Reading this journal

     When you reach the last entry in this journal, there are many older entries. Going to the "Older Entries" point will Not take you to any older entries, for whatever reason. Instead, scroll to the bottom of the last entry and hit "link to this entry", which will bring up the same last entry again, but if you scroll to the bottom of it this time you will see a referral back to an earlier entry; go there and you can continue to go back through this journal to the first entry which is "A strange old house in a strange little village".

Steps and a cough

 It seems things are picking up. Today, I was again at the computer in the library, my dog stretched out comfortably on the rug between the library and diningroom doorway. The distinct sound of approaching footsteps came from the vicinity of the kitchen and into the diningroom, then a cough was heard; kinda like someone clearing their throat. As my wife worked today (even though it is newyears day) the steps didn't surprise me because the time for my wifes arrival was about right. The dog looked up and toward the dining room but made no move to welcome my wife home. Just about that time my telephone alert sounded on my computer saying I had an incoming call. I took the call; it was my wife calling to say she would be late as the store was still full of customers. So ,once again, the steps and cough could not be attributed to her and theres no one else in the house. My dog must be getting use to these steps , they use to really bug him either sending him looking for the intruder, or into barking or growling fits. Lately he simply looks up and goes back to sleep or whatever he does when zonking out on a rug. This whole phenonema is quite strange and I'm sure the real answer to it would be most interesting.

Footsteps

   Today, as I was sitting at the computer in the library, the sound of steps came from the area of the kitchen and into the diningroom. As my wife was out today, I assumed she had returned. But when she failed to make an appearence at the library door and our dog simply looked up but didn't make a mad rush to welcome her, I knew it was the famous steps again. But nonetheless, I got up and looked out the diningroom window to see if my wifes car was in the driveway, it wasn't. This is the first event for quite some time. The house was unusually quiet over Christmas.

Underground water

     Perhaps, as someone recently suggested, our "ghostly" manifications are in someway connected with underground running water. Now its true that some of the happenings around this place are too material to be caused in such a manner; however, I'm begining to think perhaps the sounds might be. The reason I'm beginning to think that way is due to the fact that this summer, I made an attempt to further block off the spring that perpetually runs through the basement. When this house was built (1857) the spring was handy for fresh water and a form of refrigeration. Now its a pain in the neck. Attempts at diverting it in the past only slowed it down. The attempt I made this summer has slowed it considerably. Half of my cellar floor is dry for the first time (possibly since the house was built). It may be coincidental; but we have not experienced anything ghostly or out of the normal since November and that was just a nervous dog. The last "happening" occurred in October. This is the time of year that the weird was most active. Not this year, its been very quiet.

Strange reactions from our dog

     I have said several times that strange activity occurs in this house usually after election day each year. So far this year, the house has been exceptionly quiet since the November elections. The single possible exception to this occurred last night. Having retired for the night, I was engaged in a romp with my dog, as we usually do, for twenty or thirty minutes before I bed him down for the night. He  really gets into the play. But mid play, last night, he suddenly stopped and stared down the upstairs hall. Thinking it a momentary thing I again engaged him in rough housing which he, for a moment, returned to; but again, suddenly, he stopped and again begin starring intently down the darkened hall, low growls issuing from deep in his throat. My wife asked me if I was sure I had locked the back door. I replied that I was. She was quick to point out that nothing short of an earthquake would deter our dog from playing. So I said I'd check the house out and see if we could determine what got the dogs dander up. Normally the dog will playfully preceed me when I'm going anywhere about the house; but this time he stayed in the bedroom until I turned on the backstairway lights which are a ways down the upstairs hallway. As I decended the stairs I could hear him coming, I was at the midlanding when he appeared at the head of the stairs but he proceeded no further. I went on downstairs, checked the exterior doors and found them suitably locked. As I passed the stairs on my way to checkout the diningroom, I looked back up the stairs to see my dog standing at the mid landing of the stairs; he made no attempt to come on down (most unusual). I checked out the downstairs rooms and front door. I found nothing that should have upset him. I went back upstairs, the dog now preceeding me, put himself to bed (also rather unusual). While I can't say there was anything paranormal about this episode, it was strange all the same.

strange activity early this year

     Strange activities are early this year. Today as I was answering E mail from the computer in the Library, I distinctly heard heavy footsteps go though the Diningroom. My wife was not at home, my dog was lying in the floor in the Library but facing the doorway into the Diningroom. When the steps were heard, my dog began growling; obviously he heard them too, and for whatever reason, but did not assiociate them with my wife. Which, of course, they were not. Moments later a door was shut hard, almost slammed, and the footsteps, lighter this time, again crossed the diningroom toward the parlour. This time the dog growled and moved away from the doorway toward the den. I left the computer and checked the Diningroom , Parlour and Kitchen. I found no one and nothing amiss. My wifes car was not in the driveway, so she wasn't home to make the sounds.

Today I saw "it"

     I was playing with the dog in the den. I was sitting on the floor, facing the library door, and the dog was in front of me, we were playing tug with one of his many toys. I distinctly saw someone wearing dark clothes with a white collar walk into the library. Thinking it was my wife, I  made a remark about the dog; but got no response. I got up and walked to the library door, no one was there. Noone could have left the library without my having seen them. I then went through the library and through the dinning room into the kitchen where my wife was working on a craft project. I ask her if she had gone into the library for anything and she replied ,"no". This is the first time that I've seen a "human" enity. My wife saw the child; we have both been witness to a small white with brown spotted dog on the rear staircase; but this is my first encounter. Strange, it happened so fast I really had no time to react to it. I do not remember the head, but plainly remember the dark clothing with a spot of white about were the collar would be.