Happy New Year, my friends.
Many of you know by now, but I thought I’d put it out here for all to see.
This adventure started at Christmas, 2019. Sherri, my wife, had bought a Christmas gift for me of a ghost hunt on the battleship USS North Carolina, moored in Wilmington, NC. My last year in the Coast Guard, I was assigned to the CGC Northwind, which was moored across the river from that old ship (come to think of it, it was the same age as our ship.), and saw it everyday. When they started the ghost tours, I wanted to go back really bad. Now was my chance.
But, thanks to the Kung Flu, the tour was shut down. But, now being retired, I had the trip all planned. We decided to go anyway.
During this time, my daughter Amber and Sherri had began discussing moving the family away from Missouri. Of course, I have lived in several different places and states in my life, but neither my wife or daughter had ever lived outside the Show-Me State, and Amber had left New Haven only once, for a short time. As they were looking around for places to consider moving, I off-handedly suggested Mt. Airy, NC.
Readers of mine will know, in the book Nothing Ever Happens in New Haven, I compared the town to Mayberry, the fictional town in the old 1050’s Andy Griffith Show. I have said many times over the years that New Haven was the closest thing to Mayberry that still existed. What many don’t know is Mayberry was based on Andy Griffith’s home town of Mt. Airy, NC.
Well, the two looked into it and found out the school system here is amazing! All the public schools are like charter schools, and the taxes and cost of living is very low compared to mid-Missouri. In fact, getting my two granddaughters into the Mt. Airy school, if not living inside city limits, cost a whopping $200 a year. New Haven, for those wanting the smaller school attention, runs a several thousand or more. Plus, my granddaughter in 7th grade has courses in robotics and speaking Chinese as well as other advanced courses. The first grader is already learning Spanish! Additionally, the school system just won 10 awards, including three in Electronic Media, one in Digital Media Engagement, plus awards in Graphic Design, Marketing, Excellence in Writing, and other programs.
Sherri and Amber came out in October of 2019, and met the teachers and principal of the local schools. Since we had the reservations anyway, Sherri and I came out in March of 2020, and found 10 acres or so on the top of a mountain, and purchased the land fairly cheaply. To make it short and sweet, I now live on a mountain top with an incredible view of Pilot Mountain, a small cemetery on the property last used in 1932, and a brand new house we had built for our retirement.
It was tough, leaving my home state. The ghost tours of Hermann, the haunted places in Washington, the great friends at home and the ghost hunting friends like Chief Mason Griffith, Sensitive Tim Clifton, my old college buddy turned ghost hunter John Perkins, new hunter Jan West and others. Plus, I was lucky to work with such great other teams as St. Louis Paranormal Research Society, (who brought me into the Lemp Brewery, the Fox Theater, the Lindell Theater, among other places), the outstanding Gateway Paranormal Team, the Kansas Paranormal Research Society, Road Trip Paranormal, and so many others. I am fortunate enough to still have their ears when I need their help or counsel. I speak with Tim, Mason, and Mark Farley from St. Louis Paranormal several times a month, and I’m text or emailing others each week. Friends forever!
Out here, we have Bigfoot, UFO’s, ghosts, and alleged secret military mountain bases for aliens. So I’m sure I’ll keep busy. Today, January 9, 2021, I got my old desk from my daughter after being completely re-worked, and got the computers set up. I plan to start doing the ghost stuff again shortly, as weather out here permits. Here is my working desk and the view:
So, while I still have one more book to write about the hauntings in Hermann, and plan to work on one about haunted theaters including the Fox and Hermann’s Showboat Theater, and I plan to return to Missouri for several more ghost related events, the new adventure is out here. Please keep in touch, and wish me luck!
Spookstalker 