Sue St.Clair and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog

If you have a look at last Friday's blog entry in the comment section, Faith of Naughty But Nice relates a rather strange experience with a dog that seemed not quite normal. In fact she sensed something malevolent about this creature.

Faith's experience made me recall the legendary Black Shucks or Demon/Devil Dogs of the United Kingdom.

The following article was originally written for the Pararesearcher's website by Penny Dobson and Jennifer Tyrrell and gives a good overview of this British folklore.

"Anyone that knows even just a little bit of folklore or legends has most likely heard or come across stories of black phantom dogs that tend to hang around old crypts and graveyards. These phantom creatures have been said to be anything from the grave owner's pet to Satan himself depending on which myth you read.

Stories of these dogs are not new, in fact some date back centuries such as the legend of the Black Shuck.

Picture yourself alone on an English hillside late at night, with only the light of the moon above you. As you walk along the air is cold and damp as if a storm was moving in. You hear what you think are twigs snapping on the trail behind you. Stopping, you listen, but hear nothing. You start walking again only to hear the snapping return. Slowly turning around you find a large headless dog has been following your every move. Stalking you!

Sounds like a purely fictional tale right? Well not if you ask certain people in England. Some people especially the older generation will tell you that if you ask them the Black Shuck is very real and is not something that you should take lightly.

The Black Shuck has many stories associated with it. Depending on what version you read it can appear headless or it can appear to be floating. Most of the stories that we have come across though has described it as being a large black dog with glowing red eyes.

The Wikipedia has this to say about the appearance of this dog, "Black Shuck has appeared headless, and at other times he appears to float on a carpet of mist rather than run. According to folklore, the specter often haunts graveyards, side roads and dark forests." * There is even a poem that is said to go along with this terrifying beast.

"And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring,
and its wild bark thrill'd around,
His eyes had the glow of the fires below,
'twas the form of the spectre hound" *

What makes this legend one of the most frightening is that " Black Shuck is said to be one of the oldest phantoms of Great Britain, with the name deriving from the Anglo-Saxon word 'scucca' meaning demon or devil" *. They also say it will cause the death of any person that is brave enough to look into his eyes. They say that anyone that does foolishly look into the eyes of this hound from hell will parish within a year.

What we find interesting is that the Black Shuck or hell hound as it is sometimes referred to, does not appear to choose its victims, nor does it seem to seek them out either. From all the stories we have read about this being there does not appear to be any reason for the witnesses to have encountered it other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We have read many theories as to where they might be found, but not as to why. Again, depending on the version you read they are said to be in churchyards, graveyards, and straight roads, as well as hillsides, and even possibly places that are along Ley Lines.

So then why do they appear to some people and not others?

We have not been able to find an answer to this question at least not yet, but we can tell you that if we ever happen to be walking alone at night where the hell hounds are said to dwell, and hear any noises that seem to be coming from behind us we will NOT be turning around to see what it is! "

References To The Above:

*1. Taken from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Shuck

*2 Taken from
http://www.edp24.co.uk/Content/Features/SpookyNorfolk/asp/NorthNorfolk/BlackShuck.asp

*3 Taken from
http://www.norfolkcoast.co.uk/myths/ml_blackshuck.htm

Reports of these Demon Dogs are not peculiar to the British Isles, nor are they relegated to ancient folklore alone. Our entry on the Nash Road, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada haunting includes the following:

"There was another occurrence that stuck with me, and that was one involving a large black dog. In the wall at the end of my bed was a large vent, upon waking up in the middle of the night once, I looked across my room and seen this black dog sitting inside the vent. I got up to get a closer look but the dog was gone, I then walked through the house looking for the dog, when I found him in the kitchen on top of the fridge, I cannot remember what happened once I found him."

We also discuss the Phantom Beasts of Ajax, Ontario, Canada here.

Our thanks to Faith for sharing her experience with us and for inspiring this blog entry! If any of our readers would like to suggest a paranormal topic that you would like us to blog about please feel free to make any suggestions to our commentary section or send us an email.

Cheers!

Sue & Matthew

Sometimes we have a look at some of our online colleagues and just have to give ourselves a shake .... or a shower .... you get the idea ... please take this in the "spirit" for which it is intended ... constructive criticism ... something we do encourage and appreciate ourselves!

Don't be guilty of .....

Research Through Proclamation

Both the overly-credulous and non-believers are VERY guilty of this...

"Don't examine that! It's absolutely REAL! Don't question it as it MUST be EVIDENCE and PROOF POSITIVE of the paranormal and I don't wish to be shown inconvenient facts that might dispute my beliefs."

"Don't examine that! It's a waste of time! None of it's real! Don't question my efforts, I know and am not interested in the inconvenient facts that might make me have to examine my own disbelief."

"Why investigate? CSICOP has proclaimed!" said Ufologist Stan Freidman in reference to CSICOP's usual "auto-debunking" of various things... but it does work both ways... too many people feel that certain "paranormality" is absolute and don't wish to question things as it may cause them to re-examine what they already "know".

This is the "unknown" for a reason... there are no experts... how can you be an "expert" of the "unknown"? IT'S NOT KNOWN... and must be questioned... no matter what.

To do otherwise is "having faith"... which is fine... but don't call it fact.

Each Friday we will have a look at the stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are amongst our personal favourites. These will include Crypto, Ghosts, UFO's and other strange events that may be considered Fortean from in around the Toronto, Canada area .... and since they are from our own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

The Ghosts of Ridley College

Ridley college is a beautiful 114 year old private school located in the Niagara region of Ontario Canada. We have been very fortunate to be invited to visit the campus (2006) and learn about the hauntings that have been reported there over the years.

There are many Ridley ghost stories; here are but a few as shared to us by Don Rickers Director of Admissions.

In 1918 there was a worldwide plague of influenza. Millions perished, including 50,000 Canadians. Sixty boys were ill at Ridley, and were placed in an isolation hospital on campus called Pest House. (Today, the building is known as Governors House, a former residence for Middle School boys.) The promising football season was disrupted (but not cancelled) and a ten-day holiday for the whole school was decreed to reduce human contact. One housemaster, Mr. Flynn, did die at the school in October of 1918, as did a Miss Bush, who was a part-time nurse. One boy who resided in School House was sent home to Toronto in grave condition, where he died a few days later. At what was later confirmed by the parents as the exact time the boy succumbed, the School House bell at Ridley rang for no apparent reason. Mr. Ernie Powell, the housemaster of School House, had locked the door to the janitor's closet which allowed the only access to the bell rope, and Powell had the only key in his possession. No one could explain it.

In 1925, a teacher was staying on the third floor of School House over the Christmas holidays. He was awakened by a noise coming from a hallway door, behind which was a small service elevator. (The elevator car was on the ground floor.) The dazed man opened the door in the darkness and leaned in, and was in danger of falling into the elevator shaft. However, he felt a hand grab him by the shoulder, and pull him back to safety. A benevolent spirit, perhaps?

Stories persist of ghost sightings in the bowels of the Middle School. Some swear the apparition is Herbie Morgan, the reclusive gardener who toiled at the school for years. Others suggest that the sightings are of Mr. Steciw, the curmudgeonly shop teacher.

But most of the ghostly sightings have been here, in the Memorial Chapel, this monument to the sacrifice of young Ridleians who paid the supreme sacrifice on distant battlefields.

Former teacher, assistant headmaster, and housemaster Maurice Cooke on one occasion noticed that the lights were on in the chapel late one night. He went down to investigate, along with his faithful dog, Labby. Upon entering through the tunnel, Mr. Cooke sensed something unusual, and felt a chill down his spine. Labby growled and refused to enter. This is consistent with other paranormal experiences, in which animals seem to sense the presence of a spirit, and exhibit nervous behavior.

Mrs. Trish Loat, a long-time Ridley staffer in the academics office, had a paranormal experience in the chapel. About ten years ago, she entered a darkened chapel, and began flicking on the lights. As she did so, she saw a swirling mass of smoke or vapour cross the front of the chapel, and disappear into a wall. The imaginings of a crazy woman? I think not!

A retired Ridleian from Halifax, Frank Tooton, sent me an e-mail after my Ghosts of Ridley article appeared in Tiger magazine a couple years ago. He wrote that while he was a Ridley student, one morning he approached the Ridley chapel and saw an old man standing outside. As he drew nearer, the figure simply faded away! A former headmaster or chaplain, perhaps?

But the most compelling testimony comes from Mair Mackey, the wife of former Middle School teacher David Mackie. Mair spent countless hours over the past few decades decorating and cleaning the chapel. Her first experience was her awareness that she was being followed as she walked down the center aisle one day. She clearly heard footsteps behind her. When she stopped and turned, no one was there. On the second occasion, she entered the chapel and witnessed a solitary young boy at a pew in the corner. As she approached him to ask if anything was wrong, the lad simply vanished into thin air!

And most recently I have learned of an apparition in Gooderham House, known as the Blue Boy, which to this day is an occasional visitor.

These stories are not meant to disturb or scare you, but rather to suggest that there is more to our existence than the mundane routines of classes and meals and hockey practices. If one has faith in an omniscient supreme being far greater than ourselves, it logically follows that one must consider the possibility of an afterlife heaven and hell, if you wish and of the existence of phantoms who languish uncontented on the fringes of the netherworld.

We would like to thank Don Rickers, Director of Admissions for sharing these stories from Ridley with us. If you have a Ridley ghost story and would like to share it with Mr. Rickers he may be contacted at: don_rickers@ridley.on.ca

You may visit Ridley's website here: http://www.ridley.on.ca

Do you have a real life ghost story, an encounter with a UFO, or other paranormal experience/s you'd like to share? If so, we'd love to hear from you! Post your own experiences in our comments section or send us an email. Please post only true life experiences ... we love good fiction, but there are other fantastic blogs out there to post fictional accounts to.

Toronto Ontario July 26, 2006 Toronto - It has now being confirmed by other sources that astronaut Buzz Adldrin has come forward to confront NASA secrecy behind the UFO cover-up. Another astronaut now joins others who have come forward all saying the same thing.

It is now time that major Australian media outlets profile this historical event by contacting Aldrin to have him tell his story.

Exopolitics Toronto and the Canadian Disclosure Initiative support his decision and those of the many other astronauts and pilots who are willing to talk about the truth behind the authenticity of this phenomenon.

This is a highly dramatic announcement by men of integrity and distinction. Australian media should be among the first to allow his story to be told first hand.

Sources thus far.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17435778&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=nearly-one-small-step-too-far--name_page.html

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/07/25/moon_spa.html?

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/offbeat/2006/07/if_you_believe_they_used_a_pen.html

Contact Details:

Exopolitics Toronto

Director of Media Relations
Victor Viggiani B.A. M.Ed.
Toronto Ontario Canada
zland@sympatico.ca
905 278 1238

Port Weller, ON (ParaResearchers) - A Niagara Region man sighted a large otter-like creature in Lake Ontario on May 24, 2006. The witness's identity is undisclosed at their request.

The eyewitness, Mr. S, was out walking his dog in the vicinity of the Port Weller marina at 6:30 a.m., observed the calm waters of the lake being disturbed by an unknown source. The day in question was a clear, sunny day.

Port Weller is located eight km northeast of St. Catharines, Ontario and situates itself along the northern most point of the Welland Canal.

At first glance the gentleman noted that the creature resembled an otter, but was unsure due to its speed and massive wake.

Otters are usually found in Northern Ontario in Algonquin Park along the Petawawa River. River otters are also found in the St. Lawrence River basin. Their numbers are limited in the post-colonial period of North America in large part to the poisoning of urban environments.

Mr. S guesstimated that the creature was 100 yards (91.44 m) from the shore and then noted that the creature resurfaced 20 yards (18.3 m) later.

The description given states, "The head was the size of a dog and smooth. It turned away from me and I noticed a flat back about 4.5 to 5 feet long and 3 feet wide in the middle. Then it went back underwater and shook its dorsal fins. It looked to me like a seal."

Further examination of the history of fauna in Lake Ontario does reveal the existence of a seal species within the drainage basin.

The Eastern Atlantic Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina) was eliminated from the Great Lakes basin by the early 1800s. They are commonly known for their large range among the pinnipeds. Harbour seals reach 1.85 meters in size and approximately 130 kilograms in weight at adulthood.

If you would like to comment on this report, have further information or have had a sighting of your own please contact us at admin@pararesearchers.org

Our thanks to the witness and Brian Baker Director Cryptozoology for the above report.

In the past few months we have received three separate emails and messages from differing for-profit businesses claiming to be "Canada's Most Haunted" ... all from southern Ontario yet! As if the rest of Canada's provinces and territories do not even count!

Yes, gentle reader ... if you have surmised that this is a completely unprovable and tad outrageous claim ... you would be correct in our opinion. No credible researcher or investigator could make this claim as their are no hard statistics to back it up for one. No scientist would ever make this claim as there would be far too many variables to consider. Simply put there is no such thing.

A psychic could also never back such a claim unless they have travelled cross-country and visited every reported "haunted" location ... which would take decades if not a lifetime to accomplish.

So why would anyone make this claim ... and do everything to publicise it? Particularly a for-profit business?

Well for starters it could be an attempt to cash in on the fame of the British series "Most Haunted" ... but even that program has had to list itself as entertainment only to avoid claims of fraud. Read the BBC article.

Perhaps they believe that advertising a ghost will increase profits for their business?

This is an interesting thought as most companies would rather not publicise a potential "haunting" for fear of ridicule. Often we must present what is called a non-disclosure agreement before investigating a public or private building for that very reason. The more well known and more established a company the more likely they will request absolute discretion and privacy.

One must ask the obvious questions if a business is making such a claim:

Why are they making this claim?

What is motivating them?

If it is to generate more business, how legitimate are their claims?

Are they for real? Are the stories completely exaggerated? Are they embellished upon or sexed-up? Or can an outright hoax be suspected?

There are a handful of businesses here in southern Ontario that are not shy about their ghost stories such as The Keg Mansion in Toronto, Jester's Court in Port Perry, and The Angel Inn in Niagara. However, their stories are of interest to their enterprises, and not the main thrust.

In other words they do not need to make sensational Hollywood-style claims to run very successful businesses and they don't. The ghosts are more a compliment or after-thought to an otherwise fine establishment.

So remember when confronted with seemingly outrageous claims, particularly when they involve YOU loosening YOUR wallet ... "caveat emptor" or "let the buyer beware" ......

All of the above is our opinion of course, but it is based on our years of experience within this research, our own reputation, and our deepest admiration and respect for our witnesses who are ordinary people who just happen to have had extraordinary experiences.

Thanks to everyone who came out this past Saturday (July 22nd, 2006) to The Old Mill/Humber River area seminar! It was a FANTASTIC turnout and everyone seemed to have a decent time... despite the mosquitos.

It was great to see old friends such as Steve Dietrich and his partner Debby Bennett, who take a similar approach to the famed researcher Hans Holzer by combining science and psychic investigation. And Jeff Ostrander who is an independent paranormal investigator that has been working very hard towards bringing a greater understanding to the topic of ghost and hauntings.

And for those who could not attend ... may we present:

The Ghosts Of The Old Mill/Humber River Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Humber River and valley have long been part of Canadian heritage. First a major thoroughfare and meeting place of Native Canadians, it was later discovered by Etienne Brule on a mission for Champlain in 1615. In 1793, the King's Mill was built on the banks of the Humber River to process lumber for the proposed town of York. Hence, the mill became Toronto's first industrial building. A series of fires forced the mill to be rebuilt three times.

Today the Old Mill is one of the finest hotels, spa, and dining experiences in the city of Toronto.

On October 15, 1954, the most famous hurricane in Canadian history struck Southern Ontario. Hurricane Hazel devastated the area surrounding the Humber River and Old Mill. It was the scene of much tragedy and destruction. Including the death of eight Etobicoke area firemen.

"...It was a gigantic flood with smashed houses and uprooted trees bobbing like corks, everything going down the river so fast. Houses crashing into the sides of other houses, people everywhere screaming. And then you couldn't even hear the screams anymore."
- Volunteer fireman Bryan Mitchell

The most reported apparition in the area is of a young woman dressed in white with long black hair. No one has been able to date or identify her date. However, she appears forlorn and is also reported as frightened.

For years people have reported they've seen strange things in the area...balls of luminous light in the trees, lights that follow or chase the witnesses, animal spirits etc.

One witness also described the apparition of a man who walked through fencing near the mill, only to vanish on the other side.

There are several reports from the Old Mill Subway Station. Some reported by Toronto Transit Commission - TTC staff. These include apparitions, poltergeist phenomena, and one report of possible clairaudience (disembodied voice).

There is much speculation as to why this area is considered haunted and by who.

With an area so rich in history, and with such a storied and tragic past we will probably never know with 100% certainty the who and the why ... but we can say that this area does appear to be a hot-bed for paranormal activity.

Sometimes we have a look at some of our online colleagues and just have to give ourselves a shake .... or a shower .... you get the idea ... please take this in the "spirit" for which it is intended ... constructive criticism ... something we do encourage and appreciate ourselves!

Phoney-Baloney Doctorates, Reverendships, Phoney-Baloney Anything ...

Now, one way everyone knows they're dealing with a legitimate source is accreditation, right? I mean, you see "Dr. So-and-so" or the like, it's a given they've worked hard to get there, right?

WRONG!

Check your spam... "Get an internet degree in fifteen minutes for free!" and of course, our friends at Universal Life Church who will give you a "reverendship" for free... and a "doctorate" for just about anything for about $25 to $50 with NO study and NO exams and NO effort.

We tested this with Mason our "alien" doll, and he may now perform "legal" marriages in the USA. WE ARE NOT KIDDING!

Photo of our Reverend Mason with WWE Diva and fellow Torontonian Trish Stratus. Our thanks to Trish for posing with our "alien" buddy.

Certain people LOVE to announce their "accreditation"... and when examined... well...

... fake accreditation is hoaxing.

You want a degree, EARN IT!

Otherwise, here's a thought... DO GOOD WORK and let your work speak for you.

Each Friday we will have a look at the stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are amongst our personal favourites. These will include Crypto, Ghosts, UFO's and other strange events that may be considered Fortean from in around the Toronto, Canada area .... and since they are from our own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

1411 Nash Road - Oshawa

"Only under very rare circumstances will we ever publish an exact address of a private residence. The following report is one of those rare exceptions. The house in question no longer exists and the property is now part of a shopping centre. In the witnesses own words:

My ex husband, two kids, and I, moved to 1411 Nash Road, in either 1983, or 1984. The first time I ever noticed anything about that house, was before we moved into it. It was a 4 bedroom house, and the people who rented it before us, had all sons. They had rented it, for either 2 years or 4 years that is the only thing I cannot remember. Two of the bedrooms, were at the end of a hallway, right across from each other. One of them, was painted yellow, and had Holly Hobbie, wallpaper in it. I thought that was odd, considering the family renting it had all sons. The owners of the house told us, that the family that lived there before the one with the sons, had twin daughters, and that is who did up the little girls bedroom. I was never clear, as to whether they were owners or renters as well. Before we moved in, we were told that we could paint any rooms we wanted. We had decided to leave the little girls room, as it was.

One night, I was painting one of the walls in the master bedroom. I felt like I was being watched...the hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and I had the worse chill. I kept looking down the hall, at the doorway to the room, that was going to be my daughter's, and I went down there a couple of times to look. Of course there was nobody there, and both the kids were asleep on the living room floor.

We moved in, and everything was fine. About 3 months later, I was sitting in the living room, reading. My ex, worked afternoon shift, and I used to sit up and wait for him. There was a side door, in the house, that led to a room, where the well pump was. From that room, there was a door to the kitchen. I was sitting on a couch, that faced the kitchen, I had heard, the door, to the room where the pump was, click shut. I looked up from my book, and saw what I thought was a woman in a nightgown/robe, in the kitchen. When I got up to look there was nobody there, I checked all the windows, and doors, they were locked up. Both of the kids were in bed sound asleep.

Not long after that night, my daughter, who was only 3 at the time, was playing in her bedroom, on one of those horses, that bounce up and down on springs. I saw a shadow in the hallway, and heard my daughter saying something over and over again. I went to look, she had the horse in the hallway...she was bouncing on it saying "I hate my room" over and over again. I told her she had to play in her room, and pulled the horse back. She pulled it back out into the hallway, and did the same thing. All she kept saying is I hate my room.

After that things started happening on a more regular basis. My daughter came to me on more then one occasion, telling me about the little girls that used to come into her room, and talk to her. When I asked her what two little girls? She said to me..."You know, the ones who look the same! She also mentioned a black dog, that she saw on top of the fridge, and in a vent. There was a day, that my daughter and son, were playing at a nearby park, and my daughter came home and told me that the two little girls were there, as well. I said what little girls? She just said you know...the ones that come into my bedroom sometimes.

There was a night that I was in my bedroom, polishing my dresser top. All of a sudden I smelt the strongest scent of something, that was like flowers, or talc, only stronger. There was one day I was cleaning the bathroom, and got the worst feeling again of being watched, that sent a chill right through me.

There was another night, that we had just gotten in from my parent;s house, and I was putting the kids to bed. When I was tucking my daughter in, I heard very heavy footsteps coming along, the back hall, towards my daughter's bedroom. I called out to my ex, nobody answered me. Then I heard the front door, open and close, my ex had been outside, taking out the garbage, nowhere near the hallway. I remember when I heard the footsteps, I was afraid.

There was another night, that I heard light footsteps, running around in my son's bedroom. I said to my ex, our daughter is up, I will put her back to bed. When I got into the hallway to go to her bedroom. I saw a little girl, run from my son's room, into, hers....and it was not our child. I told my ex, you go check, I am not!!

There was one day, my ex was having a nap before he had to go to work. I went to close the bedroom door, so the kids would not disturb him. I saw one corner of our comforter, go up about 2 or 3 feet into the air, then slowly go back down again. I closed the door to the room really quick.

One night I was laying in bed reading, by then I was leaving just about every light in the house on. I am not sure what made me look, but I looked up at the doorway to our bedroom. When I did, I saw a man, walking into our room, from the waist down, just part of one leg entering, and part of a shirt, and waist. I thought for sure someone was in the house, so I threw the covers over my head. I am not sure how long I lay there like that, but after a certain length of time, when nothing happened, I peeked. I got up, and searched the house, everything was locked up.

The last two nights we lived there, I was supposed to sleep in our daughter's bedroom, because my ex had taken the water out of our water bed. I would not go to sleep in there at night, because I was terrified of her room. I sat up on the couch all night both nights reading...and while I sat there reading, I could hear a baby crying, that came from my son's room. There was no way I was getting up to check on that! The other thing that happened there, was our daughter woke up every night, same time, in the middle of the night, screaming. She would always be sitting in the doorway of her bedroom, screaming at the top of her lungs.

My parents who lived at the other end of the GTA, at the time, had only been there once to visit. All my mom said was, "she did not like that house"... and she did not know why, she just did not like it. I had never told her anything, that had happened there, not until after we had moved out.

My mother in law, had also spent some time there...I had to have back surgery. She stayed for a few nights to look after the kids. I did not know until about 3 months after we moved away from there, that she had heard doors opening and closing. And my ex told me, that when he came home from work, his mother was sitting there, with the heat turned up full, and a winter coat on. She was supposed to be sleeping in our daughter's bedroom, but did not want to. She knew nothing that had been going on there, I did not tell her, until a few months after we moved. That is when I found out what she had experienced.

We lived there a year then moved to another city in Durham county. About 6 months later, I fell asleep one afternoon. I had a very vivid dream, about the house that we had lived in, on Nash Road In my dream, I was back in that house, going down the hallway, towards my daughters bedroom. I saw a woman, in a nightgown, with her arms around two little girls. I saw a man's arm, going up in the air, then coming down towards them, and a lot of blood. Then I was all of a sudden standing in the doorway of the bedroom, that had been mine. I saw a man, from the waist down, and his feet were a few feet off of the floor, so I knew he was hanging. I never saw anything else...I woke up right after that.

The funny thing is, the year we spent on Nash road, my ex, and my son, never saw or heard anything. My daughter is now, 25yrs. old, and she still remembers the black dog, and the two little girls, that came into her room to talk to her. She still remembers them being at the park one day, and she still tells me she remembers, they tried to push her off of a platform, she had climbed up, and was playing on. I remember her telling me that when she was 3 as well. My memories of that house are so vivid, it seems like it happened yesterday. I do believe whatever took place in that house was very violent, and took place in mu daughter's bedroom.

I would think the right time frame would be around late 70's, maybe 77-79? That is just a guess on my part, if the people that rented before us were there for 4 years. I am assuming it was the family before them, because I do remember my landlord at the time saying that they had twin girls, and I think, we were told they had a baby as well, that had my son's bedroom.

A few years. after I had moved out, I had bumped into an old friend. We were talking about where we used to live. I told him, I had moved from Oshawa. When he asked where in Oshawa, I told him Townline, and King, area. He said to me, did you know, there was a murder/suicide in that area...I said no. He said to me, that some man had gone berserk in the middle of the night, killed his wife, children, then he thinks he went and hung himself. I had met a woman in Durham, and same thing, we were talking about where we used to live. When I said Townline and King area, she said to me..."Did you know there is a house in that area that is haunted"? I said no where? She described Nash Road to me, exactly where it was off of Townline, and told me exactly which house it was....2nd one in the right, just off of Townline. She also described the house to me, it was the same one we had lived in for a year. From what I had understood from her, it was quite well known in that area. She had told me that a woman had murdered her husband and kids, then committed suicide.

I still don't know what happened in that house all those years. ago, but as I said, I am sure it was violent. I never did believe in haunted houses, or anything of that nature, until I had lived there. And I have never forgotten it."

In following up on the above report PSICAN also interviewed the now adult daughter of the primary witness. Below we share her thoughts and memories of 1411 Nash Road:

"I was roughly three years old at the time, but still remember many of the events that took place. Most of the events (for me) involved two little girls - I believe they were twins. I remember telling my mother that I would go out to the park (behind our house) with them at night. Although I don't actually know whether or not I ever did leave our house at night, I do remember one time when I was at the park during the day with just one of the girls, we were in a tree house, and she was trying to push me out of it. There was another occurrence that stuck with me, and that was one involving a large black dog. In the wall at the end of my bed was a large vent, upon waking up in the middle of the night once, I looked across my room and seen this black dog sitting inside the vent. I got up to get a closer look but the dog was gone, I then walked through the house looking for the dog, when I found him in the kitchen on top of the fridge, I cannot remember what happened once I found him. That is about all I can vividly remember anymore, although I know when I was younger I remembered a lot more and had told my mother about what I had seen. I hope this helpful to you."

Our thanks to both witnesses for sharing these experiences with us!

Do you have a real life ghost story, an encounter with a UFO, or other paranormal experience/s you'd like to share? If so, we'd love to hear from you! Post your own experiences in our comments section or send us an email. Please post only true life experiences ... we love good fiction, but there are other fantastic blogs out there to post fictional accounts to.

Scientists at The University of Manchester have created a virtual computer world designed to test telepathic ability.

The system, which immerses an individual in what looks like a life-size computer game, has been created as part of a joint project between The University's School of Computer Science and School of Psychological Sciences.

Approximately 100 participants will take part in the experiment which aims to test whether telepathy exists between individuals using the system. The project will also look at how telepathic abilities may vary depending on the relationships which exist between participants.

The test is carried out using two volunteers who could be friends, work colleagues or family. They are placed in separate rooms on different floors of the same building to eliminate any possibility of communication.

Participants enter the virtual environment by donning a head-mounted 3D display and an electronic glove which they use to navigate their way through the computer generated world.

Once inside participants view a random selection of computer-generated objects. These include a telephone, a football and an umbrella. The person in the first room sees one object at a time, which they are asked to concentrate on and interact with.

The person in the other room is simultaneously presented with the same object plus three decoy objects. They are then asked to select the object they believe the other participant is trying to transmit to them.

The system was designed by Dr Craig Murray of the School of Psychological Sciences, and implemented by Toby Howard and Dr Fabrice Caillette, from the School of Computer Science.

Dr Toby Howard said: "This system has been designed to overcome the many pitfalls evident in previous studies which could easily be manipulated by participants to produce an effect which looks like telepathy but is not.

"By creating a virtual environment we are creating a completely objective environment which makes it impossible for participants to leave signals or even unconscious clues as to which object they have chosen."

The system has been designed to make the task as realistic as possible. In addition to selecting objects and hearing the sounds they make, participants are able to hold and move them within the virtual environment.

Project researcher David Wilde, of the School of Psychological Sciences, said: "By using this technology we aim to provide the most objective study of telepathy to date. Our aim is not to prove or disprove its existence but to create an experimental method which stands up to scientific scrutiny."

The results of the experiment are expected to be published early in 2007.

For further information:

Simon Hunter, Media Relations Officer, University of Manchester, telephone: 0161 2758387 or email: simon.hunter@manchester.ac.uk

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/pressreleases/telepathy/

Yes you are reading correctly! Today I am blogging about the poop of the most celebrated cryptid in Canadian history ... Ogopogo!

Why you may ask? ...... because I came across the website of two very young (aged 12 and 15 year old) entrepreneurial sisters who are making the stuff for charity. And quite successfully too I may add!

Ogopogo Poop is in fact green, watermelon flavoured jelly beans, packaged attractively and being marketed to tourists in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. Home to the legendary monster that most closely resembles Nessie of Scottish fame, and reportedly swims in Okanagan Lake.

Their slogan is "we give a poop" which is quite catchy and most definitely fitting. You see these sisters were very touched by the plight of the homeless of Mexico during a recent trip they made to that country. And they have decided that the proceeds from their sales of the "yummy poop" will go to help the poor and homeless children.

The sisters, Chanel and Emily Chartrand, have already spear-headed a campaign where they donated over 200 pounds of goods to poverty-stricken residents of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Photos they have taken of people living in a garbage dump that appear on their website are indeed heartbreaking. And I applaud the work these young women are doing! They are truly inspirational!

Quoted from The Kelowna Daily Courier newspaper:

“It really makes you think when your friends are bragging about their new expensive gadgets when some people really have nothing,” said Emily. “If people started paying more attention to the poverty in our world there wouldn’t be as much to worry about. You don’t have to be an adult to help. Just be creative.”

Show these young ladies you give a poop too!

Visit their website at: http://www.ogopogopoop.com/

An intriguing title for a very different kind of cookbook .......

In the summer of 2005 PSICAN (Paranormal Studies and Investigations Canada) held a quarterly board meeting at which was proposed a fund raising project. The proposal was put forth by Robin Pyatt Bellamy, and it was for a cookbook with a twist. Each of the recipes was to be accompanied by a paranormal story from around North America that would be tied in (sometimes very loosely) with the represented culinary delight. .......

The PSICAN board of executives voted it down ....... so Robin pursued the idea on her own ....and in true Robin fashion ... she proved us all wrong ......

Haunt Cuisine is the latest offering from Robin Pyatt Bellamy a published author, historian, genealogist, and paranormal enthusiast.

It is a unique blend of ghost stories, folklore, and tasty treats ranging from appetizers, to main dishes and devilishly delectable desserts. There is something for everyone in this well written book and it certainly is an original gift idea!

Well researched entries include: The House of Seven Gables in Salem Mass, the haunting of the Green Mountain Inn in Vermont, and the infamous Belasco Theatre of New York (accompanied by a recipe for Apple Butter Pork Chops ... of course!) to name just a few. You get the idea. ......

And then there's Shuswap Lake, British Columbia, Canada to give you a taste:

" At the north end of the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia lays Shuswap Lake. Nearby Sicamous hosts the area's Wild Mushroom Festival each September. The entire region is full of history. Once home to the Shuswap Indians, it is said that the spirit of Chief Kinbasket roams the land giving advice to his descendents. The original area tribes spent winters underground and had a tremendous respect for the preservation of nature. Some say the spirits of the elders patrol recreation areas to assure the living take good care of the land."

The actual entry is much lengthier giving greater detail, and is accompanied with the author's own recipe for stuffed mushrooms.

Have I whet your appetite yet? I certainly hope so!

This book is beautifully bound with white spiral across the top, a black cover in the back and a clear cover over the main page as pictured above. In total it is 104 pages in length. Something I picture well worn and well loved within our own personal library ...

Those interested in purchasing a copy may do so at:

http://www.robinbellamy.com

Cheers to Robin for a terrific book idea and having the chutzbah to see it through to publication!

Andy of the Spicy Cauldron has written of a terrifying encounter he had with a hideous apparition known as the Stovepipe Hat Man. You may click on the link provided to read of this unnerving experience and it's frightful physical consequences for one young University student many years ago. There were several witnesses to this apparition, each I'm certain carrying the memory to this day. Events such as the ones detailed by Andy are never forgotten.

While reading of these students experiences I recalled the old British folklore of the bogey man. It is said that the bogey man are a class of spirits that are horribly evil, and love to make mischief on humans. They are described as similar to Andy's description of the stovepipe hat man. Dark, menacing, and often with the glow of red eyes.

The Bogey Man is known by many different names including: bogies, bogey-beasts, boo, bogle, boggart, and the German boggelmann. In Irish folklore there is a similar spirit called the puca.

Children were often threatened with the bogey-man in order to make them behave in years gone by.

These spirits are considered by some to be synonymous with the Christian devil or demons.

Operating usually at night. Sometimes they are solitary, and other times in groups, these bogies terrorize those who are unfortunate enough to encounter them.

I do not believe these "creatures" are related to the traditional human ghost, but perhaps something more dark and earthy. From those who have recounted tales of them they are often referred to as "otherworldly."

For further reading:

An Encyclopedia Of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures, By Katherine Briggs (c) 1976

The Encyclopedia Of Ghosts & Spirits By Rosemary Ellen Guiley (c) 1992

Sometimes we have a look at some of our online colleagues and just have to give ourselves a shake .... or a shower .... you get the idea ... please take this in the "spirit" for which it is intended ... constructive criticism ... something we do encourage and appreciate ourselves!

Not giving credit when it is due, and not listing resources

Posted By Matthew Didier

ARRGH! I hate this!

It's been done to us constantly... and to many others too.

It's weird... for the most part, Ufology ALWAYS credits studies, theories, thoughts, work, cases... the lot. They critique and compliment with FULL realisation that this does not mean that THEY (those that credit others) don't come off stupid or "copying"... but intelligent.

Many ghost groups, on the other hand, have NO issues ripping off without giving credit ever.

Ufology sees itself as a serious science and most Ufologists dream of having their names immortalized on a library.

Ghost "hunters" see themselves as more important than the next group and fight like hell to be "the most popular" and dream of being on Montel or in People Magazine.

What's hilarious is that they will put quotes from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on their websites... but not of the people that fed them an idea they now use.

I would reckon that 90% of the "ghost hunter groups" online not only do not mention people like The Society for Psychical Research, Britain's Ghost Club, Peter Underwood, Scott Rogo, William Roll, or even Harry Price... truly "Those Who Came Before Us", but have probably never even read their books... or articles... or even noted that some of the experiments and data collection methods come from them originally.

Just the other day, Sue found an article on "dust orbs" from a fellow who now has a TV program and a book coming out... he said something along the lines of how there is no such thing as a "dust free environment" and said that people should "ask NASA" about it...

...sounds VERY familiar.

Did he credit me? No... Did he mention me? No...

You see, he's an ORIGINAL!

Why should HE list resources? Why should HE list credits? His ego more than makes up for that! (Despite the work of other's that he's feeding from...)

So, when I look at a group, investigator, or book... I look for resources and references...

Nine-times out of ten, I'm 100% sure that the closest they've come to study is reading websites (maybe) and watching TV.

The closest they've come to a library is passing by it en route to their local MacDonald's.

Why, when it REALLY wouldn't take away from their precious egos (PROVIDED they understand the principals and concepts of the work,) can these people NOT credit others?

Simple... they're afraid that THEY will be less popular if they admit that other people led a path to their work...

...or perhaps they're afraid you might notice that they DON'T work?

Posted by Matthew

Those that know me too well will now see this here on the Paranormal Blog and groan in pain....

Yes, I'm finally doing it here... combining double-decker buses and the paranormal.

Allow me to fill in those not in the know...

The Paranormal Blog is one of two Sue and I look after.

The Old Green Bus Blog is the other... which is where we are hoping to "rescue" an old double-decker bus...

There's a bit in there about some synchronicities with "us" and the bus... but I'd like to share a couple of "busly ghost stories", if you will, that my hobbies have led me to...

The first one here is the best known "ghostly double-decker" as far as being oft told...

Below has been reproduced from the book Ghosts of London by J.A. Brooks, published by Jarrold Publish, Norwich 1982, 1991
ISBN 0-7117-0557-7...

The phantom bus that haunts North Kensington between the Cambridge Gardens and Chesterson Road junctions on St. Mark's Road is one of the strangest of London's ghosts, even though it seems to have lain dormant for almost fifty years. It's presence was acknowledged after the death of a young motorist in June 1934. He suffered a terrible death when his car, for no apparent reason, swerved off the road, hit a lamp post, and burst into flames. A reason for the accident was put forward at the inquest by several witnesse, who spoke of their own encounters with the ghost bus. It always appeared on the same stretch of road, usually at the junction of Cambridge Gardens with St. Mark's Road. It was always a No. 7 operated by the London General Omnibus Company. Thus it carried the word 'General' on its side: The LGOC became London Passenger Transport Board in 1933, and by June 1934 nearly all of its fleet bore the 'London Transport' lettering. Incidents involving the bus always occurred at the same time, 1:15a.m., a strange hour for a No. 7 to be about. Witnesses came forward to tell how the bus tore down the middle of the road towards them, and how they desperately swung their vehicles off the road to avoid it. When they looked back no bus was ever seen. After the inquest even more people came forward with their own experiences, while others put forward rational explanations (it was a late staff bus, or an apparition caused by reflections, etc.). However it would seem to be a difficult tale to tell policemen today, as they lean on the window of an erratically driven car, breathalysers at the ready...

There's also another phantom bus in London... a Regent that was supposedly a victim of a WWII German bomb during the blitz killing several passengers and it's driver. This Regent RT Bus supposedly involved is VERY similar to my beloved RLH machines and is said to make late-night runs through it's old route also causing mild mayhem when sighted... I'm trying to dig this one up as well as it has had more recent sightings, but I do remember it well as my original source for the story (one of my mountains of books...) had a wonderful, if a bit 'nightmarish' sketch of the old girl as a ghost tearing down the route it never completed. At this point, I'm looking for two reasons... one is to get the story and reproduce it here... the other is for the really excellent artwork.

Now, the newer and more intriguing bit is when I was in contact with a fellow who is an RLH (Regent Low Height) driver in England and current owner/enthusiast about things to do with our beloved buses, he asked me what I knew of "haunted buses" and if it was possible a "bus" was haunted.

I answered with the above two stories and said I didn't see why a "person's ghost" wouldn't also haunt a bus considering that we have similar ghosts on other vehicles like ships and whatnot... and then "popped" the question if this was about one of his vehicles. I received a stern "NO!" from him... Did the man protest too much? Maybe... maybe not. Either way, I'm still wondering if he has a haunted bus in his "fleet"... although he says "no", one wonders then why ask...

Granted, he might not have been asking for himself, but someone else...

I can't say who or where as the company/owner doesn't really want to acknowledge this, but we either have a phantom passenger and/or a phantom conductor.

You see, older double-deckers had "open platforms" at the back and you'd hop in that way, not beside the driver with a ticket/cash box, so a uniformed conductor would go from person to person to selling tickets and taking money.

Well, it seems that (somewhere in the world) an operating older double-decker has had two occurrences in the same bus and the driver e-mailed me about it a while back.

One report is from the driver, noticing in his mirror, that an older lady is still in his bus despite heading back to his garage. When he pulls the bus over to ask the woman (on the lower deck) to leave the bus, he finds no one there. This wouldn't be too remarkable, except it's happened more than once... to more than one driver. All describing the same woman. One of them noticed her, remembered the stories and assuming she was "jumping off" before a driver could get to her, he drove it straight into the garage... only to find the bus empty there.

Next, with the same bus, they were asked by a group who saw the bus go by (it was making a turn to come into a platform/stop a little better) who they'd hired to act as a "conductor"... despite the bus no longer having a conductor as it was strictly for charters and tours (tickets sold at a kiosk or by phone or rides done at fairs and the like) and they don't hire "historical interpreters" or folks like that... and the bus, apparently, was empty. All this, yet apparently, two men and two women "saw" a London Transport(?) uniformed conductor standing on the rear platform "as normal" while the bus passed on it's circuit... but he vanished before it pulled up for them.

What stuck out for this fellow who wrote me was that neither of these "phantoms" were frightening or "odd looking" in the least and certainly weren't "misty" or "see-through". I got to be the poor sod that told him that this description of "ghosts" was more normal than the one's with transparent or translucent entities. Most "ghosts" appear to the witness as a "normal" person... but are dressed or do something "extraordinary" before being "detected" as ghosts.

He has asked for utter privacy and secrecy in the matter, so for now, this is all I can tell anyone... sorry.

Maybe, if someone helps me out, one of my beauties will be haunted too! Mobile lab to the max, anyone?

Imagine the ghost tour! You get on the bus and ask, "Where are we going?" and are told "Nowhere... they're here in the vehicle with us! Look around and be patient!"

Also for the record, I had to explain to him that trying to find "the history" of these two passengers (or one passenger, one worker?) would be next to impossible... unless he wants to go "psychic" and hope for a correlation.

So there you have it... my total amount of knowledge about "Haunted Double Deckers" so far...

If you have a moment, please take some time to visit our other blog, The Old Green Bus Blog... We'd be grateful if you did...

Now, "double deckers" are not our only "other hobby"... and we have collected some great reports from our other sideline... I may share one of those shortly...

Each Friday we will have a look at the stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are amongst our personal favourites. These will include Crypto, Ghosts, UFO's and other strange events that may be considered Fortean from in around the Toronto, Canada area .... and since they are from our own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

Last Saturday we held our second seminar of the 2006 summer series at the Toronto Islands. It was a lot of fun and great to see some old faces as well as meet some new people who share our fascination with these topics. Thanks to everyone who came out and helped to make this event a success! And for those who could not attend ... we present .....

The Ghosts Of The Toronto Islands

It is not often that you run into a historic site that has a plaque telling of a ghost (especially in Ontario!) but here is one of the very few exceptions to that rule. The plaque states that the first lighthouse keeper disappeared mysteriously and that the site is rumoured to be haunted.

The story goes that Mr. John Paul Rademuller was the first lighthouse keeper, and that during those temperate years shortly following the war with America, Mr. Rademuller was a brewer of bootleg beer. Two drunken soldiers made their way to the lighthouse to partake of the illegal brew; however, when Rademuller refused them his custom, they clocked him over the head and killed him. To cover their crime, they dismembered his body and planted poor old John Paul all around his lighthouse.

On dark and stormy nights, John Paul Rademuller can be seen trekking up to light his beacon. On other nights (or in other stories), his spectre (apparition) can be seen looking for his lost limbs. To add some credence to this story, lighthouse keeper George Durnan unearthed some bones near the structure in 1893.

J.P. Rademuller originally was a valet for Prince Edward, Augustus the Duke of Connaught one of King George III's sons, and was given leave of his service to set up the first German school in Upper Canada. The school did not do well and on it's failure, he became the lighthouse keeper as a "favoured placement" through his connections to the Hanoverian royals.

Interestingly enough, Edward's brother, Ernest Augustus or the Duke of Cumberland also had a valet who also met with a tragic (and questionable) end named Selles who haunts St. James Palace... Selles was killed by "mysterious circumstances" and his ghost is seen sitting up in his old bed with his throat slashed wide open. It is rumoured that Selles' daughter had been "abused" by the Duke who murdered him.

Still, that's two German valets in service of the princes who both met unavenged and mysterious deaths... who both are said to be haunting the location of their demise. One can speculate with the prince’s sordid reputations that perhaps the "valets" knew too much ……about something......

On the northern beaches near the lighthouse the apparition of a “lady in white” has been reported over the years. As recent as the summer of 2005 we have received an account from eyewitnesses of this mournful looking ghost.

We believe she may be the restless spirit of a young woman murdered there just post WWII by her lover who was a pilot with the RCAF. Her body was discovered soon after in a series of bushes close to the location of the lighthouse.

We are currently working on historical research that may finally reveal the identity of this sad spectre.

Do you have a real life ghost story, an encounter with a UFO, or other paranormal experience/s you'd like to share? If so, we'd love to hear from you! Post your own experiences in our comments section or send us an email. Please post only true life experiences ... we love good fiction, but there are other fantastic blogs out there to post fictional accounts to.

Why is it that some people wish to be lied to .... or should I say do not want honest, neutral, and objective opinions on their blurry, photographic "evidence" of the paranormal?

For Matthew's original rant read here.

This morning I received a message in my inbox stating that our organization was unprofessional, and a waste of time. Fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I thought I'd share this person's reasoning as to why. This has not been the first time we have been labelled thusly I assure you.

Last week I received a traffic cam capture from Ottawa, Ontario that had been printed out on plain paper. The scene depicted in the capture was a car accident that had occurred on July 1st. And before you ask ....there were no reported fatalities (not that this would matter really).

The scanned in version of this capture shows what appears to be a "face" that is hanging in mid-air. It is very grainy.

The sender was also kind enough to send in two more scanned images taken after the cam refreshed, which do not contain said "face."

As per norm I asked the opinion of our staff, which includes professional photographers that we often consult with, and they agreed that this image was nothing more than a case of pareidolia (the erroneous perception of a pattern or meaning in something that is actually ambiguous or random). We purposefully consult with professional and amateur photographers that do not have a strong interest or belief in the subject as we want objective opinions.

So my response to the sender was worded as a thank you, your image is interesting, here is what those with photographic expertise say, but I am willing to give it the benefit of a doubt and state I am not 100% certain what it is. Nice neutral answer ... right?

And that dear gentle reader is what instigated the rather nasty missive received this morning.

For stating the opinion of more than one photographer, and remaining neutral we are branded as unprofessional and a waste of time. Translate that to: I asked for your opinion, but only wish to hear it if it validates my own.

Furthermore I was told that the editor of the Ottawa Citizen (a local paper that has interviewed us in the past) would not publish this capture, but did suggest to our sender to contact the National Enquirer (the obvious, in our opinion, meaning behind this suggestion, apparently lost on our sender). My eyes were rolling upon reading that as I'm certain yours are as well.......

I have no doubts that the sender of this image will find EXACTLY what he is looking for. In my opinion, a group or individual that will publish this capture and proclaim it a genuine "ghost" or "proof of life after death" much as we see many dust particles caught in people's flashes announced as such.

This has happened with us in the past. We once stumbled across a photo that we were able to clearly demonstrate was the result of natural causes, only to appear weeks later, cropped in photoshop removing the ability to prove natural origin, on a large American ghost website .... yep, "certified" as a "true" ghost photo. I am not kidding!

Will history repeat itself?

In the case of this traffic cam capture from Ottawa I would bet the farm (if I owned one) it will. I know of several groups in this country alone that would be happy to publish it and tell this man exactly what he wants to hear whether they actually believe it themselves or are charlatans of which this field of study has more than it's fair share. And he will find them.

Perhaps in this man's opinion that IS professional .... thankfully to the majority I am sure it is not .....

Posted by Sue Darroch

.... well if you are a recently departed 29 year old male, formerly of Middlesex, UK who was taken out by a food delivery van (eep!).. you do.

Blog that is. Apparently it's "Just Another Day In Paradise" for this fellow blogger.

Perhaps if I ask kindly he will stay still long enough to capture that ever elusive, blurry photo, that we Paranormalists get so excited over?! ...

Not feeling too well today, so I will leave you to enjoy Rowan's blog above. Will hopefully be back to my normal, odd self tomorrow.

Sick Sue does not make for a pretty picture at all!

Posted By Sue Darroch

Photo Courtesy: Warner Brothers, The Exorcist (of which this flu bug is making me feel like ... ugh!)

Va. gov. gives informal pardon to witch

Tuesday, July 11, 2006 8:14 a.m. ET

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) -- The Witch of Pungo is no longer a witch. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on Monday gave an informal pardon to Grace Sherwood, who 300 years ago became Virginia's only person convicted as a witch tried by water.

"I am pleased to officially restore the good name of Grace Sherwood," Kaine wrote in a letter Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf read aloud before a re-enactment of Sherwood's being dropped into the river.

"With 300 years of hindsight, we all certainly can agree that trial by water is an injustice," Kaine wrote. "We also can celebrate the fact that a woman's equality is constitutionally protected today, and women have the freedom to pursue their hopes and dreams."

Sherwood, a midwife who at times wore men's clothes, lived in what today is the rural Pungo neighborhood, and she later became known as "The Witch of Pungo."

Her neighbors thought she was a witch who ruined crops, killed livestock and conjured storms, and she went to court a dozen times, either to fight witchcraft charges or to sue her accusers for slander.

She was 46 when she was accused in her final case of using her powers to cause a neighbor to miscarry.

On July 10, 1706, Sherwood was dropped into the Lynnhaven River and floated _ which was considered proof she was guilty because the pure water cast out her evil spirit, according to the belief system of the time. The theory behind the ducking test was that if she sank, she was innocent, although she would also drown.

Sherwood may have been jailed until 1714, when records show she paid back taxes and with the help of then-Gov. Alexander Spotswood she was able to reclaim her property. She then lived quietly until her death at 80.

Belinda Nash, 59, has been researching Sherwood for years and asked for the governor to exonerate the woman. A group annually remembers Sherwood with a re-enactment in the river.

For Monday's ceremony attended by about 60 people, the re-enactment took place on land _ in front of the Ferry Plantation House, a historic home where Nash volunteers as director and, dressed in costume, tells visitors about Sherwood. The courthouse where part of Sherwood's trial took place was located on the old plantation property.

Nash's daughter, Danielle Sheets, was tied cross-bound, her thumbs to her toes, and placed in a small boat, just as Sherwood would have been.

"I be not a witch. I be a healer," Sheets shouted, in character. "Before this day be through, ye will all get a worse ducking than I."

Although the skies had been clear, as the real Sherwood was pulled from the water, a downpour supposedly started. The sky remained clear Monday.

I normally like to follow-up the Sunday Smackdown feature with something of interest that is positive in nature. Mostly because I consider myself a positive and usually upbeat person ... Life is too short to wallow in negativity ...

But I received an email from an idiot today that actually dove-tails nicely with yesterday's post. The idiot is a freelance journalist and his message went something like this:

"I'm a freelance journalist in Toronto, and I've recently become interested in the history of the Danforth Bridge/Prince Edward/Bloor Street Viaduct, and I'm hoping to pitch an article about ghost activity connected to that structure.

Prior to construction of the innovative Luminous Veil suicide barrier, the Viaduct was second only to the Golden Gate bridge as a suicide magnet in North America. When I lived in that neighbourhood my partner and I witnessed two suicides from our apartment. With close to 500 deaths there must be at least a few ghost stories connected to the bridge, the Don Valley and maybe the DVP, where a lot of jumpers hit.

I'm wondering if anyone in your organization is any kind of expert on that topic."

UGH!!!!! Well naturally I responded politely with:

"I'm sorry, but we do not follow up on any reports that may concern recent tragedies out of respect for the surviving relatives and friends of those who passed on. I hope you understand. To publish "ghost stories" in regards to this particular location would be in very poor taste in our own opinion."

I had to sit on my typing fingers in order not to tell him exactly how HE could become an expert ....

Yes idiot, lets rip open the wounded hearts of people who lost loved ones on that bridge, and publish an article on how the tormented souls of those who passed on there still haunt the bridge. Creep!

SICKENING, and maddeningly INSENSITIVE .......

These types of requests from the media are thankfully infrequent, but I do recall that shortly after 9/11 I was listening to a radio program that featured a US ghost group and the radio announcer had the gall to ask his guests when they would be heading out to ground zero! The announcer figured the scene of such mass death would be great to investigate. Just before I switched the dial, I heard the shocked silence of the ghost researchers ... followed by their polite explanation that this would be highly inappropriate ......

Posted By Sue Darroch

Sometimes we have a look at some of our online colleagues and just have to give ourselves a shake .... or a shower .... you get the idea ... please take this in the "spirit" for which it is intended ... constructive criticism ... something we do encourage and appreciate ourselves!

Trampling History, the Laws of the Land, and Families in the name of "The Study"

Wheee! Is there anything more heart warming than watching would-be ghost hunters break into an "abandoned" cemetery, take pictures of the headstones (with the names easily read) to photograph the souls of the dead! Wheee!

...here's the problems...

Breaking and entering is illegal... and when twits do this to "prove their ghostly worth", they taint ALL ghost investigators... you see, the police don't arrest them and say, "Well, here's a unique group of individuals who are not related to or working with any other legitimate ghost investigators who would never break the law!"... no... they say "Look! Another gang of those ghost weirdos breaking and entering!"... and then "WE" get painted with their stupidity.

Next, again, cemeteries are statistically NOT haunted. Ghosts primarily haunt where the person they represent lived, worked, or passed on... not where they are interred.

Lastly, wouldn't you be THRILLED to see your family plot... where you visit your grandmother or grandfather FEATURED on a "ghost website" with an "orb photo" on it claiming that this is PROOF of the tortured Earthbound spirits?

One group, still online, shows the "gang" using a headstone as a writing and coffee table! Bottles of pop et al all over it with the family name easily read!

Now that was respect!

I wish these "ghost hunters" would USE THEIR BRAINS AND COMMON SENSE!

Posted By Matthew Didier

Each Friday we will have a look at the stories and experiences that have been related to us over the years that are amongst our personal favourites. These will include Crypto, Ghosts, UFO's and other strange events that may be considered Fortean from in around the Toronto, Canada area .... and since they are from our own personal files will likely not be found elsewhere on the web .... enjoy!

Emery Farm - Grey County, Ontario, Canada

The following account was mailed into us several years ago by one of our readers:

"Today, the ruins of the Emery farm are hidden by tangles of shrubbery and overgrown with vines. In 1942, the wartime measures act allowed the government to expropriate this farm, along with many others as a training base for troops going overseas. The war ended, and the government kept the land. Over the years, the old farm became a favourite attraction for parents and children alike. Each summer, we'd trudge to pick cherries, plums, and pears. We'd compete with the hornets for the pears, dashing up to a tree, grabbing two or three pears and rushing back to drop them into our sacks. In the fall I remember hauling home pillowcases crammed full of apples. Of course, the deserted fieldstone house drew children like a magnet. I remember we would cautiously explore each room, then climb the rickety steps to the attic. Afterwards, we would dare each other to climb down the steep stairs into the dark dank basement. I don't remember anybody who was that brave, but it did make for some very scary stories around the campfires at night..

One July afternoon, my friend, Carol and I had gone to this farm for a picnic. We were sitting on a rock, eating our sandwiches, and I glanced up to see the shadowy silhouette of a woman. She stood in the door of the ruins, looking towards us and I thought she had the most peaceful smile on her face. She seemed to be looking right through us. She then turned and walked towards a nearby apple tree, stopped, and then seemed to evaporate into the background; it all seemed quite natural, calm and peaceful. I said nothing to Carol, thinking she would think I was crazy.

Carol seemed lost in thought as we got up to go home. As we climbed down the hill, she stopped and turned to face me and said, "I wonder who that old-fashioned looking lady at the farm is? I saw her too" I exclaimed, but after she disappeared, I thought I was seeing things".

We compared notes, and realized that we had both seen exactly the same thing: A young woman, wearing a long dark dress, with a high neck and puffy sleeves, her long hair, parted in the middle and her slow peaceful smile, purposeful steps, pausing by the apple tree and then slowly evaporating into the background. We agreed not to tell anyone .. we would be teased unmercifully and be told that we had good imaginations and were "making up stories".

However, four weeks later, Dad and I went to the orchard to pick pears, and I turned to him and said, Carol and I saw a lady up here last month, and she was dressed in old fashioned clothes. Dad looked surprised.. "where did you see her, he asked?" .. I pointed to the apple tree. And...what did she look like, he persisted?"

She was young, her hair was parted in the middle, and she wore a long dark dress.. Her hair was very long too, long past her shoulders..

Dad looked thoughtful, "that's pretty strange you know, it sounds like Mary Emery she used to live on that farm, and she died last month."

Further investigation proved that she had died the same day we had been picnicking at the farm. We also were told that Mary Emery had been born and lived all but the last 13 years of her life on the farm, which her father had built in 1875. When the government expropriated the land, she was heartbroken and often spoke of how much she missed her home.....

Before she died in 1955, she had begged her family to take her 'back to her home one last time'. Knowing the farm lay in ruins, her family had refused her request, feeling she would be devastated if she knew the condition of her former home."

Do you have a real life ghost story, an encounter with a UFO, or other paranormal experience/s you'd like to share? If so, we'd love to hear from you! Post your own experiences in our comments section or send us an email. Please post only true life experiences ... we love good fiction, but there are other fantastic blogs out there to post fictional accounts to.

How did life begin and does it exist elsewhere?

There are millions of other Solar Systems. Surely amongst this vast number there might be many planets resembling our own Earth.

Could some of these planets harbour life-forms? Perhaps even far more interesting and exotic than anything we have ever imagined or dreamt of before?

Could these even be inhabited by beings that we would recognise as intelligent?

What do you think??????? We invite your thoughts and comments both for and against.

"In space there are numberless earths circling around other suns, which may bear upon them creatures similar or even superior to those upon our human Earth."

Giordano Bruno,

An Italian monk that was burnt at the stake in the year 1600.

Wishing our friends and neighbours to the South a very happy and safe Independance Day!

And in honour of this special day please enjoy the following classic American ghost story ....

Resurrection Mary ........

"Her name is Mary....the most beautiful and evasive ghost in Chicago, Illinois....a captivating, blue-eyed, flaxen haired girl in her late teens. On those occasions when she is seen she wears the long, off-white, ball gown and dancing shoes in which she died ....in 1934...."

Mary is said to be buried in Resurrection Cemetery, located in suburban Justice, Illinois. Hence she has been nicknamed Resurrection Mary.

Her story is a classic urban legend and has been retold in numerous cities and towns world over ... she is the phantom hitch-hiker.

Reports of the highly spirited Mary have been traced as far back as 1939. A fellow stops to aid what he perceives as a young lady in distress or attempting to hitch a ride. In the earliest reports she'd literally jump on to the running boards of passing automobiles!

Mary would often hitch rides to the O. Henry Ballroom. And despite saying very little, she would dance the night away with her new acquaintances. These men never suspecting that she was anything more than a beautiful, "living" woman!

As the ballroom emptied Mary would ask her escorts for a ride home and she would direct these newly acquired beaus to head north on Archer Avenue. As they passed Resurrection Cemetery Mary would often simply vanish! The car door itself never having been opened! Other times she would direct them to stop just near the cemetery where she would run from the car and dash through the locked gates.

On at least one other occasion Mary was sighted within the cemetery by a man who was taking a late night stroll. He reported that a young lady peered at him from behind the gates and fearing that she was locked in called the local police. When they arrived no lady could be found. According to the witness description she may have indeed been Resurrection Mary.

Is there any truth to these stories? Well to those who claim to have encountered the phantom hitchhiker yes there is! Old cemetery records do indicate a young woman of about Mary's approximated age to be buried there, but her real identity has never been revealed.

Reports of Mary continue to the present and if nothing more perhaps recall the reader to a darkened night in old Chicago where a young woman spends a carefree eternity dancing in a grand ballroom with her beau...........

Resources:

Haunted Heartland, by Beth Scott and Michael Norman (c) 1985
Resurrection Mary, by Bill Geist US Catholic August 1979

Sometimes we have a look at some of our online colleagues and just have to give ouselves a shake .... or a shower .... you get the idea ... please take this in the "spirit" for which it is intended ... constructive criticism ... something we do encourage and appreciate ourselves!

Cartoon Images - Spooky Boo!

NOTHING says I'm a professional and do this seriously more than ensuring your website is filled with goofy animated ghosts, pictures of the "Scooby-Doo" gang, or the "Ghost Busters" symbol.

In our "online travels", we've come across more sites that take days to load thanks to silly animations, "spooky-mood images", dancing pointers, auto-play-embedded eerie mood music... all kinds of whacky stuff. Oh yeah, that's it... I mean the study and investigation of ghosts and hauntings is nothing more than a Gothic-Hollywood manifestation of silly things that slime people, right?

Of course it isn't! And since most people who are interested believe that ghosts are the surviving consciousness of deceased beings, please do what you can to insure that the topic is given the dignity it deserves.

In seriousness, don't mistake this... We do have a sense of humour... but we also see this as a SERIOUS topic... and plastering up that much goofy, whacky, silly stuff makes everyone visiting your site think, "Oh yeah, this is how people that believe in ghosts are viewed. Perhaps I'll keep my experiences to myself."

Posted By Matthew Didier

Happy 139th Birthday to our Home Here in Canada!

It's a holiday here in the Great White North for Canada Day so we won't be doing a post right now... We will, however, be returning tomorrow for "The Sunday Smackdown" feature!

Have a great Saturday one and all!