~ Retired and Starting My Future In The Foothills ~

[Kansaseq]

I'm glad you are feeling better, Linda, and that you made it to work on time. Sounds like you have a very friendly roommate to help you out on those tougher days

Have you always been sensitive to such things, or is this the first time you've experienced something like this? Are you going to do any research into your home's past to find out who she might be?

A close friend of mine once lived in a house with a very UNFRIENDLY entity (mostly directed at her lowlife then-boyfriend). They ended up leaving suddenly one day when things became too hostile. She's now been single for many years , and has lived in the same apt for about 9 years with no activity. Recently there has been some construction work done on adjoining wall to her bathroom. The other day, her tv suddenly came on, all by itself. All of the dogs were in bed with her (she has 3 beagles), and the remote was in the other room. A bit later, she heard knocking on one of her walls. She is really nervous, and doesn't want to acknowledge 'it' lest the activity get more intense. But hopefully, this house guest is a bit nicer.

I myself have never experienced anything of that nature, except for two separate incidents, many years apart; footsteps, in my house, when I was very afraid. The first was when I was about 6 and had fallen asleep downstairs, all by myself. The second I was about 14, home alone, and hearing 'noises' in the basement. I was petrified, then suddenly heard heavy, hard-soled shoes coming up our wooden basement steps. I was out the door,and across the street, in the snow, in my socks, over to my friend's house. Her brother came over and checked things out--nothing

But I HEARD it.

Keep the stories coming

 

[dsqard]

Linda I agree with Kansaseq, when you are more settled and have some spare time (wouldn't we all love spare time

) I think you should see if you can track down the history of the house to see if you can discover who your visitor is. I don't think you are nuts at all

I used to live in a house we were renting from one of the other girl's parents. The house used to belong to her grandparents and after both of them had passed away, the house went to her parents. While neither of her grandparents passed away in the house, we knew that they visited from time to time. In the room I was staying in was a dresser that used to belong to her grandfather. Every now and again, when I would take clothes out to wear they would smell like men's cologne when I put them on. I sniffed the dresser drawers many times and the dresser never smelled like cologne. I swear her grandmother would visit most often at her old bedtime. We would be watching TV and all of a sudden it would turn off. We never felt threatened by these visits, it was just like they were checking in on us to make sure everything was OK.

 

[gryeyes]

The house itself was built in 1954, so I can't imagine there being much history to it.

. After all, I was born in 1953 and ..... Uh... Oh, wait, I gotta lot of history.... But I wouldn't consider it "ancient.".

I do know there was a suicide on the property within the past few years; my next door neighbor found a man hanging from one of the trees near the house. He has asked me if it would be okay if he cut that branch off, as it bothered him sometimes. (I said, sure!) But that event was during the drug-dealing days of the previous owner's occupancy.

The "feel" is much more connected to Nature than to homo sapiens. I am sensitive to such things. Or, I have been, just not lately.

HHandbasket has repeatedly said there is something magical about the property and I agree with her. Not Disney magic, but old, earth, wind, rock and water magick.

Even if it did rain on my furniture. I tarped what I could, but the wind removed some of the tarps. Apparently I am supposed to buy a couple new pieces, despite my affection for this or that item brought up the hill.

 

[ChickenAlgebra]

Could be history to the property also. So long as the whatever is friendly, I'd let it be.

One of our homes, we'd not yet had 3 dogs, yet, Charlotte would always be talking about her 3 puppies. I never saw anything, I'd see the other 2 dogs acting like there was a 3rd dog there maybe, and Charlotte could draw a puppy picture.

I put it up to her imagination actually until one day. The kids were outside playing with the dogs, I was watching the kids, but had my hands full with Grant teething. Her ball rolled out into the street, she started to run after it, I opened my mouth to yell at her to stop, but she suddenly sat down like she'd been pushed down and 3 seconds later, the ball came back into the yard as a car sped down the street. The ball got dropped next to her, and she said "Good puppy!!"

I don't think I could have stopped her in time to NOT go in the street, and she'd have been hit by the car. There is NO way that ball got back in the yard and to her on it's own. She said the puppy pushed her down and got her ball for her.

So we had a ghost dog while we lived in that house.

 

[Kansaseq]

Quote:
Shivers! (of the good kind)

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
HHHHMMMMM wonder if a Native American shaman could help out if you were interested in knowing more. I think it would be interesting to find out.

 

[gryeyes]

Every work morning I stop for coffee in Plymouth, which is about 16 miles down the hill from my house. By then, IF I have managed to get myself a cup of coffee at home and into a travel mug, I need a refill. If not, then I just buy a large coffee at the Plymouth Trading Post. And maybe a Danish or bear claw to go with it..... plus, the manager stocks my brand, strength and flavor of cigarettes. Anyway, a couple days ago, I caught this shot of the Pepsi and Coca-Cola trucks parked for unloading their products.

Yesterday I left work at noonish, still not feeling up to par. This meant I got home during daylight hours and could easily see the effects of the overnight rain storm. First, I definitely need to replace the gutters on the house. Water did not flow to the end for dispersal through the down-spout. Everything still outside just "under" the eaves of the porch over the veranda got drenched. Some of it was quite funny,

whilst a few other items may be beyond recovery.
If you can't quite see the level of water in those boots, here's a shot to illustrate it.

The few cook books I'd salvaged from my land-lady's demo crew "toss everything" actions had been packed in a plastic tub. With no lid. So that tub was full of water and everything in it was submerged in rainwater run-off from the roof. Y'see, I used to cook. I still had the Betty Crocker cookbook I'd been given as a wedding gift when I was 17. We are talking about a classic published 41 years ago. Plus a "Cop's Cookbook" and a couple others.

Anyway, on to more pleasant things. The flock was uber-happy foraging after the rain. The waterfowl were all gathered together on the driveway in front of the house.

Isn't it funny how ducks can sleep standing on one foot?

Kate had shepherded the ducklings out to join the rest of the webbed feet contingent.

See that lovely stock tank in those photos? NOBODY has used it for its intended purpose! The occasional chicken will drink from it, standing on the little ramp. My Himalyan, Smudge, also stands there and drinks from the tank. The ducks and geese have yet to go swimming in it. I have stood on the far side and splashed water with my hands to SHOW them it's a lovely "pond" but they just look at me. The two kiddie pools are what they use, not the stock tank. YET. I suspect the ducklings, when they get brave enough to wander down to that terrace, may be the first to swim in it.

Oh, and notice all the beautiful Gravenstein apples on the tree! They are SO sweet. The chickens and geese absolutely love the fallen apples, and after the storm, there were a few more, which meant less squabbling over the special goodies.

 

[Carols Clucks]

Don't forget the bears love those apples too.

Sorry about your cookbooks.

Too bad your landlord did not read the CA Dept of Consumer affairs Landlord Tenant guide or she would have known how to handle items left behind.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Ahh, but "left behind" isn't exactly what they were.... Y'see, I have not been living there since the middle of June, but still paying rent while I had my new place fixed up and readied. Mice which the cat had kept in check until July 13 took over.... My furniture was moved 9/14 and then I rented a second, smaller U-haul truck on 9/24. My rent was paid through 9/30, but she wanted in early to get the carpet removed and have tile installed. I did my best to get things removed by 9/17, missed that date and she conceded in moving the date to 9/24, I worked at it until Sunday 9/25 at midnight before I crashed and drove home an hour and fifteen minutes away. She gave directions to the crew to "sort" but I guess what I would save and they thought was worth anything were worlds apart. (That is a huge part of the problem - I save too much. Plus I went into a tailspin when my sister died two years ago and I received all of her furniture and household goods. Sane people were horrified at the clutter.)

Monday night after work, I did go dumpster diving to try to recover a few items. It was so dispiriting I gave up.

I've decided to consider the situation as if it were a structure fire; I have a whole lot more than folks who suffered the loss of their homes and everything in 'em through natural disaster.

 

[Carols Clucks]

I understand she is a coworker so not like to you send her a bill for damaged or missing items.

But when she wants to charge you for a clean up, you might want to hand her the list and suggest that she would be on the paying end of the balance sheet in the courtroom.


FYI, she would have had to wait until after 9-30-11. Make a detailed list. Pack it carefully, store it securely and then mail you the list. You would have had 30 days to collect your belongings. Under $300 she could toss, over $300 she would have to turn over to the state to auction and pay you back.