Repaired TV

As I reported on June 2, our TV set was smashed onto a stoneware jar with enough force to break not only the TV but the lid of the jar. We had only had the set a couple of months. On a chance, I called the company and explained that I realize the warranty was negated by the "accident". I asked if the TV could be repaired for less than the cost of a new one. Much to my surprise I was told that $50 could fix any set. I sent it back and it came back in working order. But I still think something owes me $50. Since my last blog the house has settled back into the common humdrums. I really see very little action here, normally, in summer. The house seems to become active in early November with short bursts of the weird and strange into April and then quiets down, mostly, until November again.

House has been noisy

The house has been exceptionly noisey the past few days. Sounds like doors slamming, thumps, bangs and other sounds that seem to have no rational explaination. One very loud sound that I heard as I was working on a project in the kitchen, sounded very much like a large shelf full of materials had gave way, sounded a lot like pots and pans but ended with an eerily tinkling or rolling sound like a bell or lid vibrating to a stop. Anything large like that should be pretty quickly noticed, wouldn't you think? It hasn't shown up yet. This house tends to go through these noisy cycles and most of the time no explaination is ever found for the noise. If you ever have a yen for living in an old antique of a house; do be prepared for the unusual.

Wife furious

In the past, events in this house, while spooky or irritating, has never, until today, been vicious. Today, in the early afternoon, I came in from working in the garage, mainly because of the heat and very high humidity. The house is still cool and far drier than the out of doors. I told my wife I was knocking off for an hour or so to cool down. I had several things I needed to check out on the computer so I headed for the library and got to it. My wife was starting supper and watching her favorite TV shows on a new 7 inch model TV that sat on the mantel over the kitchen fireplace. I hadn't worked but a few minutes when I hear a tremendous crash. Moving immediately I rushed to the kitchen and found my wife still standing by the kitchen stove with her mouth open. Looking at me she said " The TV just raised up into the air and was thrown down onto the floor". Rushing over to the area I saw the TV smashed, a heavy pottery jar that was under it had a broken lid (those sets weigh less than a pound). That TV had to have been slammed with a lot of force to break a large, heavy, fired clay jar lid. Obviously the "haunt" doesn't like Opera any more than I do....probably less, I wouldn't smash the set, I'd just turn it off. Something owes me the price of a TV...dang it. The TV has sit on the mantel for two months, since it was bought new. It had ample space all around it. The mantle is level and was uneffected. The doors were all closed. It was sunny and hot outside. So what would lift a small TV into the air and propel it forcefully into a large ceramic jar, busting the lid and then onto the floor? I hope this isn't a new side to this house's weirdness.

Strange actions by one of our dogs.

A couple nights ago, at bedtime, one of my two dogs behaved very strangely. We had gone to bed at the regular time, the older dog was in his bed by the radiator and the younger one had just laid down at the foot of our bed. The younger dog, we call Shadow, perked up and began by looking down the upstairs hall. Then she started looking around the room like she was following something neither my wife nor I could see. She then jumped up and started looking one way then the other and couldn't hold still. She finally jumped off the bed and ran down the hall. The other dog was watching her and looking down the darkened hall but I'd say out of curiosity not fear. Suddenly we heard a a whine like yelp from down the hall and before I could get up to see what was wrong, Shadow made a pell mell rush back into the bedroom , made a flying leap up on the bed and proceeded to tunnel under the covers and shook so hard she made the whole bed shake. Meanwhile the older dog just sat there in his bed and watched the whole thing with nothing more than a curious look. At my wife's suggestion, I got up and walked down the hall which leads past two guestrooms to the upstairs bath. I saw nothing unusual, I heard nothing strange, I sensed nothing amiss. By the time I had gotten back to our bedroom my wife had pretty much settled Shadow down; but she didn't come out from under the covers until morning. I have no idea what the pup thought she sensed. Whatever it was didn't seem to have much, if any, effect on the older dog who simply spun around a couple of times, flopped down and went to sleep. That sort of carrying on can be a bit unnerving; but in this house we expect the unexpected. What was it? We have no idea; but as it was out of the ordinary, I have reported it.

Strange kitchen occurance

My wife got a new TV to watch in the kitchen. Its one of those very small, very light, digitiles. It had to be light because it sits on a mantle over a brick fireplace. It is located on the extreme right side of the mantle. Probably 18 inches to 2 foot from the end of the mantle is a doorway to the pantry. The electrical cord on the TV is very generous easily reaching the floor where the electrical inlet is, with extra to spare. The wife experienced the following event. I was working outside and only entered after the fact. She said she was watching Dr. Phil and the set went off. The station she was watching is famous for blackouts so she tried to switch to a different channel. That didn't work either. So then she noticed the little red light on the TV front wasn't lit. The overhead kitchen light and the over the sink light were on so she knew that no fuse had blown. So, of course, she thought the set had blown out. About this time I came in; "The TV has quit" greeted me. I got the story. Trying the TV with the remote resulted in nothing. Then I noticed the TV plug was laying in the floor in front of the pantry door. This you have to think about. A loose plug can fall out of a socket. But wouldn't it lie there in front of the socket? This plug was a good 2 feet, probably more, from where it was plugged in. I plugged the set back in and it was a good snug fit, by the way, and the set came back on. So, how did the plug come out of the socket and end up well over two foot away? No one had used the pantry door. Though there was extra wire on the TV cord, it was placed beside the chimney, out of the way. The kitchen table sits too close to the fireplace for anyone to move between it. If someone had, my wife would certainly have noticed. I have two dogs but they were both napping on the far side of the kitchen; besides had one of them been responsible the noise and confusion that would have evoked would have settled the matter. So, how did that plug get ourt of the socket and over two feet away? Old houses can cause odd delimmas. Any suggestions, out there?

Sounds on rear stairwell

Last night I was upstairs, my wife needed the daily paper and I had taken it upstairs to read. I was bringing it back downstairs by our rear stairs. The rear stairs goes up off the kitchen hall. They are not well lit, narrow, and rather gloomy. As I started down I heard what sounded like a dog padding down behind me. The sound went around me on down the stairs and through a shut gate. There was no dog there. My dogs were asleep in the diningroom. Things like this leave you scratching your head.

Local newspaper headlines "GHOSTS"!

Our local newpaper which is a daily is typical of small town newspapers. It certainly isn't a paranormal hot-sheet. So the headline got my attention. It seems the local paper was going to do a feature on one of the towns businesses. A reporter and photographer were on hand to interview the owner and shoot a few pictures. In one photograph that was taken of the owner arranging bric a brac on a mirrored mantel resulted in a strange picture. In the manels reflection the owner could be clearly seen,...with a deep red gash from her forehead down her nose across he lips and vanishes at her neck. Bisecting her head in half. Going back to the scene nothing could be found that might have caused this horrific result. I know of another larger store in town that has had strangeness reported. Interesting?