These Old Doorknobs

When you look at the doorknobs in the picture above, all you probably see are a couple of old doorknobs. To me, they represent my Mother’s family’s history and have lots of stories to tell. They used to be on the house that my Grandpa built and my Mother was born in. The crystal knob sat proudly on the family’s front door and the other was attached to an interior door.

My Grandpa Frank came here from Italy as a young man in the early 1900’s. Shortly after his arrival, more of his family came to American, and then my Grandma followed. They married in Rhode Island, built a home and had six kids, three boys, and three girls. My Mother was the baby and the only one born in the house.

These doorknobs saw the birth of my Mother and a family goes through ups and downs during the depression. They saw my Grandpa start a successful landscaping business and beautiful gardens that surrounded the house. The crystal knob sat steady on the front door while my Grandpa sat on the front porch with his cup of coffee and greeted his neighbors every morning. With a smile on his face he would say, “Good morning Mr. or Mrs. ……” and rattled off something in Italian. The neighbor thought he said their name in Italian but in reality my Grandma was calling them a “fish face” or “dumb ass”. That was my Grandpa.

The doorknobs were there when my Dad came over to court my Mother. They watched as my Dad kept a low profile during dinner because there was lots of shouting in Italian and the arms were flying everywhere. Later he found out that they were just talking about the business and their day. One by one each child left and the second floor was turned into an apartment for family. The knobs were there when my Grandma was diagnosed with cancer and died a few years later. They saw my Grandpa go through depression, move upstairs and not socializing with anyone.

When I was two, my Father was stationed in Germany. While my Mother, siblings and I were waiting to join him, we stayed at my Grandparents house. The doorknobs were still on the house when this little two year old decided to climb the narrow stairs up to the second floor. When I got to the final step, I was greeted by my Grandpa sitting on a chair. He never uttered a word but scared me anyway. While running down the stairs, I fell and broke my collar bone. Shortly after we arrived in Germany, my Grandpa died from what I was told was “a broken heart”.

Years later the house was remodeled. Those old doorknobs were removed and replaced by more updated knobs. They were placed in the dusty old basement on a shelf, until I rescued them in 2005. My cousin and I went down in the basement and found all kinds of old antique items that my Grandpa used. My Uncle Joe told us that we could grab anything we wanted and I took several items including those old doorknobs and the keys in the picture below that my Grandpa always carried around. I know it may sound silly to some because they are old doorknobs and keys, but to me it represents many stories about the history of my Mother’s family. They now sit proudly on a shelf in my house next to photos of my Grandparents and other old antiques from my two Uncles that both passed away in 2005.

In 2005, when I was in that old dusty basement and climbed those narrow stairs I once fell down, I could feel the spirits of my Grandparents, my Uncles and Aunts that had since passed and once lived in that house. I was once told by my cousin that there have been reports of some hearing unseen voices and footsteps, seeing objects move on their own, and apparitions of my grandparents that appear now and then.

Are they just old doorknobs and keys or much more?

~Julie~

Ghost Adventures in French

Ghost Hunting With Autumnforest

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to do some ghost hunting with Sharon (Autumnforest) at the Pioneer Cemetery in downtown Phoenix, AZ. Her friend and fellow hunter Debe Branning was conducting a spirit workshop at the cemetery for all that was interested. I expressed interests in going on a few investigations with her and finally that opportunity arrived. I have cyber chatted with Sharon for over a year, with each of us commenting on the other’s blogs. I was excited to finally meet Sharon in person and perform a ghost hunt with someone who had the right equipment and knowledge about how to conduct a hunt.

Everyone was supposed to arrive between 3:30 and 4:00 pm at the cemetery’s parking lot. I got there early and waited in my car for Sharon to arrive. When she did, she parked right next to me with Dale the doll buckled in the seat next to her. We got out, gave each other big hugs and then I met Dale. Yikes, he has this creepy smirk on his face that I really didn’t like, or trusted. Sharon was exactly like I thought she would be, a warm, funny, whacky and sweet friend. We hit it off like old buddies. We grabbed our stuff to meet Debe and all the others in the Smurthwaite House.

After everyone got there, we all grabbed our trash bags to do a cemetery clean up. This was part of the deal for letting us be there and no one seemed to mind. Sharon and I walked around together talking about our blogs, Mikey and all the other bloggers we follow. (Were you ears ringing?) The cemetery’s trash wasn’t too bad but some areas were very muddy so we had to be careful. After spending about an hour and a half picking up trash, we all met back at the Smurthwaite House to grab a bite to eat. This gave us the opportunity to talk to others about their experiences and check out their equipment. I was excited to see Sharon pick up on some spirits that were in and near the room we were sitting in.

After eating, we all got together for a group photo and then Debe took us on a tour of the cemetery. She would stop at certain graves and tell us the story of the person buried there. The sun was going down as we walked around from grave to grave, lending a bit of eeriness to the tour. After our next break and before heading out on our own, Debe wanted to play a game with the participants there. She split us up in groups of four or more and put us with people we didn’t know. I was with two other females and a male. (Sorry, I am bad with names.) In my little group we were all new to the workshop as was many others that were there. She handed each group a clue that will lead you to one of the graves. After finding the grave, you had to take a picture and show Debe to see if you had the right one. Our clue had the name “Emma” and her husband’s first two initials “J.I.” with a clue to his last name which referred to water. We were excited because we remember a gravesite and story that was similar to our clue. As soon as she said “go”, we all took off to the grave we thought was the one. The area that we went to had paths with rows of graves down each path. One of the ladies found the grave we thought was it and as you might have guessed, it wasn’t. The woman’s name was Elizabeth and her husband’s name was James or something like that. She took off down another row to find “Emma’s” grave and I walked down the path further to find another row of graves to check out. The guy in our group was on the path next to mine trying to find her grave. I yelled out to him that we were wrong and that wasn’t Emma’s grave. He and I ended up meeting in the middle of a row, in front of a grave where we planned our course of action to find her grave. I shined my light on the headstone of the grave we were standing next to and wouldn’t you know it, it was Emma’s grave. Wow, that was weird. Of all the sections of the cemetery and rows we could have ended up standing on, we ended up right in front of the grave we were looking for. As for Emma’s husband, his last name was Brook which fit our water clue. After three of us took pictures of the headstone, we walked back to Debe. She confirmed that it was the right one. We ended up coming in third place. She and others were intrigued on how we found the grave, as were we. We felt like Emma helped us out by sending us to the right place. Thanks Emma, we appreciate not spending hours wandering around the cemetery trying to find your grave.

After we were done with the game, everyone went on their own to do EVP sessions and to see if their KII meters would get any action. We did have the elements against us for the EVP sessions such as airplanes, cars, and loud drunks talking to themselves while walking down the street. Yes, that did happen. Autumnforest (Sharon) and I invited a very sweet hearing impaired woman to go along with us. We started at the crypt where Sharon showed us how to use dowsing rods. I used them first and got hits on some areas that were unmarked. She (sorry, again bad with names) used them second and got hits in the front area of the crypt but not the back. We sat Dale the doll down with the KII meters next to him and conducted an EVP session. After not getting any movement on the meters, we decided to try another grave. I suggested Emma’s grave since I felt a kinship with her, drawing me to her grave earlier. Another group must have felt the same because they were there doing their own investigation. We went elsewhere and found a child’s grave with the name “Amy” on the headstone. Sharon laid Dale on top of the grave hoping that the little girl would want to play with him. We spent some time there but didn’t get a hit on the KII meters and called it a night.

Everyone got together in the Smurthwaite House after spending some time in the cemetery doing investigations. Many took pictures of the inside with some strange orbs and lights showing up on some of the pictures. I got orbs in my pictures but with the moisture outside, I disregarded it as possible dew from that. I posted those for you to look at. After all the picture taking, everyone sat in one of two rooms where an EVP session was conducted. All the lights were off and a few asked questions. Some reported being touched and other’s picked up a “sigh” on their recorders.

After that was over, Sharon and I packed up our stuff and left. Sharon’s car battery was dead so she had to run back in a get a jump. Thank goodness she did. This was a fun and educational experience. I got to see a KII meter up close, use dowsing rods, participate in an EVP session and most of all, meet Autumnforest (Sharon) in person and investigate with her. I cannot wait to see what adventure we go on next together. For her account of the events at the Pioneer Cemetery click on this link: Ghost Hunting Theories.

Photos from the Pioneer Cemetery

I thought that I would start out by showing some pictures from our (mine and Sharon's) adventure at the Pioneer Cemetery.  My next post will be my experience and pictures from inside the Smurthwaite House.  For Sharon's (better known as Autumnforest) and Dale the doll's expericence click here:

Ghost Hunting Theories

Me, Sharon (Autumnforest) and Dale the doll

Meeting Dale the doll

the gang

Debe Branning our ring leader

I had a blast and learned some interesting tips on ghost hunting.  BTW, Sharon (Autumnforest) is so much fun and exactly the wonderful person she appears on her blog.

Pioneer Cemetery

Tomorrow night, Saturday, January 23rd, I have been invited to go on a ghost hunt with Autumnforest (Sharon) and Dale the doll at Phoenix's own Pioneer Cemetery.  I am so excited to finally meet Autumnforest (Ghost Hunting Theories) in person but not so sure about Dale, lol.  Not only will I be posting about it and sharing pictures but she will be doing a post or two about it too.  I am so excited to see how she conducts her investigations and learning some helpful tips from her. 

Here is a bit of history about the Pioneer Cemetery:
"Pioneer and Military Memorial Park serves as a monument to the pioneer families of Arizona. The park's historic cemeteries are the final resting place to notable figures in Arizona history and folklore, including John T. Alsap, who was the first Maricopa County Probate Judge in 1871 and first Mayor of Phoenix in 1881.


Jacob Walz, the Dutchman of Superstition Mountain fame, also rests here. A monument to Walz includes a simulation of Weaver's Needle and some of the imposing bluffs that serve as landmarks of the famous Superstition Wilderness. Walz and his legendary "Lost Dutchman" gold mine have become part of the internationally-known folklore of the southwestern United States.

The historic Smurthwaite House was relocated to the park in 1994. Restoration, which began in May of 1998, was completed in 2004."

Ghost Adventures & Arizona's Crazy Weather

Here is a picture of Zak, Nick and Aaron (the Ghost Adventures boys) trying to do an investigation in Arizona.  Our weather the past couple of days has been rainy, snowy and very windy as you can see by the picture.  We are also experiencing a tornado warning which is very rare for our state.

Creepy Clown Commercial

This commercial cracks me up!

Haunted Places Along Route 66

One of the most nostalgic highways, where many a story has been told, is Route 66. It runs across the United States from Illinois to California. Along this historic highway lie many places where ghosts have made their homes, lurking in restaurants and hotels. Many stories are told of ghosts all along Route 66, just taking a walk down America’s highway.

A dream of mine would to be able to take a trip along Route 66 and stay at some of the haunted hotels or eat at a haunted restaurant. You definitely need the time and money to do this. My problem is that I have the time right now, just not the money.

Here is a list from Legends of America website of haunted places along Route 66 if you are interested:

In Illinois some of the haunted places along Route 66 are:
Ghosts of Historic Springfield
Ghosts of the Rialto Theatre in Joliet
Haunted Cigars & Stripes in Berwyn
Haunted Inn at 835, Springfield

In Missouri you will find a wide variety of haunted places to check out along the highway. Places such as:
Off the Path Devil's Promenade & the Hornet Spook Light
Ghosts of the Bethlehem Cemetery, St. Louis
Ghosts of Greater St. Louis
Haunted Bissell Mansion in St. Louis
Haunted Springfield
Lemp Mansion - St. Louis
Tribute to the Trail of Tears - Jerome
Off the Path Union Missouri Haunting
Wilson Creek & the Bloody Hill Ghosts

The next state along Route 66 is Oklahoma. This state also provides you with a ghostly good time:
Ghosts on Oklahoma's Route 66
Ghosts of the Tulsa Little Theatre
Haunted Belvidere Mansion in Claremore
A Haunting in Bristow
History and Haunting of the Gilcrease Museum
Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City

The big ol’ state of Texas offers the Ghostly Natatorium - Amarillo as a place to go for your ghostly addiction.

The next state along the highway is New Mexico. It also has a list of places that are haunted too:
The Ghosts of Albuquerque
Haunted Kimo Theatre in Albuquerque
La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe
La Posada Hotel in Santa Fe
More Haunted Places in Santa Fe
La Llorona in Albuquerque
Haunted Luna Mansion in Los Lunas

The next state that Route 66 runs through is my state of Arizona. I have to admit that I have only stayed at one of the places on the list (Monte Vista Hotel) but there is time to visit the others:
Ghosts of the Oatman Hotel
Ghosts of the Hotel Weatherford in Flagstaff
History & Haunting of the Navajo County Courthouse
Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff
Museum Club's Unearthly Guests
Red Garter Bed & Bakery Haunting

The last state and the other end of Route 66, is California. There are four distinct places to find ghosts in this state and they are:
Ghosts of Calico
Haunted Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica
Haunted Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena
Suicide Bridge on Route 66

If you are feeling like taking a ghostly trip to some haunted places, don’t forget to get your kicks on Route 66.



~Julie~

The "Lost" Supper

"What can we see in the image? Well, first off Locke is the only one not looking at someone else, once again hinting that he’s important (or in control?). Jack seems to be happy or at least content whilst looking at Locke (will he be on his side next season?). Does Jin and Sun grouped together mean that they will finally be reunited? Frank seems like he knows something is going on, Ben seems very concerned about that and both Miles and Hurley are curious as to what it is. Sawyer seems to be staring at Sayid suspiciously, while Sayid is offering a bowl to Kate – but Kate seems more preoccupied with either Richard and Claire or Ilana, who seems to be looking at Locke. Richard is pouring wine for Claire, making it seem like there’s some sort of relationship or connection there (could it mean that since Claire has been MIA for a full season that Richard considers her one of his people and thus he’s protective of her now?). Are there any other conclusions you’re drawing from this pic?"

(This comes courtesy of Atrueorginall and screenrant.com.)

Weird Trees

The "Meat Man" Was Quiet

My husband, Gary and I stayed one night at Flagstaff’s haunted hotel, Hotel Monte Vista. Right in the center of historical Flagstaff and right off Route 66, sits a quaint little hotel with a rich history. We had no trouble finding the place because the hotel’s name stood high above the roof and was visible from several blocks away on Route 66. We had to cruise around a couple of times before we found the parking for the hotel which was on the east side in the back. Before grabbing our luggage, we went to the lobby to check in. It was partially modern but for the most part still had its old time charm. You can see where they were doing some remodeling on the place to improve the lounge, lobby and some of the rooms.

After checking in and getting our luggage, we found out that the elevator wasn’t working and our room was on the third floor. Gary and I asked for something on the second floor and we were handed the keys to room 220. The room was small with a tiny bathroom, king size bed, modern TV with cable, and a noisy but working heater. Thank goodness it worked because the temps were in the teens come the morning time. This room wasn’t Gary’s cup of tea but I didn’t mind it. Then I sat down with my computer to read Mike’s post on the place to see where all the ghostly activity was reported. That is when I found out that the room we were in was haunted by the “meat man”. He got his name because he always stayed in that room and was known to hang meat from the chandelier. He died in that room and was found three days afterwards. His spirit likes to turn the TV on and off, pull the sheets and blankets off the bed and toss them around the room, make a coughing sound and other loud noises. Oh boy, I couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for us. Right before we left the room to go to the bar, I told the “meat man” to bring it on.

We spent a couple of hours in the bar hearing about all the ghost stories that the locals and employees loved to talked about. Since the remodeling, they noticed more strange things happening. We hear this many times about places being remodeled and how the activity seems to increase during that time. After a couple of margaritas, this light weight was ready to go to the room.

When we got back to the room, nothing was changed. There was not linen disheveled and the TV was off. After we turned off the lights and tried to sleep, the heater came on and made a weird tapping sound. Other noises were heard throughout the night but nothing unusual. I shouldn’t say nothing because twice I heard what sounded like a very faint violin playing, a buzzing sound like an electronic razor right near my ear and once heard a child running in the hall. There were no kids staying there that night. The only one who was quiet was the “meat man”, unless he was playing the violin.

Because we only stayed one night and didn’t see much in the way of paranormal activity, I can’t judge if the place is haunted or not. I only have my word on what I heard and what the others told us about their experiences. I would need to come back with Mike and our other friends, and do an investigation to get tangible evidence. We need to spend more than one night and try to see if we have any luck with the “meat man” and others known to haunt the Hotel Monte Vista.

Sunset Crater Volcano

I would like to share some pictures I just recently took of the Sunset Crater Volcano near Flagstaff, AZ.  It is definately another Arizona attraction to be seen, in the summer or winter.  I thought the harden lava with snow scattered on it was just a beautiful site to be seen. 

Here is a history of the Sunset Crater:  The eruption occurred sometime between 1040 and 1100 and is the most recent in a six-million-year history of volcanic activity in the Flagstaff area.  The force created more than 600 hills and mountains in the San Francisco Peak volcanic field.  The mountains have effected all the habitat and even the climate for all living things in the region.  Now there is a 1,000 foot-high volcano which was formed by molten rock spraying high into the air from a crack in the ground.  As periodic eruptions continued, the debris became heavier around the vent with the smaller particles carried the farthest by the wind.  It dusted about 800 square miles of northern Arizona with ash.  The original eruption were two lava flows that destroyed all living things in their path.  What was left was a sculptured garden of extraordinary forms at its base.  The entire event lasted six months to a year.  The oxidized cinders glowed with vivid red and yellow colors and looked like a sunset which gave the volcano its name.

San Francisco Peak, Flagstaff, AZ

America's Undiscovered Haunts: Monte Vista Hotel

Mike posted this on our T.A.G.O. blog on October 10, 2008.  We were hoping to take a trip to Flagstaff, AZ and stay there shortly after he posted it, but it didn't work out for us.  I am posting the link because my hubby and I will be staying two nights there on Monday and Tuesday next week.  Even though my hubs doesn't get into the paranormal stuff, he let me pick the hotel.  I am very excited about staying there and hope that I will have something interesting to report.  Here is the link to his post: Monte Vista Hotel  Check out all the paranormal activity reported there and the famous that laid their heads down on one of the hotel's warm beds.

Will Rogers and My Grandpa

On the evening of Wednesday, March 4, 1930, 28 year old Wilton climbed in the cab of H. Decker and headed off to the Lincoln Airways, Inc. flying field in California. Wilton had listed his occupation as aviator and/or airplane mechanic. This young man had a wife and four kids with one on the way. His wife, Luzette, was in Virginia while Wilton “worked” elsewhere. There had been rumors of affairs but none were proven.

As H. Decker pulled his cab up to the airfield, he handed Wilton his card. Decker gives each person who rides with him his card which has his name, phone number and Diamond Cab Company, the name of the company he worked for.

Wilton met up with pilot Morey Johnson and Wilton’s friend Jean. By the time they all arrived at the airpark, the employees working there had left for home. The weather was pouring rain and not a good time to take a plane out on a night flight. They all boarded the plane and Johnson took it out of its stall and flew away. The flying field watchman was concerned for their safety and immediately turned on the flood lights. He kept the lights on until 8:30 but the plane never returned.

In the morning a watchman on the Will Rogers’ Ranch found the mangled wreckage of the plane and called the authorities. The wreckage was in the Santa Monica Mountains about one mile north of Will Rogers’ Ranch, in the hills back of Sawtelle. The crash site was not assessable by vehicles, so they had to carry the bodies on stretchers most of the distance.

By the looks of the wreckage, they concluded that the Travelair biplane must have been flying low and crashed into the side of the rugged mountains. The motor was buried deep in the ground and the wings were scattered in many pieces. The bodies were found crammed against the instruments causing instant death. Wilton’s chest was crushed and he sustained other injuries. In his pocket they found the card given to him by Decker and a note. The note said that Wilton was employed as an oiler on a vessel from December 29th to present date. With the two pieces of evidence found on Wilton, and Decker’s information given, they were able to find out his identity. It took the authorities a few days to locate Wilton’s family. His parents were notified as well as his wife Luzette. He was cremated at Inglewood crematory on March 18, 1930. Morey Johnson’s body was identified by the information they recovered from the plane wreckage, but I don’t know anything about how Jean was identified.

Wilton and Luzette were my Grandparents, my Father’s parents. My Dad was only 2 years old when he lost his father. The story goes that my Grandma knew of his affairs and in a telegram told the funeral director that she only wanted his gold ring and tooth. She wanted nothing else from him. Sadly, my father knew nothing about his Dad’s side of the family until I started researching his family’s history. I am glad that I was able to give him lots of information about them before he died.

Five years after my Grandpa Wilton died in a plane crash, Will Rogers met his end in a plane crash as well. William Penn Adair “Will” Rogers was born on November 4, 1879. He had many titles such as a Cherokee-American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor. His son, Will Rogers Jr., was a WWII veteran and U.S. Representative.

Rogers’ genealogy was from a prominent Indian Territory family and he was known as Oklahoma’s favorite son. To his credit he traveled around the world three times, did more than 70 movies and wrote over 4,000 newspaper articles. Will Rogers became a world famous figure. His most famous quote, “I never yet met a man that I didn’t like” was just one of a long list of quotes.

On August 15, 1935, Will Rogers and aviator Wiley Post, died in their small airplane when it crashed near Barrow, Alaska Territory. On August 15, they left Fairbanks, Alaska for Point Barrow. They were a few miles from Point Barrow when they became uncertain of their position in bad weather and landed in a lagoon to ask directions. On takeoff, the engine failed at low altitude, and the aircraft, uncontrollably nose-heavy at low speed, plunged into the lagoon, shearing off the right wing and ended inverted in the shallow water of the lagoon. Both men died instantly. (wikipedia)

I often wonder if the ghosts of my grandpa Wilton and Will Rogers are roaming around the ranch and the surrounding mountains. I tried to find any stories about any hauntings or ghosts in and around the ranch but with no avail. The Will Rogers’ Ranch gives tours, so I will have to go on one and see if there are any claims of ghosts seen around the ranch by eyewitnesses.

~Julie~

Blue Moon

On new years eve 2009, we were greeted with a full moon as we traveled to our friends house to celebrate the new year.  This was the second full moon of the month which is referred to as a "blue moon".  Even though they say it is not blue in color, I still saw a bluish color surrounding the moon.  I couldn't stop staring at it hoping that it was a sign that the next year was going to be much better than 2009.

 Here is wikipedia's definition of a blue moon: "A blue moon is a full moon that is not timed to the regular monthly pattern. Most years have twelve full moons which occur approximately monthly, but in addition to those twelve full lunar cycles, each solar calendar year contains an excess of roughly eleven days compared to the lunar year. The extra days accumulate, so every two or three years (7 times in the 19-year Metonic cycle), there is an extra full moon. The extra moon is called a "blue moon." Different definitions place the "extra" moon at different times."

After we got home, I decided to take some pictures of the moon.  Even though I saw a distinct blue color of the moon through my camera, it did not come out on the pictures I took.