House was noisy last night.

The house was noisy last night. Some of the sounds were really frustrating. Just before dark I was tending some plants on the rear porch. A loud tapping sound occurred. It really sounded like someone hitting the concrete with a steel hammer. The sound was not cons istant, it came in bunches with a lull between. My back porch (on the eastward side of the house is block and concrete. There are shrubs (I'd like to eradicate) planted around the base of it. As a result of these shrubs, I cannot see the base of the porch. The hammering was relatively loud. I quit what I was doing and walked the length of the porch trying to locate the source of the noise. I finally narrowed it down to an area near the center. But as soon as I was kneeling to part the shrubs the tapping moved away from that area and started again several feet further on. I never saw the source of the noise as it appeared to be leading me on. I finally gave up when it got too dark to see much (I have no light on that porch). So what the heck could be tapping steel on concrete (or sound like it?) I haven't been back there again yet to see if the noise continues. I know of no animal or bird that would likely be hammering on concrete with what sounds like a steel hammer. When Shadow and I turned in last night , I heard what sounded like a drop of water hitting a tin plate. The sound occurred several times with various periods of silence between. I also heard sounds like a twanging of metal at odd times. Like I said, the house was simply noisy. No point in asking my wife if she heard anything because once she removes her hearing aids she hears very little. It will be interesting to see if the odd noises continue tonight. The weather here last night and today was very unsettled. Temperatures in the upper 80"s daytime and mid 60's at night. We have had a good bit of rain but none yesterday or today.

Strange running footsteps

Tonight I an alone, except for my dog Shadow. My wife is staying with friends until she can get in her appointment with a knee specialist. I was sitting here reading E mail, Shadow zonked out on her pillow in the Dining room. Overhead I hear the heavy footfall of someone running down our longer upstairs hallway. Whatever it is sounds like it is barefoot or wearing socks. It does not sound like hard sole shoes. The running goes the length of the hall and stops. I would go investigate but I know I wouldn't find anything. For some reason I feel the runner was female. It's just my impression. There has been no further sound from the upstairs. The weather has taken a turn for the cooler today. The temperature did go to sixty today but its only about 50 now and with a light breeze blowing you need a light jacket to be comfortable. The sounds of walking are fairly common here but I think this is the first time I've heard running when there is no one here. I know its the house making the sounds; I just wish I could figure out how it does it. The footsteps, whether walking or running, are sequenchal and the sound moves in a particular direction. I have a hard time thinking pipes or boards would be so well ordered. Shadow was and still is asleep so I have no idea if the "running" would have gotten her attention or not. If it be spooks they should wait for Halloween.

Mumbling again

Once again I have had mumbling. It occurred a couple nights ago, I have just gotten time to report on it. My dog and I had just turned in for the night. The mumbling started while I was in bed reading. Shadow, my dog, did not seem to notice it. On the other hand I fear my old pup is getting hard of hearing. She recently turned 12 and I've surprised her a couple of times while coming up the stairs. Nothing use to ever get past her hearing. Anyway the mumbling in the bedroom was typical. A male voice this time was in the lead with other whispering about. Never loud enough to make out what is being discussed. I was tired but I got up to see if I could determine where the mumbling was originating. It sounded just about the same in every upstairs room. Like I said, I was tired so I didn't go downstairs. Finally, getting a bit perturbed of it I said, "Dang it, speak up so I can understand you or shut up." It was possibly coincidence but the mumbling faded away at about that point. Shadow had followed me about the upstairs but I really think she was just curious about my movements rather than because she heard anything. We then turned in for the night. I really wish I could tell what the mumbling is all about. It's frustrating. Did I mention that I forgot about the spy camera and left it running until the batteries gave out? When I, by chance, saw it and took it down it had shot 660 pictures. I have no idea what could have activated it so much and so far I haven't had time to go over them. I had the camera set up to shoot across the front of the parlor. I changed the batteries and set the camera up again to shoot the front stairway. The next day I had 60 shots. I still haven't found the time to see if anything interesting is on any of them. They did work I did check them on my tiny monitor to make sure they at least worked. The wife had been sick; maybe if we can ever get her straightened out I'll try to see if I got anything.

Weird Action last night

My wife had gone upstairs presumably to bed. I was planning on answering a couple of e-mails. Our computer rests in a typical cabinet made for TVs or computers. It has two long doors that are normally closed to hide all the wires and gadgets. We don't close the doors because of numerous items that have found a home in front of the cabinet and the keyboard light which is located on one of the doors. The way the cabinet is made, the doors have about a one inch gap between the inside of the door and the cabinet housing. Anyway, with the door open you have a limited view of the doorway that leads from the dining room to the library. I was answering an E mail when I noticed a light colored clothing pass in front of the gap. Thinking it was my wife, I called out, "Ready for the computer, already?" I got no answer and no one entered the library. I figured my mistake and resumed typing. It happened again. I pulled the door forward, but there was no one there. I moved the door back and forth several times to see if I could regain the effect. There was nothing light colored even close by. Perplexed I ,again, resumed my typing and it occurred a third time. This time, I got up I went to the doorway, I checked all over. There was nothing about that could have looked like anyone passing in front of that doorway. I finished my letter, sent it and turned everything off. I needed to take Shadow (my dog out for her nightly constitutional anyway). If you think I was seeing her? Nope. Shadow is so Black she disappears in a dark room. So we went upstairs. I checked with my wife to see if she needed anything and she said she was fine. Shadow and I went into the master bedroom and prepared for the night. Shadow sleeps at the foot of the bed. My wife uses the bedroom called the Noah room because she has a leg problem that can have her up several times a night. Anyway we were well settled in, I was reading a book, as Shadow and I had already had her nightly romp before bed. I hadn't even gotten drowsy yet when I distinctly heard my name called, quite clearly and with some volume. Thinking my wife needed something I made my way to the Noah room which is immediately down the hall. When I entered the bedroom my wife was reading the newspaper and looked up with a look of surprise. "You called." I said. "No I didn't." she replied. 'Somebody did, I said, "Loud and clear". "It wasn't me" she replied. By the way, she continued, "Why are you and Shadow running up and down the hall?" "We.ve been in the bedroom for almost an hour", I replied. "Well something has been activating the hallway motion lights". It wasn't us. My wife can see the motion light from the Noah room because that bedroom has a transom over the door. When I went back to the master bedroom, I sat on the foot of the bed and petted Shadow, so I could see if the hall light would come on. It didn't. Old houses are interesting and colorful; but they can drive you nuts.

Possible solution?

I had one poster suggest that wind blowing through an old pipe might make the mumbling sounds. I certainly wouldn't discount that idea out of hand. This old brick house certainly has many nooks and crannies. But taking other things into consideration makes me wonder if it really is the wind. Wind might explain why the sound is heard about the same through-out the house and we certainly have almost perpetual wind in this area.But sometimes the mumbling sounds distinctly masculine and at other times feminine. Considering the amount of wind that blows through here, it would seem the mumbling would be quite frequent, or daily. But it is a rare occurance. But still the wind is a possibility. If I could just locate the pipes it plays or the morterless bricks it plays around and why only at rare times.

Mumbling again

I had a short period of mumbling night before last. It occurred just before midnight and lasted between five and ten minutes. The voices, a least two of them, were female, just low enough that no words could be made out. It was downright cold outside and spitting ice crystals. I first noticed the mumbling as I exited the Library into the dining room. I walked out from the dining room into the parlor thinking it was someone outside. There was no one visible outside and even kids playing in the street in the daytime do not carry in through these thick walls. I retraced my steps back through the dining room and into the kitchen where the mumbling seemed about the same. I was about to go upstairs where I would have a view of most of the surrounding territory (as much as darkness would permit) when the mumbling faded away. I have pretty much discounted that the voices were coming from the outside. The walls of this house are thick and the storm windows are triple and were closed (the temperature was around 24 degrees). We have never figured out the times we have had actually loud, easily understood voices. The mumbling is far more complicated and an even greater mystery. The loud voices originate from a completely closed off dumbwaiter that use to service this house. The loud voices are very rare but when they occur they are very clear. The mumbling, on the other hand, is consistant though out the house but never loud enough to understand. Considering the time of night and weather conditions on this last episode I think I can rule out people outside. But what in heck was it?

Extremely quiet period.

I haven't written for some time as there has been nothing of note to write about. All has been quiet on the home and store front. Nothing has appeared on the spy camera. This has been a most unusually quiet period. I'm just making note to let every one know I'm still here. The weather has been weird, going from 26 one day to 55 the next. We've had rain, freezing rain and snow. Today it hit 59, tomorrow is suppose to be in the 50's then drop into the 30's on Monday. With all of these temperature changes you would think this old house would be filled with squeaks and moans. It has been very quiet. It anything occurs I will write of it.