Things That Go Bump in the Night
December 30, 2007
Becca and I did end up going to see the Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights Friday evening, and I’m so glad we did. It was a fun thing to do, even though we got lost in the Bronx for a while. Note to self – Stick with Yahoo directions, and never use Mapquest again.
We passed these cranes on our way into the park.
Here’s an elephant.
This is a close-up of a camel.
White-faced monkeys
These sheep in the petting zoo area cracked me up because they came running and jumped onto the fence when they saw us heading in their direction. I guess they were expecting a handout.
This is an ice carving in progress. Your guess is as good as mine as to what it’s supposed to be.
The pictures didn’t come out very well because I couldn’t figure out how to set my camera for night photos. Oh well, I still had a good time. And I scored a candy apple, which is always a special treat for me.
Moving right along to “things that go bump in the night.” I had a weird experience a few evenings ago. My sister and daughter were witnesses, otherwise I might doubt my own eyes and ears.
Michele and I were sitting in the family room, and Rebecca was coming down the stairs from the upper floor of our house. Suddenly, we heard the sound of shattering glass. Rebecca and I checked all the rooms on the upstairs level. Then we checked the main level. When we didn’t find anything, we went down to the basement.
There, at the foot of the stairs, we found the remains of a vintage mason jar. The jar didn’t belong to me, but I did notice it when we first moved into the house. It was on a shelf on the far side of the basement – nowhere near the stairs.
After puzzling over the situation for a while, my sister and I shrugged it off as just one of those things. We went back upstairs, leaving Rebecca behind to get her clothes from the dryer.
A few minutes later, while I was typing something on the computer for my mother, I heard the sound of four, distinct footsteps coming up the basement stairs. In a shaky voice, Michele asked, “What was that??” I replied, “It must be Rebecca.” Michele said, “Rebecca is right here!” I turned around and saw Rebecca standing there, with wide eyes and a face drained of blood.
Even though we were all pretty freaked out at that point, we went to the door that leads to the basement stairs, and opened it. There was nothing there.
Shortly after that, Rebecca left for work, and Michele had to leave soon afterwards. Being here alone for the half hour or so before Daniel got home was pretty spooky.
I’m still not sure what to think about the eerie episode. This house is ninety-nine years old. Could it be that we have a poltergeist in residence? Who ya gonna call?
Song of the Day: Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
Yakety Yak 
That is spooky. Too bad the ghost broke the jar, it was worth a little money.
Yikes!
Is there an outside entrance to the basement? My parents house has one of those sets of steps leading down from the backyard with these big metal double doors to it that set at an angle and open up to get down there. We used to drive them crazy running up and down them, bang bang bang etc. That is strange though as, the practical me says you’d hear more than 4 steps on the stairs and why would pick up the mason jar and then drop it there by the stairs. Spooky indeed.
How spooky! I hear what I think is Paul coming home during the day while I am up here typing, banging around in the basement… but I don’t go down to look. Later in the evening when he gets home, I ask him if he came home in the middle of the day and he always says “no.” I have no idea what the sounds are, but they happen quite regularly. I have two dogs who have good noses, and they don’t budge when it happens… so maybe a ghost can’t be smelled? Anyway, I live with it now and don’t ask questions. Our house is only about 65 years old.
Happy New Year!
I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It could be a friendly ghost. Just don’t be too hasty to judge the feller until you’ve had a chance to get to know him. It’s probably not a ghost anyway. When I was a kid, I read a lot of books about ghosts and they always lived in the attic. I don’t remember any who lived in the basement. I enjoyed the zoo pics. What a great way to spend an evening!! Happy New Year!!
I think it could be some spirits…maybe roaming around because of the holiday season…you know… going to the basement to get some canned fruit for dinner! Probably nothing to worry about. I hear steps in my house sometimes too and it is only about 6 years old….I figure it’s Indians or old farmhands because this area was a woods and then a farmland for generations. Sylvia Browne often says that some spirits leave a “footprint” and you just hear noises at times.
Someone’s hanging around… you could burn some sage and smudge the house, and invite it move on, or settle down. Sometimes that works. I think it gives your house more character.
Happy New Year!
I know what it’s like to be creeped out when you are alone somewhere. I used to work in a dental office where everytime I was alone at the front desk, I would hear magazine pages flipping in the waiting room when no one was in there! I guess ghosts can go everywhere..basements, attics and waiting rooms!
Oh, swell, bats in your belfry and ghosts in your basement.
I suspect bats.
Hey Sunshyn stole my line! I was gonna say something about bats in your belfry and ghosts in your basement. Clumsy ghosts at that.
Bats can walk up stairs? Who knew!
Oh my gosh! You had better get LA over there as soon as possible to spread her good MOJO!
A 99 year old house is certain to have spirits. How cool is that?!? Not cool if they break stuff, but perhaps you had been missing previous ‘clues’ of their presence and they wanted to say HeLLo!! We’re here, folks! The house we built in Alaska had specific areas in it that strange things would occur. Since it was a new house, I figured it was on a burial plot or some other special place. I loved it!