GHOST HUNTERS

Clank, clank, clank! This drew her attention. She eyed his enormous dark shape on the post, the wind making him slap back and forth as if trying to loosen from his mooring. His tattered clothing whipped about him angrily. The inanimate had come to life, his shadowed face pale beneath the large hat, but she felt it. His eyes were upon her. As soon as he freed himself, it was her farmhouse window he would be knocking upon. She picked up her basket of corn and raced from the field, willing herself not to look back. Then, as she approached the safety of the backyard, she had the courage to face him again. His head bobbed now in the full force of the coming storm's energy. The hat flew from his head and, in the dying light of the day, she saw him throw back his head and stare her down as he unhinged from his cross and jumped to the earth with a heavy thump . (The above is an unedited piece from a short story about a scarecrow I'm writing)

A new show begins tonight, Chasing UFOs. I miss UFO Hunters a lot and I doubt this will be the same, but I'm going to watch these investigators. Looks like fun and my Friday nights, as always, are open.

" Don't Go There! A Flash Horror Anthology " 322 pages, over 20 short stories, Paperback $11.99 on Amazon, Kindle version $2.99, each story timed so you know how long it takes to read on average.

Yesterday's interview with Syfy Channel star Josh Gates from "Destination Truth" was exhilarating. He's so freaking intelligent, well spoken, and funny as hell. Love this guy--big time! Here's what he had to say. The first two episodes are on opening night, Tuesday July 10th on Syfy. One is an hour-long Vietnam episode that supposedly catches the most amazing video of a potential Bigfoot in a cave. This season, he's going back to the Romanian Forest again--first time they ever revisted a site. He even talked Evan into flying in for that episode (the past cast member who was picked up and tossed the last time they were in this strange circle in the woods where no trees grow). They are also doing a UFO episode where he saw something he could not explain (even though he does not believe in alien visitors). He never believed in Bigfoot, but after going all over the world and hearing sooooo many stories about BF-like creatures, he is thinking there might be somethi

Cajun Justice show tonight on A&E " After a violent boating accident, Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois joins forces with multiple agencies to recover a boat, and possibly a body, from the murky depths of the Mississippi waters. Meanwhile, Deputy Keith Bergeron and Sgt. Dudley DJ Authement, both raised on the bayou, head deep into the swamps in the middle of the night to investigate a hair-raising sighting of the legendary Rougarou, the local name for a "shape-shifting swamp monster." When the witness hands over video of the half-man, half-wolf creature prowling the weeds behind his camp, the officers have no choice but to explore the very woods where the mysterious beast disappeared. The next morning, Deputy Bergeron puts two and two together when he is called to the scene of a mutilated calf near where the Cajun swamp monster vanished. "

  Cold Roasted Corn Soup w/ Pepper Oil Salmon Shrimp Cakes   Caramel Blondies with gelato (Top of the Rock Restaurant at The Buttes) (The Poolside Drinks) View from the skywalk bridge Relaxing sunset (We didn't see it at the time, but there was a dust storm behind us heading toward us)   Awesome pool between the buttes with waterfalls Swimmer Just settling in to wait for the sunset peak colors.

Another resort stay, two drunk videos this time -- Ancient Aliens and Bigfoot Story - Enjoy because you won't see me drunk again until next summer's resort stay.

  Yes, my drink matches my swimsuit--coral. Julie and I had our celebration stay at the resort and got a sandstorm at the end of the day, but it made for a wicked sunset. Giant UFO over Phoenix? No, giant sunset!   Phoenix Stonehenge? Lots more insane photos and 2 drunk videos to come...

When it comes down to it, it appears that there are 4 important aspects of a person that we take into account when finding a mate who is ideally matched. 1. Physical. 2. Mental. 3. Emotional. 4. Spiritual. Oh, there might be small other aspects, but they are within those categories. Most women would lament that men put physical way too high on the list and mental way low. Men might complain that emotional and spiritual are too important to women. For me, the list comes down to this: 1. Mental. I need a man whose mind has expanded, likes lots of subjects, is intelligent, inquisitive, and didn't think learning stopped with college. With mental comes sense of humor. Usually, smart people totally get the irony in life and find relief in chuckling at the oddities of the world. They also tend to use that thought process to gauge things realistically and with rational thinking, they have rational emotions. 2. Spiritual.  Even though I am not in any way looking for a religious man--NOPE! I

The 80s were the slasher decade, but nothing beats the 70s for horror, both made-for-tv and theatrical releases. It was a decade obsessed with horror and it was a huge variety. Here's just some examples -  Stalker : He Knows You're Alone, Someone Is Watching You, When a Stranger Calls Slasher: Black Christmas, Halloween, The Hills Have Eyes Psychological : Alice Sweet Alice, Suspira, Let's Scare Jessica To Death Technology: Killdozer, The Car,  Environment: Food Of the Gods, The Prophecy, The Day of the Animals Witchcraft: Race With the Devil, The Wicker Man, Crowhaven Farm Haunted Houses:   The Amityville Horror, Legend of Hell House, Gothic:   Satan's Claw, The Dunwich Horror, House of Dark Shadows The 70s rocked when it came to horror. Interesting, too, that it was a decade of gas shortages, inflation, recession, and now that we are back in similar-like times, horror is our favorite genre again. Hmm ...

Stonehenge Secrets/Iceland Worm Monster I know, I know. I don't follow the show anymore, but this episode really got my interest - Besides, I am a huge fan of Ben Hansen. I just wish he was producing the show and making it into what it could be - This is from an interview when he came over and let me talk to him for several hours. That is one smart, adorable, and inquisitive man! As well, check out the show "School Spirits" tonight on Syfy.

Something you learn in the Southwest US is that there are certain signs of coming monsoon season. I listen every day for the sound of locusts screaming. Today, the locusts screamed! That means the humidity is going up and monsoon season is about to begin. How far did the humidity go up? From about 4% to 14% but when it's 110 outside, you seriously feel it. The dewpoint will need to stay about 55 for about 3 days in a row for us to produce any rain here. Another way to know if it's going to rain is the creosote scent. With enough moisture and impending rain, creosote bushes release a smell that's somewhere between pine trees and good old fashioned bar soap. Once the rains come, the sage bushes blossom and crazy desert frogs erupt from pools of water, having waited in a dormant state for a reason to exist again. I am such a rain lover that the first monsoon rain of the season, I dance naked in the rain and give thanks.

He's obsessed with the book and with the character, Liz. I'm not sure if he understands I am Liz, but he looks at me kinda funny, like he's looking for the zombie inside me.

Niagra Falls, linking Lake Erie and Lake Ontario has the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world. So, what else do you think when you see such a powerful force except the obvious - I wonder if I can go over it in a barrel and survive? Wikipedia In October 1829: Sam Patch, "the Yankee Leapster", jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and survived. October 24, 1901: A 63-year-old Michigan school teacher Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to go over the falls in a barrel as a publicity stunt; she survived, bleeding, but virtually unharmed. Since Taylor's historic ride, 14 people have intentionally gone over the falls in or on a device, despite her advice. Some have survived unharmed, but others have drowned or been severely injured. Survivors of such stunts face charges and stiff fines, as it is illegal, on both sides of the border, to attempt to go over the falls." The "Miracle at Niagara", Roger Woodward, a seven-year-old Am

Glamorous, right? No, it's more like this - (We had just finished shooting "Zombie Housewives of the Apocalypse" in 114 degree heat in zombie makeup and costumes). Writing and publishing these days is VASTLY different than in the past. Good point: You can self publish and tell publishers to fuck it. Bad point: When you self publish, nobody finds you or buys you, you have no editor who can tell you that you stink --instead you have trolls who rate your books a "1-star" and show the world you reek. Good point: You don't need a fucking agent. Bad point: Without an agent, you will not get published with the big guys and make bestseller lists and be a full-time author who can live off the income. What's new in publishing? In the past, a writer could be a quirky hermit and hide away and write books and the publisher did all the work for him.  How many folks know what James Michener looked like? Personalities:  Nowadays, with the internet, no one wants to

Julie and I's book, Abandoned Places: Abandoned Memories (Desert  Edition) has been a popular one on Kindle and Nook and the readers have told us two dire requests - 1. That we make it in print form for a coffee table heirloom and 2. We add more about psychic skills and the location descriptions. So, we are currently about to offer this for print form in Amazon. We will keep you posted the day it is available for $11.99. This book is a labor or love, showing our passion for urban exploration and the unexplained. We went to 12 sites across Arizona. Julie did amazing photography of these abandoned locations and I did psychic reads on an object from the site to bring to life a past story to tell about its history. Though the sites today are crumbling and neglected, these stories show that life is still there, held in stasis for someone to come and interact with it.

It was not unusual in the Victorian era to take a picture of your loved one after death for loving memory. Sometimes, this was the only picture ever taken of the person. As well, some people in that era wove the dead person's hair into a memorial piece.

I thought I'd share with y'all some of the groups I joined on Facebook. It's a great way to meet like-minded folks and stay up on interesting things. Honestly, I get a lot of post ideas from these brilliant people posting all kinds of weird news and strange unusual stuff on these groups' pages. Project Archivist:  Fringe Science, lost history, spirituality and the Paranormal. Could any site be better for me???? Zombie World News: Well, that says it all. Texas Unified Natural Research: The Bigfoot crowd, but with hearts. The Secret Sun: Science, paranormal, esoteric, philosophical. You name it.  Expand your FB experience and consider joining cool groups.

Discovery Science Channel has a pretty cool new show starting tonight called "Oddities San Francisco" about owners of a shop called "Loved To Death." This awesome Victorian-influenced shop has creepy art that is horror-inspired, macabre, and unsettling. I am so looking forward to this now that I'm really getting my Halloween mood building up!

The new part of the Resident Evil series, Retribution 3D comes out in mid September, but the teaser is out already--yahoo!

As we get into summer, it's the time to plan your Halloween party. I believe in recycling and borrowing and making a party cheap so you can actually spend on the good part--booze and food. My first party I'm going to suggest you plan is a postapocalyptic graveyard theme. This is one I did in 2009 with great success and almost no expense except for food/drinks. It began with entry in the side gate to the back yard instead of through the house. Guests entered a side yard where I had taken some old wooden planting lattices and disassembled them and nailed them into wooden crosses and painted them with 99 cent fluorscent paint from the craft store. I put up a black light in the yard to make the crosses glow. And, I took some old hunting clothing and put it on a wooden post and stuffed the arms and put an old gas mask I had on it with a Viking Helmet I also had and printed out and pasted a nuclear waste symbol on the coat. This huge guy greeted people as  they came to the pool area.

Hippie shop has signs in the window "No face eating" and "We do not sell bath salts!" Julie and I wandered downtown Tempe, Arizona in the 113-degree heat yesterday. See yesterday's post of the video from it. Here's some shots of the huge abandoned Hayden Mill -- what I would give to go in there and photograph!!!

July 10th opening episode:  First, at 8pm, Josh and team lead viewers on a chase into one of the world’s biggest caves in the jungles of Vietnam to search for Bigfoot and emerge with some of the most compelling evidence ever caught on camera!  Then, at the overwhelming request of fans, they’ll travel to Romania for a return visit to the haunted Hoia Bachu Forest - the site of their most terrifying investigation to date - and then explore the reportedly haunted Mayan ruins of Tikal in pursuit of a monster known as the Belize Goblin. Yes, you know that I'm going to be doing a whole bunch of photoshop-challenged pics of Josh in his situations for this coming season beginning Tuesday July 10th. Following the Antarctica season ender in Antarctica (one of my top fav episodes), it's hard to imagine where else Josh could go to impress us. Here's a list of possible awesome sites I'd like to see: The Baltic Sea UFO site underwater. I normally don't like the underwa

Florida gets the credit for yet another "zombie" attack. Okay, okay, maybe not a zombie, but a person who is whacked out on drugs and biting. A man broke into his girlfriend's home, took off his clothing, and then proceeded to bite another man's arm. The cops tasered him a few times to bring him in. NOTE: The zombie housewives do not endorse this kind of poser dining. It insults the true zombies who are iron-deficient and not strung out on synthetic drugs.

I'm not even sure what to say about this one. I'll let you be the judge.

  Admittedly, one of my books that I find myself re-reading and re-reading and others have expressed a desire to have it in print form is now available on Createspace and Amazon in print!  A few of these stories my long-time readers might have read here on the blog, but the vast majority are all new and edgy. Don't Go There! A Flash Horror Anthology is a 322-page $11.99 book that is a huge collection of a wide variety of horror-themed short stories incluing things such as trolls, werewolves, zombies, vampires, scarecrows and more.  This is a unique collection because each story begins with a simple explanation of the plot, the word count and the approximate time it takes to read so you know how much time you have for each story.  It also has a bonus section of real-life stories of being in places alone that no one ever wants to go in alone. There is a lot of content here and all of it page turning, alone-at-night type stuff.

I do not say this casually, but I expect a similar sort of film coming out involving the Bigfoot in coming years. Evidence of his existence can no longer be ignored, but what we are left with is the greatest question. No, not the question about just what IS Bigfoot genetically, but the question of how has he managed and why has he chosen to secret himself for so many centuries. Less intelligent creatures are stumbled upon all the time in the wild, but Bigfoot is not. Honestly, having seen one and its stride, I know that it is part human. Its brain capacity is surely adequate that he has the ability to evaluate a situation and find the best way to handle it. To remain basically a primitive tribe in a modern world is not a task of stupid people. It is a task of survivors. And, survivors always find a way. If you were greeting a relative who was perhaps slow-minded or had been raised in a feral situation, you would not approach waving your arms and shouting. It's my greatest hope tha

Julie and I went on a little jaunt in the 113-degree weather to the abandoned flour mill (historic site) on the campus of ASU in Tempe, AZ. I will be sharing some creepy pics tomorrow of it, but for now -- enjoy the video --