1qeA/s1600/DSCN5962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWECdB5qCrrMdx1dLYhXhdxiRj-b_VcNrP-zQWYoka4i6xX2CLKRewAf7P_oUWIVEtf2-ioM-aZlM9qCoLuB-2L6wr1I6CuN0UzGDWRNBHUJJaKXSxqhnZArMS-05X48Tcu3ScmN1qeA/s320/DSCN5962.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Cemetery in Canton Ohio</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The symbolism of the two hands clasped represents a union of sorts, marriage or a couple who were partners in life. Stone's tell stories!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlq2jSFlO5UcV5glWTaXLEJBmsnfhGEqYvU3ZwVjtijvxM0oWVArmcI7igu1131pCIFUqaRcKj9NaDd-Hmlb8IrnNZaAZ0aJKQZQLMp8eY0g6l8gbwy305Khp5ELDT-iWsqKlW4xWZtak/s1600/cemetery-in-snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlq2jSFlO5UcV5glWTaXLEJBmsnfhGEqYvU3ZwVjtijvxM0oWVArmcI7igu1131pCIFUqaRcKj9NaDd-Hmlb8IrnNZaAZ0aJKQZQLMp8eY0g6l8gbwy305Khp5ELDT-iWsqKlW4xWZtak/s320/cemetery-in-snow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">While winter is still upon us, take time to venture out to a local cemetery. Grab your camera, some hot chocolate to go, and head off into the fresh snow. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You may be surprised at some of the beautiful sights you will come across!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-46913046029509876882010-11-30T18:16:00.000-05:002010-11-30T18:16:31.737-05:00It's Over!<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Finally! It's over!</span></strong><br />
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October and November have come to a close and with it...some exhaustion has appeared in my weary bones. Thousands of people, rainy cemetery tours at night, flashlights that did not work, lost dowsing rods and pendulums, miles of walking tours with achy feet, thousands of miles driving on highways, too many hotel rooms, prisons without heat in the dead of a cold night, faulty EMF meters, multiple book signings without a bathroom break, a haunted bus trip with a "possessed" microphone and bad windshield defrosts, and many more messy details that made up October and November's typical busy season.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqDvNxrMyGgnHln_92RhU80MFLi-PrklUjTUyImKZh1wWw1mJ_LsAvDJASghH2uW-aiOBAa4TNVcdL8yCSAxGwqshBZwm6_3Ou2_quXOI6S5IpnFhxJRsKZ9pj27KSmjUhBclsxkbGsM/s1600/2010-06-12+19.05.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqDvNxrMyGgnHln_92RhU80MFLi-PrklUjTUyImKZh1wWw1mJ_LsAvDJASghH2uW-aiOBAa4TNVcdL8yCSAxGwqshBZwm6_3Ou2_quXOI6S5IpnFhxJRsKZ9pj27KSmjUhBclsxkbGsM/s320/2010-06-12+19.05.38.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Book signing in Mansfield Ohio at Barnes and Nobles</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think I signed several thousand books in October alone! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RPBtnp0-tTh8XMpdtZUPhmicrppHfLqZ88rU8FzW-2dksOfRdL9JT2VvIc4JVimFdUX_aNokRucz1bdT4wWs1tsT4LryuG5SqD9G-j7LOhJ6BwOoeRmcFKoZ9WEjF0mKf5eEWAIpKbs/s1600/1288459253645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RPBtnp0-tTh8XMpdtZUPhmicrppHfLqZ88rU8FzW-2dksOfRdL9JT2VvIc4JVimFdUX_aNokRucz1bdT4wWs1tsT4LryuG5SqD9G-j7LOhJ6BwOoeRmcFKoZ9WEjF0mKf5eEWAIpKbs/s320/1288459253645.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Borders book signing in North Canton Ohio</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7ajvCOYixecjAnxja1Bf6PKF_CcCxNnNpUDE0MgA30wBUpsd5brRQ06YsdIdWoG5CniCHY_ttBcuRVZ7IKfb5kuz56RfBGvk5pfESC2SB3uEzBZt9LhMlFRH2Zm_q7L6T3W6slN33qw/s1600/backlistbook+signing+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7ajvCOYixecjAnxja1Bf6PKF_CcCxNnNpUDE0MgA30wBUpsd5brRQ06YsdIdWoG5CniCHY_ttBcuRVZ7IKfb5kuz56RfBGvk5pfESC2SB3uEzBZt9LhMlFRH2Zm_q7L6T3W6slN33qw/s320/backlistbook+signing+2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Book signing in Massillon Ohio--and the store ran out of my books. I felt bad....and wish I could've made more appear! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All in all it has been a <em>great</em> haunted year as I do this kind of stuff year round. This year's haunted schedule was not as packed as my usual calendar and I suppose getting married, moving 300 miles away, writing 2 books and opening up a new office all had to do with the energy drain. It just seemed as though weird "stuff" happened. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_UkTo_7vlUKo4iba6pAH997D3cS2Gr4ng2-HzNmNbESNW86tzOIOxe2lKLT8S8CZ2Jwa2SqzsPKIOwKSsEyDoFZT6pG0g1v3Khv-rCFHhXAo7LF6blxO1S4ch3l_3WpZ6j0bEEoZwiw/s1600/stuff+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_UkTo_7vlUKo4iba6pAH997D3cS2Gr4ng2-HzNmNbESNW86tzOIOxe2lKLT8S8CZ2Jwa2SqzsPKIOwKSsEyDoFZT6pG0g1v3Khv-rCFHhXAo7LF6blxO1S4ch3l_3WpZ6j0bEEoZwiw/s320/stuff+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>One of my walking tours in NE Ohio</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Take for instance the darkly dressed and well tattooed man who came on the walking tour in Canal Fulton Ohio and asked me if I knew of any male witches that were single.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hmmmm....I had to think about that one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Then there was the little girl whose parents asked me if I could "train" her to be more psychic so she could be on TV. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hmmm....sorry. Can't help you there!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpez6_XUbjaQRqCeZNDbsRSB00aqwvsO_Iiu7vtSo9G2IKhXIon06fReZdhFA2KlFk34o6FCogBwRwIWWSuDAGNW1oY2r_RrAnQRLvQXNYi-UxhKuecSICj-Yu_mvDbw2nuVPI66uj_k/s1600/ang+rabatin+10+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpez6_XUbjaQRqCeZNDbsRSB00aqwvsO_Iiu7vtSo9G2IKhXIon06fReZdhFA2KlFk34o6FCogBwRwIWWSuDAGNW1oY2r_RrAnQRLvQXNYi-UxhKuecSICj-Yu_mvDbw2nuVPI66uj_k/s320/ang+rabatin+10+07.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then there was the gentleman who called me from Toronto and talked for about 45 minutes about how he had a theory about serial cat...yes....<u>serial cat</u> killers and did I know he could also bend EMF waves with his mind??</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then there were the typical calls from people who had either dreamt of being abducted, <em>had</em> been abducted or had seen a UFO and they were not sure who to call.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A UFO too! I can certainly do without the probing though, thank you very much!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhfEpT8U8EhM5WPBMZ-4QAL19dfXFmHejQ4vmtHhgM06TV9bADLDHItUSX0iZDVBf397RMvuITO5rQRvwedtbJ3SN4umvAx9UKfgn2aLWFFxhwfMTMb8QH3HcQAdtv6TFA1cBFzARlRA/s1600/h867.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhfEpT8U8EhM5WPBMZ-4QAL19dfXFmHejQ4vmtHhgM06TV9bADLDHItUSX0iZDVBf397RMvuITO5rQRvwedtbJ3SN4umvAx9UKfgn2aLWFFxhwfMTMb8QH3HcQAdtv6TFA1cBFzARlRA/s1600/h867.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> A woman who claimed to be a psychic from southern Ohio...called me and asked ME if I could tell her of a historical society in her area of Ohio. I <em>Googled</em> it while we talked and gave her the info she needed along with the phone number and website. I was a little taken aback as psychics usually don't call <u>ME </u>for information. :-)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcz6GarmOQw5ZIOMrDGGcm4haYRWAJoKlJ8zxqeLgT1Hkx4LI750xzwJdpDj8oa7NGb7YpXTWIK-IyVCzDsXmM4_iGBWbwF1Euj29NQ206eAo57oTaan9x5ssIoOhOkEd9I5wMoHZXLIQ/s1600/cemeterygates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcz6GarmOQw5ZIOMrDGGcm4haYRWAJoKlJ8zxqeLgT1Hkx4LI750xzwJdpDj8oa7NGb7YpXTWIK-IyVCzDsXmM4_iGBWbwF1Euj29NQ206eAo57oTaan9x5ssIoOhOkEd9I5wMoHZXLIQ/s320/cemeterygates.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I get many calls, email and texts from people I do<em> not</em> know. My poor husband wasn't sure what he had gotten himself into when we went thru the "busy season" with late night phone calls asking if I knew of good ghost tours in Florida, where is the haunted hotel in Colorado, how to deal with Poltergeists, is it true ghosts can scratch you, is there a face in this orb, can you help me with my kids school project on ghosts, how do dowsing rods work, and did I know of a good demonologist?? (and I do!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then there was the phone call one afternoon from a production assistant in Michigan who called me in October. Did I know of any haunted houses in Ohio and could I rent it out for them to shoot a movie there. Then she asked me if I knew of any good make up artists for horror movies<em> and</em> if I could give her some advice on videographers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> I did the best I could. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> A few minutes my phone rang again and the caller wanted to know if I knew when Halloween "Trick or Treat" would be....in a city 250 miles from where I was at.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At this point my husband told me I should start charging a paranormal consulting fee <u>per</u> phone call. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">THEN there was the night at the WV Pen at about 2 am.... when we were interviewed by a producer for a popular paranormal tv show. She did <em>not </em>know what EMF meant. It went downhill from there for me. Any investigator should know that EMF stands for Electro mangnetic field.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All in all it's been a great year. Just a bit odd. Of course, I guess I am odd by many standards when it comes down to it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After all, how many people are over joyed when their husband</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> makes them a mini coffin ?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2uC5qD7da6sP1ZTvzIIfDCjfrz7K4tDeTzQXPWwpSJQbnzyaKmDKZf8_yrtbuuiTtHqVuwPPs5p6PVyzcgkmrYhNNrS3X16PqzkBzjSi7NO-84kbvekgA46SdZzbZ5H6munEBmMG-1g/s1600/IMG_20100928_193731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2uC5qD7da6sP1ZTvzIIfDCjfrz7K4tDeTzQXPWwpSJQbnzyaKmDKZf8_yrtbuuiTtHqVuwPPs5p6PVyzcgkmrYhNNrS3X16PqzkBzjSi7NO-84kbvekgA46SdZzbZ5H6munEBmMG-1g/s320/IMG_20100928_193731.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <em>My husband Perry hard at work in the shop</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2buA-liHNjTRxLW8lnGKIO1-qwWX8dDfZpMY1kFdfR9I6JUv7OyMHyK-uKSrT8VkFa1o79ijmrva1-ZIlgkDjM6hyqc3a_4iDDad02PFQgdn-Pi75BSLjEVicvJij-NeFK6LPUvciLo/s1600/1285994088734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2buA-liHNjTRxLW8lnGKIO1-qwWX8dDfZpMY1kFdfR9I6JUv7OyMHyK-uKSrT8VkFa1o79ijmrva1-ZIlgkDjM6hyqc3a_4iDDad02PFQgdn-Pi75BSLjEVicvJij-NeFK6LPUvciLo/s320/1285994088734.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The finished product with Mr Bones residing</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some of the highlights of the haunted year included filming for a show on the Discovery Channel. Okay, so the show is now cancelled for the third season...but at LEAST I got to be on one show. :-)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOVNuMLLySshx55z8aToMJcpnD3GRgd6NvrMwDYDtSKJzd16hp9opS3Sn3SjAQUp88qMM22txRVwS2-UugFF_Qv2849S-NjtAPV8fmvJkJw5adA7bJclEwuxHN4clIFhznyGNZFJGI1E/s1600/2010-06-21+14.28.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOVNuMLLySshx55z8aToMJcpnD3GRgd6NvrMwDYDtSKJzd16hp9opS3Sn3SjAQUp88qMM22txRVwS2-UugFF_Qv2849S-NjtAPV8fmvJkJw5adA7bJclEwuxHN4clIFhznyGNZFJGI1E/s320/2010-06-21+14.28.37.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This past summer found me at the West Virginia Penitentiary filming with the Discover Channels GHOST LAB show which I have to admit was fun. Filmed about two hours with the crew and I think I had 25 seconds of air time on the show. Go figure! It was fun and I really did enjoy meeting the Klinge brothers of Everyday Paramormal. The epsiode airs again on Dec 7th at 10am EST on Discovery.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WVreDdOPjkJ-N87XdAqYPZruPI5Z54DqRfE3uhpF1FImL8IXgQURnyx4Uv1_dJz8Z231bevvFIUwqs-N0wUsNTVEpQ-SPF-tVC12kOUQmTQ6tW3-ZR-LksJUj3q3ksH390ciuXLnTQQ/s1600/discovery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WVreDdOPjkJ-N87XdAqYPZruPI5Z54DqRfE3uhpF1FImL8IXgQURnyx4Uv1_dJz8Z231bevvFIUwqs-N0wUsNTVEpQ-SPF-tVC12kOUQmTQ6tW3-ZR-LksJUj3q3ksH390ciuXLnTQQ/s1600/discovery.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtgVY6z5Oy8r1lXl4yvnCU_I3X16_cCTPmr3XHbDoRzSjl_3ApPrXLGYy3aPLthNCPA5lRCufrHkXFcwyQu8C18ytNynID0CIe6-Tq-NcCZ3NAyyEco4jsNoY-2KYS8DKlqQlTacxUKo/s1600/Logo30107InvertedNoLINE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="37" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtgVY6z5Oy8r1lXl4yvnCU_I3X16_cCTPmr3XHbDoRzSjl_3ApPrXLGYy3aPLthNCPA5lRCufrHkXFcwyQu8C18ytNynID0CIe6-Tq-NcCZ3NAyyEco4jsNoY-2KYS8DKlqQlTacxUKo/s320/Logo30107InvertedNoLINE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Working on my Two-Lane Livin' column is always fun. I love being a columnist and being amongst the other writers of this great publication! It's been interesting to read email from readers of my column as they sometimes have great details to add from their own experiences. Their input and comments have been appreciated and wonderful! <a href="http://www.twolanelivin.com/">http://www.twolanelivin.com/</a> You can read past and present columns there, buy merchandise and subscribe online.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrDablcISqT9jZNdhtzwPL39ZYtNgVC6ViS0booRrbCZOqlLBEIphUs4htO3cLu7xJEjmeZwvrobLeG_Z_ZwHQ52cY7CxLqpWGkQInZ5OJ3Jkzh2l_p9a4PWNocMYuYdgS9IymK3ACkI/s1600/SeptCoverLARGE09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrDablcISqT9jZNdhtzwPL39ZYtNgVC6ViS0booRrbCZOqlLBEIphUs4htO3cLu7xJEjmeZwvrobLeG_Z_ZwHQ52cY7CxLqpWGkQInZ5OJ3Jkzh2l_p9a4PWNocMYuYdgS9IymK3ACkI/s320/SeptCoverLARGE09.jpg" width="253" /></a></div> My column is called "Fireside Folklore".<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMukxxjNS3O4bVacPPDINYqj14kH0la9Cv6WcbxibjGQmEPzuwJ0hpYVJUlBdwSIKFwu6MaVgISYQb-xKArSBDknFrtLgww9x6RWUwweDA1D8RXR26aIIHE4y8JrE1DlcRpsZ8b08vIhc/s1600/wv+writers+inc+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMukxxjNS3O4bVacPPDINYqj14kH0la9Cv6WcbxibjGQmEPzuwJ0hpYVJUlBdwSIKFwu6MaVgISYQb-xKArSBDknFrtLgww9x6RWUwweDA1D8RXR26aIIHE4y8JrE1DlcRpsZ8b08vIhc/s1600/wv+writers+inc+banner.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also joined this organization and became a member of the WV Writers Inc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Very cool!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2x1l0Zy435w6kyfwbDYdbfMVWgDj0ZNKTrkItkDbkcb945ZKrPagipyEVBDVkNpKgo6iJQbSLg6LpyY3V5lA9O6ZFsNigRtIwoh9R5IhsWmnR-Ie5feC337xtXKlztj2vU6R1rpQfmI/s1600/haunted+americas+ghost+tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2x1l0Zy435w6kyfwbDYdbfMVWgDj0ZNKTrkItkDbkcb945ZKrPagipyEVBDVkNpKgo6iJQbSLg6LpyY3V5lA9O6ZFsNigRtIwoh9R5IhsWmnR-Ie5feC337xtXKlztj2vU6R1rpQfmI/s1600/haunted+americas+ghost+tour.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.hauntedhistory.net/">Haunted Heartland Tours LLC</a> was also voted into the Top 10 Best Ghost Tours in America for the 5th time in the last 5 years. We are still at #7 which means alot since they gather the votes online. We had over 5000 votes this year and could not have done it without all the great folks who came out and <em>hung</em> with me. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pzXqOdkejaBBcUDsXpjxAas6pjp16R3u-jpS92xjRl87GDVoAk7GfpvrvPojQAYkH1uuUDsad959bcKimk2q_N8-AkrJWM5u1MN8ruwJwztHMlKVIlgbvTUCQwIrr3wGwK5SpBfVapw/s1600/may+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pzXqOdkejaBBcUDsXpjxAas6pjp16R3u-jpS92xjRl87GDVoAk7GfpvrvPojQAYkH1uuUDsad959bcKimk2q_N8-AkrJWM5u1MN8ruwJwztHMlKVIlgbvTUCQwIrr3wGwK5SpBfVapw/s320/may+039.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Our first ghosthunting 101 class at the Whipple Company Store in Fayette Co WV</em></div><br />
I was also asked to review a great book by my friend Louis Charles and ended up having my review on the back of the cover. HELPING GHOSTS<br />
It IS a great book!! <a href="http://www.angelsghosts.com/helping_ghosts.html">You can get a copy here.</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.angelsghosts.com/helping_ghosts.html"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5nspoWyCVNhBv6lejH-CjJ0BAHgumS1DwM6iUc8cDIM7i6fE5Sdadkd_eOa8_O0AkkqiPtBfe5NZpuV-5dyklWKwOJKJ86_XGHAmKAPRTY1dGlnhRzQBEaUfLl392N4DTbjUn1iACJ4/s1600/ThumbnailImage_jpg%253Bjsessionid%253D2DC64425824235C9BC7992A9AC7565C6.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzJUgluV5phQP0yLTsQRtTt0545mKTWL7Gbotixg2XdzXHAtdbHxPHAVAsVORVibA7zNcZZlIwUN2Vdu0e94e5fUV6l1kAvoIU2Glcp21D6Z3Z1mzpIGe0XYqk-cLQpfnNFsmdKEWdhg/s1600/summersville+hhw+2010+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzJUgluV5phQP0yLTsQRtTt0545mKTWL7Gbotixg2XdzXHAtdbHxPHAVAsVORVibA7zNcZZlIwUN2Vdu0e94e5fUV6l1kAvoIU2Glcp21D6Z3Z1mzpIGe0XYqk-cLQpfnNFsmdKEWdhg/s320/summersville+hhw+2010+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The first Haunted History Walk of Summersville WV was a hit this year.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em> So much fun for me, too!</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Most of all, I have truly enjoyed meeting the great people who come and do the tours, classes, ghosthunts etc.. with me. We had a great turnout at the festivals and presentations we attended and met so many people. It's like one big haunted family and I love it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgAEgXffE-ej-q6QUxtLmgE5mcnjHCD_-AYtT_B2dK_mMMQgcMeI22iqeoaM8IRI1R0ZRgaP-wx2Be_jetxLaCWdEOJ_2FugCeFXKAGAIBQm6oZIt6XP7wNZ1U6u7PMNSPh63KhOuQzs/s1600/julymid2010+146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgAEgXffE-ej-q6QUxtLmgE5mcnjHCD_-AYtT_B2dK_mMMQgcMeI22iqeoaM8IRI1R0ZRgaP-wx2Be_jetxLaCWdEOJ_2FugCeFXKAGAIBQm6oZIt6XP7wNZ1U6u7PMNSPh63KhOuQzs/s320/julymid2010+146.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Canal Days 2011 in Canal Fulton Ohio</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCsEuDVyQ43gTV0bz3_xJLHNp1Tc99y3rdhDFHipoRgSlvbCDYI3uQKgh74rfGjNg7fXiR6d26EVxVO_PwdRgkz-MTB36cy5t79L7rm-fKvWM3qzfb6c_6GcpGzE9lErJF9sKSGB9KqU/s1600/Sheri+Brake+and+Jared+Fischer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCsEuDVyQ43gTV0bz3_xJLHNp1Tc99y3rdhDFHipoRgSlvbCDYI3uQKgh74rfGjNg7fXiR6d26EVxVO_PwdRgkz-MTB36cy5t79L7rm-fKvWM3qzfb6c_6GcpGzE9lErJF9sKSGB9KqU/s320/Sheri+Brake+and+Jared+Fischer.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Jared and Sherri at Cuyahoga Falls Ohio presentation</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMRMRjuRTjJHuxGLaBh7uK2ZH8TR0aMZfwMZM_xTCQMpmC3QPeTYRHetcy5G6khAEqTyJD7KOYC0rg8nZaD0pWeF42ssO-KZxfIOlUTwPiAsyUaFTALUN0HCp8fs2vvfojUmvtRZppgk/s1600/janmaggieannpat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMRMRjuRTjJHuxGLaBh7uK2ZH8TR0aMZfwMZM_xTCQMpmC3QPeTYRHetcy5G6khAEqTyJD7KOYC0rg8nZaD0pWeF42ssO-KZxfIOlUTwPiAsyUaFTALUN0HCp8fs2vvfojUmvtRZppgk/s320/janmaggieannpat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><em> Jan and her crew</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5n5o6iEMiKNMvuHIM3Svl7CSLDQ8-w8AdzWZ01A92Imp7KKTRCAwGiP6KYDYV8cgPOANXPDBNK2k7V4Gtt-xfJR1mspS0aTICQ-kViwHu71O4w8Nd2rIcacHhyObZCeXPq0yJl18fLc/s1600/sherribrakeghost-hunter109rayhorner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5n5o6iEMiKNMvuHIM3Svl7CSLDQ8-w8AdzWZ01A92Imp7KKTRCAwGiP6KYDYV8cgPOANXPDBNK2k7V4Gtt-xfJR1mspS0aTICQ-kViwHu71O4w8Nd2rIcacHhyObZCeXPq0yJl18fLc/s320/sherribrakeghost-hunter109rayhorner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Radio shows are always a blast! This one was at Akron Ohio with Ray Horner on WAKR am. I've been in the studio on his show a few times and love hearing from callers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytPbTrVlRPZg-0LJAorpJk7NYFHH2za8b7Y_4KpRC-44mDhyqJeHAcfc1xVJd5RFLXr1abS8jV4o5sLTpSELIlXmAG_C3u-m4zPJNiGwhtEp_Dt4FH_zGcV_hNjSRXs99MvfELVEywyw/s1600/Las+Vegas+and+Death+Valley+2010+542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytPbTrVlRPZg-0LJAorpJk7NYFHH2za8b7Y_4KpRC-44mDhyqJeHAcfc1xVJd5RFLXr1abS8jV4o5sLTpSELIlXmAG_C3u-m4zPJNiGwhtEp_Dt4FH_zGcV_hNjSRXs99MvfELVEywyw/s320/Las+Vegas+and+Death+Valley+2010+542.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Skeleton Crew member Jodi Ivy and me at the Ohio State Reformatory Nov 19th 2010</em></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrz595Wm5fqyUEwyTE8GClh2BT1QBM7uUTJxNOS6eUXyQx0X-ayLHbGmgc-u1iPcPZOotesBW1xLMdo9BfrVkxTvZlmwzu-zrM3__nVpmPBa_7NyUevLTbJRUZJqc2gDo9of9WX-DsXtQ/s1600/pam+mace+cem+pic+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrz595Wm5fqyUEwyTE8GClh2BT1QBM7uUTJxNOS6eUXyQx0X-ayLHbGmgc-u1iPcPZOotesBW1xLMdo9BfrVkxTvZlmwzu-zrM3__nVpmPBa_7NyUevLTbJRUZJqc2gDo9of9WX-DsXtQ/s320/pam+mace+cem+pic+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The October photo shoot with Mark Romanos photography class was fun as well</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Photo by Pam Mace</em></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYWWmgUdTMIHroTdRnzWa_ehrUTvB0crwv-bGT3Xd6q5VqEOU-4GKlUPfnSJSKWqPoXOycGVc8xWxJYx03HvgPblJQNde8krggICJTMLY_eWk_EatUy3gOG1OxeNQHcfkw8XF3dKuQ0I/s1600/julymid2010+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYWWmgUdTMIHroTdRnzWa_ehrUTvB0crwv-bGT3Xd6q5VqEOU-4GKlUPfnSJSKWqPoXOycGVc8xWxJYx03HvgPblJQNde8krggICJTMLY_eWk_EatUy3gOG1OxeNQHcfkw8XF3dKuQ0I/s320/julymid2010+149.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><em> Sage Recco, Shannon Pachuta, me and the gang at a festival</em> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Another haunted highlight of 2010 was the writing and publication of my 2nd book, <em>The Haunted History of the Ohio State Reformatory</em> which sold over 2500 copies in two months after printing. The input from OSR volunteers, ghosthunters, psychics and Mr. Art Glattke Jr, all made it much more interesting and I thank them all! <br />
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Honestly, I was happy that it sold 12 copies and people outside of my family actually bought it. :-)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>Finally...it's over! The spooky season has come and gone.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> I want to thank everyone who volunteers at the Ohio State Reformatory, the various tour guides, Rogues Hollow Historical Society, Massillon Cemetery Association, the Canalway Center in Canal Fulton Ohio, the Whipple Coal Company store owners, West Virginia Archives and Library staff, Summersville Library staff, Tuscarawas County Public Library in Ohio, Martine Bus Tours Inc, Cuyahoga Falls Library, Canal Fulton Ohio Public Library, and the staff at the WV Pen all have made it a great year, once again!<br />
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<strong> I hope 2011 is just as spooky!</strong><br />
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<strong> <a href="http://www.hauntedhistory.net/">http://www.hauntedhistory.net/</a></strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTaNFpFDGZ_OSyBa7vLrwqNgo0yQShK05718GxPyzPu9T_ZT_F3hkxNGb2aZl-UMk4-6TQb_ll8jSOIiSYjj1Hh7eZlRjIT1hbJ4F8My63Grl_dDgxiSA1ztgvyrIEFqIrSROvFXoBQ9U/s1600/ghost_adventure+josyl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTaNFpFDGZ_OSyBa7vLrwqNgo0yQShK05718GxPyzPu9T_ZT_F3hkxNGb2aZl-UMk4-6TQb_ll8jSOIiSYjj1Hh7eZlRjIT1hbJ4F8My63Grl_dDgxiSA1ztgvyrIEFqIrSROvFXoBQ9U/s320/ghost_adventure+josyl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <em>Thanks Josyln!</em>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-16739965800385207392010-10-20T15:41:00.000-04:002010-10-20T15:41:42.807-04:00Haunted West Virginia<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RZR5h-D_hXc?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RZR5h-D_hXc?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-29723886465979424252010-10-11T14:15:00.000-04:002010-10-11T20:35:13.469-04:00Cemeteries, Cameras, and Lanterns, Oh My!<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cemeteries, cameras and lanterns, oh my!</span></strong><br />
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Just another day in the life of Sherri! October 4th found me "posing" for a photography class as a light fog and mist enveloped the hills around us. Mark Romano's photography class from the New River college needed a spooky prop in the cemetery and I guess that meant I was "it."<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg4UUQENTJuNdJBzEjMJ1mKIbEw2Mbhx3K3e9C7wAYJxVP5wvihD4ncQojaxSKbOPvoVadec1VOb15iL3j68KFeGzaY4Offg_iNpnHDd-xuzqUCQ8KYVqXPKUgKZE3sXKTJNoKLT1-Zk/s1600/3+of+a+kind+gramps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg4UUQENTJuNdJBzEjMJ1mKIbEw2Mbhx3K3e9C7wAYJxVP5wvihD4ncQojaxSKbOPvoVadec1VOb15iL3j68KFeGzaY4Offg_iNpnHDd-xuzqUCQ8KYVqXPKUgKZE3sXKTJNoKLT1-Zk/s320/3+of+a+kind+gramps.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>One of my favorite "trick" photos that my Grandpa Brake did</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I grew up with my family in NE Ohio in a home where we had a darkroom in the basement. My dad was a avid photographer and did it mostly as a hobby, but he did do a record album cover for a local singer in Canton Ohio back in the 1980s. My Grandpa Brake was as a photographer as well and was with the first unit of army photographers to visit Hiroshima after the bomb was dropped. Grandpa Brake had a photo studio in Webster Springs WV and ran it for about 20 </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> years. Anyway, I'm a sucker for anything dealing with photography, nighttime and cemeteries so of course I said "yes" to Marks query as to whether I would help him out with his photography class. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5CJYkeDQzgKxF7HXQxggNFx3nKA55I0_uiz7UlWchPe1L6hvzLwgWBC1DbIWxDtM1iWkZKuJND0gIRzttRti6QtEZtDv9TdNvGjov0jFZwItvjbjv3_GIWmQz_1c-uDocJhjms1Fw9k/s1600/gravestones.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5CJYkeDQzgKxF7HXQxggNFx3nKA55I0_uiz7UlWchPe1L6hvzLwgWBC1DbIWxDtM1iWkZKuJND0gIRzttRti6QtEZtDv9TdNvGjov0jFZwItvjbjv3_GIWmQz_1c-uDocJhjms1Fw9k/s320/gravestones.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cemeteries occasionally make people a bit leery, even during daylight hours. Not me! I remember our parents hauling us around Webster County WV many summers ago. They would stick us all in the back of a pick up truck and we would go visit family cemeteries. Sometimes we would sit on the tailgate or cemetery ground and have lunch, snacks, or a maybe just a bottle of pop. We would walk the cemetery, hear about our ancestors and clean some graves. Pulling back vines, brushing off dirt and walking the hillsides of many cemeteries perhaps added to my adult interest and love of the "Silent Cities of the Dead".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When Mark approached me about posing for his students and helping them learn how to use their cameras at night and on various settings, I thought of two places locally in Summersville that would be good back drops. The Walker Cemetery and the Southern Methodist Episcopal Cemetery by the Moose Club downtown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This photo was taken by Pam Mace and was shot in the old Methodist cemetery next to the Moose Lodge in downtown Summersville. This cemetery is the one we venture into on our Haunted History Walks of Summersville. Love the lighting!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another eerie photo shot by Pam Mace. This was up on the hill as you first arrive into the Walker Cemetery in Summersville WV. The sky was perfect early on and shows up well in some of the early evening shots. All that is missing is a full moon!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLmsfa9wuRdFivttD90Eycm5vZhF76L0ljg6yCIWZP2nB1h_cUg6_B03I2jqpV6GcFP5QIFx_TM03_brZwu_eEcLbFMJ5n4HeYpNwPjI4_tPS3chdT0QGdrttSE-PTUjMXu-0ufGOx7jE/s1600/pam+mace+2010+cem+pic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLmsfa9wuRdFivttD90Eycm5vZhF76L0ljg6yCIWZP2nB1h_cUg6_B03I2jqpV6GcFP5QIFx_TM03_brZwu_eEcLbFMJ5n4HeYpNwPjI4_tPS3chdT0QGdrttSE-PTUjMXu-0ufGOx7jE/s400/pam+mace+2010+cem+pic+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pam captured an image of me being reflected on the back of one of the headstones to the left. Do you see it? This was taken at the Walker Cemetery in Nicholas County WV. I use the candle lanterns featured in the shots on my walking tours of town and my husband Perry make them for us to sell as well. They have a great ambiance at night, don't they?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is another shot taken at the Methodist Church cemetery in Summersville. There are many variations of markers in this cemetery. Recumbent, table top tombs, new England style, hollow metal markers and victorian symbolism is present on many.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZC1ecB_5ZlHXG_Sf8wne6VQCuCcMc84-Hg_b1JJzhEiX5h6tXCIRet_ekDN_JN8FylqSfzXz-ucHEvoGY2j4g0ueWCveCOC42fXUVrp-o3ASeC71zvvsLJg0V_SK0adB6_NbTs9V1E8/s1600/nikon09+433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZC1ecB_5ZlHXG_Sf8wne6VQCuCcMc84-Hg_b1JJzhEiX5h6tXCIRet_ekDN_JN8FylqSfzXz-ucHEvoGY2j4g0ueWCveCOC42fXUVrp-o3ASeC71zvvsLJg0V_SK0adB6_NbTs9V1E8/s400/nikon09+433.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the simple headstone for a child who dies in 1860. Lambs represent innocence, the Lamb of God and purity in children. I took this photo this past summer as I strolled through the cemetery researching the stones for my walking tours.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBd0jvpjnP6EcF7kjQDrUP1BnySiIQ6VIzZ8AQOka02hPeVdcZugKtIGLf1NFYlM_3_ymJOpx8BXV8LG2b2kYNmzekZAXJ07UmT3e6GQBnKPDHskm01u1sLfflZ_wlgy8LzxWhxozPYY/s1600/nikon09+437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBd0jvpjnP6EcF7kjQDrUP1BnySiIQ6VIzZ8AQOka02hPeVdcZugKtIGLf1NFYlM_3_ymJOpx8BXV8LG2b2kYNmzekZAXJ07UmT3e6GQBnKPDHskm01u1sLfflZ_wlgy8LzxWhxozPYY/s320/nikon09+437.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
New England style markers usually represent those who moved into the area from the NE area of the United States. In this cemetery in Summersville you can see a few of these all carved from local sandstone. The stones can be compared to human torsos as they have "heads" and "shoulders". <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEZOOrFmLGR1zD_LW7t5dsyb2PIGoZYaxTW5OH-deVjQOWpwqufxZItAHcBjpetrDqTowwnkUsDOWHSjsjUJonxVwSTIzQXPs9rGddfYak0e05mcLZRnwX9VPgEnygPZ_tWeMwyWc058/s1600/nikon09+451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEZOOrFmLGR1zD_LW7t5dsyb2PIGoZYaxTW5OH-deVjQOWpwqufxZItAHcBjpetrDqTowwnkUsDOWHSjsjUJonxVwSTIzQXPs9rGddfYak0e05mcLZRnwX9VPgEnygPZ_tWeMwyWc058/s320/nikon09+451.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Malvina Kelly's marker as been snapped in half and lies propped up against a tree trunk towards the backside of the cemetery.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosxq5h7JpHEac0BF6K2nPxbjghiHOkQznr70jgaGvOa5GC7Wgu-75kcN7x3IE7MONcHd1ERuCjw8YghyphenhyphenfyuXUBBHoaMH1Jj-YRUAm8vB3umGTRrAGo6LJbX80YL0BUi7sAUSGfL8WxNw/s1600/nikon09+470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosxq5h7JpHEac0BF6K2nPxbjghiHOkQznr70jgaGvOa5GC7Wgu-75kcN7x3IE7MONcHd1ERuCjw8YghyphenhyphenfyuXUBBHoaMH1Jj-YRUAm8vB3umGTRrAGo6LJbX80YL0BUi7sAUSGfL8WxNw/s320/nikon09+470.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The grave of Margaret Dotson taken during the day....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and then one at night....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoAapXPoDhxXF0E3qe-ZAv8j1fRF9DfNeeeSyUU7HAtkn8rUx_ngVbMef2P0XtHCGKcB5lYOuhhanG5rQKkIEwMr78fBNm2hyhJiy1rlO9hhNDkZmCtE3CQcHjoSlvo2Q9hXvStxG7KU/s1600/pam+mace+cem+pic+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoAapXPoDhxXF0E3qe-ZAv8j1fRF9DfNeeeSyUU7HAtkn8rUx_ngVbMef2P0XtHCGKcB5lYOuhhanG5rQKkIEwMr78fBNm2hyhJiy1rlO9hhNDkZmCtE3CQcHjoSlvo2Q9hXvStxG7KU/s400/pam+mace+cem+pic+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was taken by Pam Mace during the photo shoot. Assistant Rick is standing at the head of the grave while I am sitting on the table tomb.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thank you to Mark Romano of Images by Romano for letting me share in the class expedition!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More haunted blogs to come this week.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-82808745181703879632010-09-13T18:39:00.000-04:002010-09-13T18:39:16.782-04:00Whipple Coal Company Store...haunted?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_g_j5M7B1474EGtV7-5nCBxy9Cg8LxXUFwgPwg_-Y-mSsCgC4c3s81fdyYGMT_jxEt-IkXxo42E66FvnKGyNa8Mg2QdyFzxsC0HLpHQUBG9zfmb7ixTg-jwd_ntcd7p0lSFdE5Thi5gA/s1600/april2010haunts+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_g_j5M7B1474EGtV7-5nCBxy9Cg8LxXUFwgPwg_-Y-mSsCgC4c3s81fdyYGMT_jxEt-IkXxo42E66FvnKGyNa8Mg2QdyFzxsC0HLpHQUBG9zfmb7ixTg-jwd_ntcd7p0lSFdE5Thi5gA/s320/april2010haunts+003.jpg" /></span></a></div><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;">The Whipple Coal Company Store</span> in Fayette County West Virginia</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We ghosthunt here this month! </span><a href="http://www.hauntedhistory.net/HauntedWhippleStore.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Spots are available online here.</span></a><br />
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Hmmm...what makes a building haunted? What constitutes paranormal activity? Is it actual scientific data gathered in a controlled setting? <br />
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Is that possible even with today's technology?<br />
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Is it simply a feeling of being watched when you are all alone? <br />
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Objects moving around all by themselves?<br />
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Seeing shadowy forms moving when no "human" is nearby?<br />
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The sensation of hairs standing up on the back of your neck and arm...temperatures dropping into a bone chilling coldness that begins and ends suddenly? <br />
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Is it the smell of cigar smoke when no one is smoking....at all? <br />
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Could it be the capturing of Electronic Voice Phenomena on tape when no one is speaking?<br />
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All of this...and more...happened when we investigated the old Whipple Company Store in Fayette County West Virginia in May 2010.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbRBfMRHL8NZZCiIm236SdDKyccJDbDF31ppOMAwZfNE-6HHP0fVAjsokh0Yvg3w64oTH2ZVl7XUizvn1MSHZVMjsFKQldP9dre4HlIVS0CMqv-9cKpCfL3rSZb3714wO_quEJde7ebI/s1600/april2010haunts+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbRBfMRHL8NZZCiIm236SdDKyccJDbDF31ppOMAwZfNE-6HHP0fVAjsokh0Yvg3w64oTH2ZVl7XUizvn1MSHZVMjsFKQldP9dre4HlIVS0CMqv-9cKpCfL3rSZb3714wO_quEJde7ebI/s320/april2010haunts+018.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Why would spirits linger here?</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROvSmi_8LgA4oDx_j1sNRsh78WoxndEvFFqZvIi4lcngnPCi3sAqlYj-W9DHMXaNlIpX9lInekCHZ8GSwJlcKSF5q367BsobrmOja0OG-ZJdNRj16_TItm76HU7RIsTCL7bbh6ZtRMiM/s1600/may+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROvSmi_8LgA4oDx_j1sNRsh78WoxndEvFFqZvIi4lcngnPCi3sAqlYj-W9DHMXaNlIpX9lInekCHZ8GSwJlcKSF5q367BsobrmOja0OG-ZJdNRj16_TItm76HU7RIsTCL7bbh6ZtRMiM/s320/may+039.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Our Ghosthunting 101 class May 2010</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As I am often fond of saying, you must learn the history of a location before you can begin to understand how it could be haunted...or paranormally active.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8VEIAJZjke9u0OOck2aWmTBO9IRx9gh746jdUp8KMh8_AoUW-NyOjuznv7Vlq5QkXzC9jS_Ic9hTMgQJiZRZ6HKMj__QAbx34atFNEkeUbtfwfI-mkJ3Rpju5K6fOA9WBCyYEpzxWV8/s1600/800px-Child_coal_miners_(1908).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8VEIAJZjke9u0OOck2aWmTBO9IRx9gh746jdUp8KMh8_AoUW-NyOjuznv7Vlq5QkXzC9jS_Ic9hTMgQJiZRZ6HKMj__QAbx34atFNEkeUbtfwfI-mkJ3Rpju5K6fOA9WBCyYEpzxWV8/s320/800px-Child_coal_miners_(1908).jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This southern part of West Virginia is fraught with stories of coal mining accidents, age old superstitions and the dark history of Appalachian folklore. Its an area where the frontier was carved out by frontier slayings, Indian massacres and the hardiness of the pioneers. It's also an area filled with mine war history and shoot outs between the union, miners, the mine owners and the Law.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDtbpJ6ulZagGIU2BiuteFvPptmuTHjI2pHKEaVIe6JS5EafGFDDTr46aUJIKxCghFW7Ck5SnNvrlVH6ZJE-mlxFizrD-hzXdV4xe0yjkKs0x-XLju0PFW5lfz3jGQMs231AYkAH-xOE/s1600/nikon09+215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDtbpJ6ulZagGIU2BiuteFvPptmuTHjI2pHKEaVIe6JS5EafGFDDTr46aUJIKxCghFW7Ck5SnNvrlVH6ZJE-mlxFizrD-hzXdV4xe0yjkKs0x-XLju0PFW5lfz3jGQMs231AYkAH-xOE/s320/nikon09+215.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This window above the front door to the Whipple Company Store shows evidence of a shoot out and bears the bullet holes to prove it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The old store is one of the oldest wooden Coal camp </div><br />
company stores left in our country today. Its newest owners, Chuck and Joy, have poured thousands of hours of clean up, work and love into this old structure.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Lku1n6uq7C3Wn137mYoSnNpwdzO7UwAMoqahp3U4EPkTtOWrIRHKVe5bCwktSVt10lSwszoxlQ-oJzEQOQZdWjAjJJM84JNUk18WXsqhq_ACQ_7owzc1ktf0XUI4jwjXAqm_n8Or23Q/s1600/large_miners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Lku1n6uq7C3Wn137mYoSnNpwdzO7UwAMoqahp3U4EPkTtOWrIRHKVe5bCwktSVt10lSwszoxlQ-oJzEQOQZdWjAjJJM84JNUk18WXsqhq_ACQ_7owzc1ktf0XUI4jwjXAqm_n8Or23Q/s320/large_miners.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The Whipple Company Store in the booming days of coal mining, provided everything the coal miner and his family would need. Clothing, shoes, dry goods, groceries etc.. Although the Company Store had its benefits to the coal miner, it did not go without reputation. The coal companies owned the store, the goods, the homes, the miner, and their money.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3ETzlTqyUTLgC1G9H95tG9R5fyhoZ-tQ5vZeuBM-sAXeuJRq5EU6H1lScNgPmKrMBLeDgbEhYEpTI5MWjynooZ1hAfic9FZMSEjq7l8DGVeaoe8xJ_qSNX3_S77SDkLV5xLDRZXKuNY/s1600/may+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3ETzlTqyUTLgC1G9H95tG9R5fyhoZ-tQ5vZeuBM-sAXeuJRq5EU6H1lScNgPmKrMBLeDgbEhYEpTI5MWjynooZ1hAfic9FZMSEjq7l8DGVeaoe8xJ_qSNX3_S77SDkLV5xLDRZXKuNY/s320/may+043.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The store on the evening of our Ghosthunting 101 class and Investigation May 2010</em></div><br />
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Whipple Company Store was designed by a coal baron by the name of Justus Collins. He was said to be a man of strong will and merit. This store at Whipple, is one of 4 he had built. All of the stores had unique architectural details, and today the only one left standing is this one. The building features a museum and has specific hours of operation. ( The Museum is a 501c3 non-profit organization )<br />
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( read more about this at their website <a href="http://www.whipplecompanystore.com/home.html">http://www.whipplecompanystore.com/home.html</a> )<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpletDkIW_zn62LVPaa2MG8WIIXQM1U9t5D28ROoud4M7fS9ruKEZr39IHgXWUqc59RrPxBA5vTIW432oBIPsvlYOPfPCCmtO9r2Sqppb_jYLfxQ1ML2ISWrbN6ZoT_hmIXHvcgSWnHg/s1600/april2010haunts+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpletDkIW_zn62LVPaa2MG8WIIXQM1U9t5D28ROoud4M7fS9ruKEZr39IHgXWUqc59RrPxBA5vTIW432oBIPsvlYOPfPCCmtO9r2Sqppb_jYLfxQ1ML2ISWrbN6ZoT_hmIXHvcgSWnHg/s320/april2010haunts+027.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>steps leading to the ballroom</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Museum area has a wonderful hand operated freight elevator which is very cool to see and I believe it ios the last one in the state of West Virginia. The original post office is still present along with an old telephone operators station. The secret second floor has a dark history due to the fact a man was found hanging in the elevator shaft years ago. The third floor ballroom is intriguing and has been the site of a shadowy figure in the one back room.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxpMGMeg1c5BUbZ8g9VMvQFxP-y9svmBmMAAw-XIlOih6LCT329iNmlC7raktjebQs6pc43FkyGc4_kDrffVboz_trTLLhNgCZAL0IMC9a64QC54ndTivF9m5Qi5RuhZvmRQKAt0gQcs/s1600/nikon09+257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxpMGMeg1c5BUbZ8g9VMvQFxP-y9svmBmMAAw-XIlOih6LCT329iNmlC7raktjebQs6pc43FkyGc4_kDrffVboz_trTLLhNgCZAL0IMC9a64QC54ndTivF9m5Qi5RuhZvmRQKAt0gQcs/s320/nikon09+257.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>the room upstairs where a shadowy figure has been taped on video</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When we did our Ghosthunting 101 Class and hunt on site here back in May, it was quite an exciting night. Several voices...or EVP as ghosthunters call them, were captured upstairs and down in the old basement as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-Cec9-mP2uhyphenhyphenrCAcwrQ1QPCxtN2t_MPp9Y9XtsYEG2VFHhmiJ6RUDapFk16QQkNwNNg2wo_OKjfFQug2AwUeO7Axzl2OpPGAc-geuiHAnaIB4G53UzuIB-TsnKhOQS2StWrHcxO5ZU8/s1600/nikon09+299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-Cec9-mP2uhyphenhyphenrCAcwrQ1QPCxtN2t_MPp9Y9XtsYEG2VFHhmiJ6RUDapFk16QQkNwNNg2wo_OKjfFQug2AwUeO7Axzl2OpPGAc-geuiHAnaIB4G53UzuIB-TsnKhOQS2StWrHcxO5ZU8/s320/nikon09+299.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The old basement</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The basement itself is like stepping back into a time machine. There were so many items standing about to see. To some it may look messy, but to others....what a great place to explore! If you know ANYTHING about the paranormal, you know what a room filled with items like this can hold for investigations. It's all about <u>energy </u>and energy can be imprinted upon items from jewelry, to clothing to antiques. All of these items laying about have been touched, used, held, etc.. for years and energy can be left behind upon them. Think of the typical psychic show on TV where the psychic "feels" an item and then can tell you all about who held the item or wore it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0BOY9qzHXrd4bpnQFji69nbcOTYRD2u9546KjnZe43t_eKY0RI_usL2KG1KJ6lP_bUr5JLDwrCFP7kKh24mcU8GMZZAIvSv50_NPVpHJD_5PJGR-9cojMWSK1CZlyRO9lJ-Lbt9sQLo/s1600/nikon09+229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0BOY9qzHXrd4bpnQFji69nbcOTYRD2u9546KjnZe43t_eKY0RI_usL2KG1KJ6lP_bUr5JLDwrCFP7kKh24mcU8GMZZAIvSv50_NPVpHJD_5PJGR-9cojMWSK1CZlyRO9lJ-Lbt9sQLo/s320/nikon09+229.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The basements darker history</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The above photograph is a picture I took back in the spring of 2010 when I first visited Whipple. Its sits on the first floor of the museum area and makes you stop and wonder "why is this here?" What shocks many people, is the fact that over 7000 men were embalmed in the basement. Why???</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You will just have to come on a tour...or join us at our next Ghosthunt at Whipple.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Am I teasing you a bit? You bethcha!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Even if you don't join up with us on Friday night September 24th 2010...swing by the Whipple store and do a day time tour. You will love this building!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To find out more about our ghosthunt in this building</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hauntedhistory.net/HauntedWhippleStore.html">Venture here!</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Where is Whipple located??<br />
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Whipple Company Store & Museum in Fayette County, West Virginia, 10 minutes from the famous New River Gorge Bridge. This unique and only one of its kind company store is easy to access from Interstate 77 at the Mossy (612) exit, or off state road 19 north of Beckley at hwy 612 west. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOz0QqnO5K3YUMOnj_KzKypLovvK9a0-gd4NpYVce2W8Fz2mQpV4wV5A_gu-e61Yv-FtmNmUCdvoj3LNiO9mQ3E9TnH1cvtkOCuJWKh_bR-GOfuKTbX9bmPo3el_7QvoT-9ErYyagO5R0/s1600/TEE+SHIRTS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOz0QqnO5K3YUMOnj_KzKypLovvK9a0-gd4NpYVce2W8Fz2mQpV4wV5A_gu-e61Yv-FtmNmUCdvoj3LNiO9mQ3E9TnH1cvtkOCuJWKh_bR-GOfuKTbX9bmPo3el_7QvoT-9ErYyagO5R0/s320/TEE+SHIRTS.JPG" /></a></div><strong>Until next blog....happy ghosthunting!</strong>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-64359288429334127562010-08-11T10:33:00.000-04:002010-08-11T10:33:18.148-04:00Prison Ghosts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zytEsj44cOGgQJTS_cB2I110p6xefL8ML-LwTVbnLTVRcd4xJEoxTSW6Kwr9Zp-GhNUl6U0LKh5N4bJSBW5aBO6E9cIYyxZsNxYCf93ma5dCFjpoOCmDHmhqhLlpg80HO0gPyVu7jNI/s1600/bldng2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zytEsj44cOGgQJTS_cB2I110p6xefL8ML-LwTVbnLTVRcd4xJEoxTSW6Kwr9Zp-GhNUl6U0LKh5N4bJSBW5aBO6E9cIYyxZsNxYCf93ma5dCFjpoOCmDHmhqhLlpg80HO0gPyVu7jNI/s320/bldng2.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Ohio State Reformatory</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Okay. I know it's an old creepy building. I know it has a dark history and that many men were murdered and felt their last breath slip away while incarcerated in this place. But what....and why would you linger is such a hell hole like this in the afterlife? Wouldn't you want to "go" somewhere pretty with green fields, birds singing and the sun shining? Why spend eternity slithering around in a dark and dreary building like a prison?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkmJeG3hAPYF5iBFt1okqdEC23IlhpC4DBXDhyphenhyphen0xMEb_u7tpPPbhc8bFK1pj40V6cSrWJ852sOXslKs8Ex0RbOu8dcW1JwdXY0aORsUmI6H3NtRIzXh2Q_47th4tVt6ecc41VoNE2Efo/s1600/30723448_e76251a3f9_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkmJeG3hAPYF5iBFt1okqdEC23IlhpC4DBXDhyphenhyphen0xMEb_u7tpPPbhc8bFK1pj40V6cSrWJ852sOXslKs8Ex0RbOu8dcW1JwdXY0aORsUmI6H3NtRIzXh2Q_47th4tVt6ecc41VoNE2Efo/s320/30723448_e76251a3f9_m.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Ohio State Reformatory</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There seems to be a general consensus among prisoners that if you die in prison, your soul stays in prison. You are serving an eternal sentence with no chance of parole.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivD2NLZFJlLEDpK0fEQdgVB-M5pFNGyVZUrAZ2_T62ryIwcIGYGL5lylCb-WpP92ORPWOT2Pc8QM69k_4q9ZOHH3NFM2LiaeBMrHkgc7YDayrPI6rwXFJ4oc7u9dzKP-ZeF-Y4yToN5ls/s1600/Eastern+State+Pen+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivD2NLZFJlLEDpK0fEQdgVB-M5pFNGyVZUrAZ2_T62ryIwcIGYGL5lylCb-WpP92ORPWOT2Pc8QM69k_4q9ZOHH3NFM2LiaeBMrHkgc7YDayrPI6rwXFJ4oc7u9dzKP-ZeF-Y4yToN5ls/s320/Eastern+State+Pen+026.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Eastern State Penitentiary</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Take for instance this photograph I took of an old door at Eastern State Pen. My husband and I visted this historic prison in the summer of 2009. Roaming the halls was one thing, but stepping into a cell gave you a completely different feeling. Your body knows the difference between a "happy" place and a "not so happy" place. Stepping over the doorway and into a cell gave me an overbearing sense of dread and a mild claustrophobia-like feeling of suffocation.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Can you even imagine what went on inside the heads of those men who were<u><em> not</em></u> mentally insane ? Feelings of desperation, anger, hate, resentment and fear?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanqfrpxD_vpDOsuPb6f4tmahonvNrIFR5R_KGNCiJzBRoEZkl_xBLVVmwyIpkq-PCn9m1tX05L9Vw1bsq72Ioic9xgcdKYH-h1mEjOmCo8PMftkMmHXIsNkEKym3ceWsxaUVWs5kbbF0/s1600/Eastern+State+Pen+186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanqfrpxD_vpDOsuPb6f4tmahonvNrIFR5R_KGNCiJzBRoEZkl_xBLVVmwyIpkq-PCn9m1tX05L9Vw1bsq72Ioic9xgcdKYH-h1mEjOmCo8PMftkMmHXIsNkEKym3ceWsxaUVWs5kbbF0/s320/Eastern+State+Pen+186.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Solitary confinement cell at Eastern State Pen</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>What a recipe for a haunting!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ1h4nLueMGKPx5jJM1uLMt-XDekgZEIw-SSSVCkeUVtsvi5Vtdq59kDtrGTdYC0muOkHZfrNf01rztwEBPMi9NivJ5Lv2jiRD_FmBOTBagGhVxfGwBGNkalnNiQDNITThPxLXJ_Gy0g/s1600/Eastern+State+Pen+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ1h4nLueMGKPx5jJM1uLMt-XDekgZEIw-SSSVCkeUVtsvi5Vtdq59kDtrGTdYC0muOkHZfrNf01rztwEBPMi9NivJ5Lv2jiRD_FmBOTBagGhVxfGwBGNkalnNiQDNITThPxLXJ_Gy0g/s320/Eastern+State+Pen+062.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Eastern State Pen prisoners in the yard</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And what of those prisons who executed the condemned? What kind of spirits haunt areas where men- in the name of justice- snuffed out other mens lives? The firing squads, the hangings, the electric chair and the needle. The list of the executed in America is sadly a long one. Both men and women were put to death<u> legally</u>. I have come across records of men...and women being burned at the stake in Colonial America. Not to mention to hundreds of illegal lynchings that took place in small town America.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjjnepX9a1-va3-1DYl7VqQhdnsjKOMt76iS81q6R1yrn5_6BH67no5-QuYOShnxdfT0kb_SzIj4BosgZIqnpVA5p26lncrCvt4ZmnzBA8zTKfXfvPZxcsHH970_mQsRAVFuQVmxIhac/s1600/PICT0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjjnepX9a1-va3-1DYl7VqQhdnsjKOMt76iS81q6R1yrn5_6BH67no5-QuYOShnxdfT0kb_SzIj4BosgZIqnpVA5p26lncrCvt4ZmnzBA8zTKfXfvPZxcsHH970_mQsRAVFuQVmxIhac/s320/PICT0035.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Whitegate Cemetery, West Virginia</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And what of the locations where the prisoners were buried? Would they be haunted as well? Would the souls of those hung and electrocuted for their crimes wander the burial ground? Whitegate cemetery in Moundsville West Virginia is a great example of a prison cemetery. Hundreds are buried here with only a simple license plate style marker. These were the bodies of men who were not claimed by their families after dying in prison...or after their execution was completed. Just a simple field, no fancy statues or marble markers...just little white plates with names and dates.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pLRLi07hZ-AHa-X1t574eKduJTOLn1R_DJFuaBYqzlNE_IWX-qb1OcI4ElII3QCin6YRkGGI7kx2Rz8UeM1XLK02fpDKaNEcf0Ch0A1wGva0UTlChHxEASEz_hfppxT7zeDMp0H-R74/s1600/Cook_JailCell125.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pLRLi07hZ-AHa-X1t574eKduJTOLn1R_DJFuaBYqzlNE_IWX-qb1OcI4ElII3QCin6YRkGGI7kx2Rz8UeM1XLK02fpDKaNEcf0Ch0A1wGva0UTlChHxEASEz_hfppxT7zeDMp0H-R74/s320/Cook_JailCell125.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The paranormal field tends to be a subject that offers more questions than answers. Why do we haunt? Are we really stuck in the Afterlife? Can we help ghosts?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One thing is for sure. Prison's are haunted. They have been...and will continue to be.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Maybe that's why I like spending so much time investigating them and writing books about the subject? Who knows? Maybe I was a prisoner or a guard in a past life?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now THATS another Blog! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hxjr7Ave8oLNtxoVqqTUVFLOtEMYc2j8E2QA3gvRHcJXUAbKH42tiVLKX8m-ZqbUHpA1XwHxSCnKc5Aj8O3wobAmTxLwZdl_aQArdAx3p52Wl-Frge3PC-6_4Zb8NYX_95YBXi-ClJE/s1600/osrcover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hxjr7Ave8oLNtxoVqqTUVFLOtEMYc2j8E2QA3gvRHcJXUAbKH42tiVLKX8m-ZqbUHpA1XwHxSCnKc5Aj8O3wobAmTxLwZdl_aQArdAx3p52Wl-Frge3PC-6_4Zb8NYX_95YBXi-ClJE/s320/osrcover2.jpg" /></a></div>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-82634900941965777912010-07-27T14:18:00.000-04:002010-07-27T14:43:04.253-04:00Spirits of Summersville West Virginia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong>The Spirits of Summersville West Virginia??</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> I suppose some would argue and say such a modest town like this would not have much dark history or ghostly tales to offer up. When you drive around thru the area, you see the beautiful mountains on the horizon, the winding creeks and rivers, the curvy mountain roads and the busy traffic of the downtown area. Chain hotels, rafting companies, the New River Gorge area, Summersville Lake and the many restaurants and tourist activities give this area a vacation like feel all year round. What's so spooky about that? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVybzqh8Mywlu-M00zANGA6f3QmpK5KMmPZXkKlFzpliR1kf7vpXZTSrNZVd69rJu_vsNJv19LONZc72Lwkc3R7rtG4KUmjMapot2SXCGWAk-dQ_bOv-rkoMNQ7mm8Kg-JAhEK6QgeAdY/s1600/courthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVybzqh8Mywlu-M00zANGA6f3QmpK5KMmPZXkKlFzpliR1kf7vpXZTSrNZVd69rJu_vsNJv19LONZc72Lwkc3R7rtG4KUmjMapot2SXCGWAk-dQ_bOv-rkoMNQ7mm8Kg-JAhEK6QgeAdY/s320/courthouse.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Summersville Courthouse</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Since I moved to Nicholas County West Virginia over a year ago, my research on ghosts in the mountain state has become nearly an obsession. I am digging at the archives in Charleston, I'm grabbing every book I can at libraries and in gift shops, I'm talking to the locals and hanging out in cemeteries stalking the caretakers for stories! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC75TCjRm6MuYTDy-XpUtwB2_VW2GaOfOyfpOFa49yFeuS0viOBAUb12LbLm3aOLNdsT92s0U0Xi6yJisCcHC_zI8jAhu5Ow3RyaA7CejKdFVVpObz6EKYUoacu0k-2PCZKwHT4-ji9CM/s1600/nikon09+437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC75TCjRm6MuYTDy-XpUtwB2_VW2GaOfOyfpOFa49yFeuS0viOBAUb12LbLm3aOLNdsT92s0U0Xi6yJisCcHC_zI8jAhu5Ow3RyaA7CejKdFVVpObz6EKYUoacu0k-2PCZKwHT4-ji9CM/s320/nikon09+437.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Cemetery we venture into on our walking tour of Summersville</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> It seems the more I dig, the more bizarre stuff I find and it's not only the folklore but the dark history that just keeps coming and coming! Take for instance the photo of the courthouse above. To many people it's just a courthouse...and a pretty cool looking one I have to agree. Dig a little bit and you find out that a dangerous female spy was captured during the Civil War and was held here. Dig more and you find that while captured in 1862, she charmed a her guard, took his gun and shot and killed him in cold blood. She escaped from her prison only to come back later with several hundred Confederates who stormed the town of Summersville wreaking havoc. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSszgPDVPQuzmhdIdIHLw2AX_5cE1LGpwZWR7a-vTEIuXz63hiAmfEPcGEvr-MOS1sBW31f5NeZR0SP8VDj23fmKptyP2FJnjDSr3siiUgPuzSAbVpB8Z0hRp9Gb801Rmp_gYXqKuYns/s1600/nancy+hart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSszgPDVPQuzmhdIdIHLw2AX_5cE1LGpwZWR7a-vTEIuXz63hiAmfEPcGEvr-MOS1sBW31f5NeZR0SP8VDj23fmKptyP2FJnjDSr3siiUgPuzSAbVpB8Z0hRp9Gb801Rmp_gYXqKuYns/s320/nancy+hart.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nancy Hart, Confederate Heroine or Spy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Depends on what side you are on!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dig some more and you find a story of a man and woman who fell in love at the courthouse many years ago. She was a prisoner and he was not. He helped hide her in coffin in the basement of the courthouse to aid in her escape only to have plans go very wrong and they both die. It is said that the eerie sounds of the courthouse bell can be heard echoing a death toll for the lovers lost.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QUM_-59I2rY7IACGTam6sskznVrDUxXgcUPnUwV2debbd4CeZAU9w_38qym_vtrVtx4lVNmidrzDODP-RfGU4S9wzh9VMZ0hn9gGqWz9I4ASCATqFHX0osb4qZPyHrn9T2xLGqTeiBQ/s1600/nikon09+399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QUM_-59I2rY7IACGTam6sskznVrDUxXgcUPnUwV2debbd4CeZAU9w_38qym_vtrVtx4lVNmidrzDODP-RfGU4S9wzh9VMZ0hn9gGqWz9I4ASCATqFHX0osb4qZPyHrn9T2xLGqTeiBQ/s320/nikon09+399.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Summersville Courthouse Bell Tower</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On the edge of the lawn of the courthouse stands a solemn monument to one of the many Indian Massacres that dot the dark fabric of the quilt of this areas history. The Morris Massacre took place in May of 1792.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UdcX0UFVqXd_MyxBShYkplhDey63EXVguDCoI-DK9m2_N4eNUMj9uXcSmC9MFXmj0mTGf49ozoqymfqMYQRv9CQNLNd6bXxqAURPmgxweGW1yW-3KAs8jKzznGOwAnnxWGrL4TKvcYc/s1600/nikon09+524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UdcX0UFVqXd_MyxBShYkplhDey63EXVguDCoI-DK9m2_N4eNUMj9uXcSmC9MFXmj0mTGf49ozoqymfqMYQRv9CQNLNd6bXxqAURPmgxweGW1yW-3KAs8jKzznGOwAnnxWGrL4TKvcYc/s320/nikon09+524.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Daughters of Henry Morris were attacked and scalped just west of Summersville on their farm on Peters Creek. This monument declares this incident to be the last of the Indian massacres in what is now West Virginia. The story itself has been handed down thru the generations and is quite graphic. We will tell this story on our Haunted History Walks of Summersville WV which debut this fall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Looking at the courthouse and its well manicured lawn, it may be hard to grasp the fact that there once stood a pillory and stockade on the grounds. People were whipped in public, had their ears pinned, and were locked in the stockade as punishment for various crimes. Typical punishment for stealing in the first offense was 30 lashes with a whip. You can imagine what was given to repeat offenders! Many villages and towns across the frontier of Western Virginia dealt out their punishments in front of the courthouses until some form of centralized justice was organized at the state level. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">History ain't always pretty. You can almost guarantee that any town, village, vacant building or cemetery has a dark story just waiting to be unearthed. Summersville has much to offer in many respects. History lovers, folklore enthusiasts, and ghost hunters will enjoy it immensely!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To view our page on The Haunted History Walks of Summersville West Virginia</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hauntedhistory.net/Haunted-History-Walks-of-Summersville-WV.html">Click here</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To view our page on West Virginia's Haunted History</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hauntedhistory.net/W-V-Haunted-History-.html">Click here</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Till next blog.....happy hauntings!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-57304310470875897142010-07-14T17:17:00.000-04:002010-07-14T17:19:46.622-04:00The Captain's Grave<strong><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">THE CAPTAIN'S GRAVE</span></strong><br />
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Why do most people like to read spooky stories and learn about things that go "bump" in the night? I know that I have been that way since I first learned to read. I craved reading and books since I learned to read and could not get enough of them! I would often sneak a book and flashlight under the covers on school nights and read long past my bedtime. My mom always told us that books can take you <em>everywhere and anywhere</em>, and I still believe that.<br />
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While doing some research many years ago on haunted locations in West Virginia, I came across the name of a cemetery in Parkersburg and felt drawn to visit and experience it for myself. Riverview Cemetery was my destination. I was armed with a camera and a warm coat. On a chilly autumn day I ventured on the 225 mile drive from NE Ohio... and headed south.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvxitSESqE943errv26cJyXYCiEv5EapYlDK4rJAIliU65QexQl1ggv-_xIbr-dRl1-61halwjwCupDkviQkioUwLgN4gLx958qsh6NsZvEk4MJs1hyYZ2p98aQRR8_5IHBAAptdQT68/s1600/riverviewcemteryparkersburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvxitSESqE943errv26cJyXYCiEv5EapYlDK4rJAIliU65QexQl1ggv-_xIbr-dRl1-61halwjwCupDkviQkioUwLgN4gLx958qsh6NsZvEk4MJs1hyYZ2p98aQRR8_5IHBAAptdQT68/s320/riverviewcemteryparkersburg.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I came across an interesting headstone in Riverview Cemetery while exploring on that fall day. I remembered reading a story about the occupant and his child who lay buried next to him. The cemetery is one of Parkersburg West Virginia's most historic...and it was allegedly haunted. Of course it piqued my interest!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4Lz3VQaVcFlsNkrCyvoiyBah4PYC8gLdh5VBenF2es0pBnpMDrkGvd25vCSVcuBQM7AowYjlmRb9EIYccHx1XFv2e76RIuOMdvktE4Widn7ukJaqOMaiOaaELYGnsOqWJVfG0dZP4gU/s1600/riverviewandquincyhill+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4Lz3VQaVcFlsNkrCyvoiyBah4PYC8gLdh5VBenF2es0pBnpMDrkGvd25vCSVcuBQM7AowYjlmRb9EIYccHx1XFv2e76RIuOMdvktE4Widn7ukJaqOMaiOaaELYGnsOqWJVfG0dZP4gU/s320/riverviewandquincyhill+002.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The cemetery itself is a modest size and very easy to walk thru with a meandering trail leading through it. It's perched up on a hill and offers an interesting view of an old vacant building towards the back of the lot. The building gave me a mild case of the creeps and I made a mental note to research it when I had the chance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkojXLKbG6SrKYYEbXztS5vwJiqjjcb39B_RuuWJwoIJDL-rpN6cG1CM_3wEm5soG7EFkUY6v1VWC5MPm_UhcmrX-IYu-VYofLnJNMMb1r9mP1wfGuCzt_rdvYUjMHZJtZ9t_dHA7jT_Q/s1600/riverviewandquincyhill+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkojXLKbG6SrKYYEbXztS5vwJiqjjcb39B_RuuWJwoIJDL-rpN6cG1CM_3wEm5soG7EFkUY6v1VWC5MPm_UhcmrX-IYu-VYofLnJNMMb1r9mP1wfGuCzt_rdvYUjMHZJtZ9t_dHA7jT_Q/s320/riverviewandquincyhill+012.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some people call cemeteries the "Silent Cities of the Dead". Walking around at Riverview caused me to look over my shoulder more than once, I have to admit!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Apparitions have been seen at the cemetery, statues are said to grant wishes and people swear they smell the salt of the ocean while standing next to one grave in particular.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBALVFvkaD8AFVshr6Brf_8O94V5MNolfaUqr6y1SkMD1-ybzQMaxzF_QYBE0m9MEdIAvHl7MzIM0g985-Hj5yjrJcpq3O-Coqdv8h38MXqXtz_r_qNDElTkqPg5vK2S1bnyMbLzU4kg/s1600/riverviewandquincyhill+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBALVFvkaD8AFVshr6Brf_8O94V5MNolfaUqr6y1SkMD1-ybzQMaxzF_QYBE0m9MEdIAvHl7MzIM0g985-Hj5yjrJcpq3O-Coqdv8h38MXqXtz_r_qNDElTkqPg5vK2S1bnyMbLzU4kg/s320/riverviewandquincyhill+026.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is the final resting place of Captain George Deming. Ummm...maybe NOT the final resting place as it seems the good Captain is said to be up and strolling around at times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To read the entire story, check out the article as it is featured online this month at Two-Lane Livin' in my Fireside Folklore column.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.twolanelivin.com/?p=2331">Fireside Folklore July</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Hauntings!</div>Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5206803266841817497.post-7990970350489179512010-07-13T09:19:00.000-04:002010-07-14T17:32:48.621-04:00The First BlogI never thought I would be a "blogger". Why would I want to post my thoughts and escapades and think that others would be interested in <em>actually</em> reading them? For me the thought of blogging conjured up <em>"Dear Diary</em>" postings from my adolescent years which were full of the typical teenager angst and issues. I remember writing about lost romances, feuds with girlfriends, and concerns about a flat chest up to about age 15. NOT to mention the fact that my parents had me in braces and granny glasses at age 13. UGH!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OrDU9hAW0D5NQ8_VkS2CMX_TH9kqh5yTL-CJFKdnDxbCed7HnXGvYmlz5Qee_vXK2xeR7FiLyPanUL7C0BlqLPzVo2CmL-H7lUZe4nBc3MQ7xrKINuirYLBDVKEAWeA5-jcQEFMD_Ig/s1600/sorry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OrDU9hAW0D5NQ8_VkS2CMX_TH9kqh5yTL-CJFKdnDxbCed7HnXGvYmlz5Qee_vXK2xeR7FiLyPanUL7C0BlqLPzVo2CmL-H7lUZe4nBc3MQ7xrKINuirYLBDVKEAWeA5-jcQEFMD_Ig/s200/sorry.jpg" width="162" /></a></div><br />
So here I am. It's the first blog and I find myself flashing back to puberty. I feel as if I need to grab a pencil and start doodling all over the blog page with little hearts and flowers but we know that can't happen. Back when I wrote in <em>Dear Diary</em>, I had to deal with the fact that my little sister would probably read it without my permission and pass it around at one of her slumber parties behind my back. I guess I should be thankful she couldn't drive to the library and use the copy machine. Now I am posting on the world wide web and I think I may be okay with it all. :-) I guess we will have to see what kind of blog comments come rolling in across cyberville in the future.<br />
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</div>Now, what will you expect in my blog? Let's just say that between my musings on the darker side of life and my new life as a West Virginia resident, you will probably hear all about my paranormal exploits, haunted excursions, cemetery trips and more than you probably want to know about history and mystery the Haunted Heartland.<br />
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I have had a pretty eventful first year here in wild and wonderful West Virginia. I moved here to south central West Virginia from the Canton Ohio area in March, got married, wrote two books that were published, moved an office and have made 65 trips back and forth to NE Ohio to be with my kids in about 14 months. I started writing a new monthly column in <a href="http://www.twolanelivin.com/">Two -Lane Livin'</a> called<em> Fireside Folklore</em> and I am excited to be among the great writers and articles it features. I'm still doing <a href="http://www.hauntedhistory.net/">haunted tours,</a> working on a new book for September release and am trying to be around Perry enough so he can claim me as his new wife. Am I tired? You betcha. Am I happy? You betcha! Do I miss my teenage kids? More than you can even possibly fathom. Life goes on and I do the best I can with what my path in life is. Hey...any day above ground is a good day indeed!<br />
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So there you have it. My<em> first</em> post to my<em> first</em> blog and it seems to be a cross between some kind of mini therapy session and a Catholic confession gone wrong. Hmmmm....sounds like the basis for a new reality tv show?!!Sherri Brakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102257492880807587noreply@blogger.com10