Friday, October 29, 2010

A Haunted Farm?


It's that time of year farm friends.  The time for witches, goblins, ghosts and ghouls to have their special night. Halloween comes only once a year, but hauntings can happen anytime, anywhere, to anybody. As an adult, I'm not sure I believe in ghosts. However, growing up in a family of storytellers, especially during the witching season, sure made me think about the possibility.  And, Hollywood's contributions didn't help much either.

Two of my nephews when they would dress up in sweet costumes
As a child, I was scared of pretty much everything.  When the "Amityville Horror" was released my parents wouldn't let me see it,  I was only 10 years old.  Eventually, the movie came on television and I begged and begged to watch it. I could be quite overbearing when I had my mind on something and they finally agreed, with one stipulation-- I had to sleep by myself afterward. Well, that is no big deal. I won't be that scared. Deal!

Me preparing for piano recital around 10 years old
That night, I sat glued to the little TV in my parent's room. I was terrified by the opening music. By the time the Lutz family fled the house, I was beside myself. Off to my room I went, leaping into bed and under the covers in case something was underneath. I fashioned a small slit through the sheet to breathe. I couldn't and wouldn't expose my face to anything on the outside of the covers.  Of course, I was a sitting duck--blind to whatever monster, creature, ghost, goblin or Jodie the pig decided to do to a shivering figure breathing through a slit in the sheets. Never mind the  clock tick, tick, ticking away the moments until 3:15 a.m. I hated 3:15. If you watch the movie, you know why. I never made it to 3:15, however. This witching hour would come and go with me under a blanket, in the floor next to mom and dad's bed, clutching a pillow.

The Amityville Horror House
My intense desire to watch scary movies and then regret it afterward continued into my adulthood.  I've spent many nights awake, when my husband was out of town because I had to watch a crazy, scary movie.  Now, my husband on the other hand, he won't watch anything like that.  He is not one to bring on a scare.  He has had a few brushes with the undead over the years, according to him.  Me, nothing.  I would almost beg to see some wisp of a figure walk through the hall.  Him, he doesn't want anything to do with it--but he often smells unexplained odors, such as cologne or cigar smoke, or unlocked doors will magically lock themselves. Sometimes, he hears footsteps or the back door mysteriously open. I always have an explanation for anything he throws at me but he insists I am wrong. Now, I attribute most of this to his eccentricities, but from time to time he's made me stop and think.

The barn is where he often feels things are "off," so to speak.  Many nights he puts the donkeys in their stall with the doors closed and when he feeds the next morning one of the donkeys will be separated and in the second stall with the door still closed.  This has happened so many times.  I just poo poo him, but last New Year's Eve my sister and her family came to house sit for us.  She called to tell me she got the strangest feeling in the barn.  She said she closed down the barn the night before and the next morning she found the closed doors open and the donkeys moved.  When she told me this, I have to admit, I got chill bumps.  The husband is used to it. He even thinks he saw it one time, calling it the black haired farmer. Whoever/whatever is just simply mischievous and loves the barn, Richie said.  I like to think it's the old farmer who built the barn many years ago, but I don't really believe in spirits.

Haunted Verde Barn?

How about it. does your home go bump in the night? Is your barn inhabited by an opaque, donkey moving, black-haired farmer, or some other poor and restless soul?  If so, don't worry about it too much, unless you start waking up at 3:15 a.m. and your walls are bleeding. In that case, flee by the 28th day!

Happy Halloween All!

26 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

UGH! I hate scary movies! And anything that could possibly happen in real life. I totally believe in ghosts, spirits, wandering souls, etc., so I'm glad yours seems to be a happy, farming one! And glad your husband doesn't get creeped out by him/it! :)

Farm Girl said...

Lovely stories, to tell you the truth I still am on the fence, things have happened that I can't explain but I am too chicken to want to go there to often. I hate scary movies too. I won't watch them but I did go see Amityville Horror by myself in the theater. Nuttiest thing I ever did, well except sneaking off to a old theater in the downtown part of town to see the Exorcist. I wasn't a Christian or anything at the time and neither was my friend and we were on our knees in the theater praying for every thing we were worth. Then we had to walk to my car and then I had to drive home by myself, and my cousin was living with us at the time and knew what I had snuck off to do, and I was sitting in our living room and he was peering in the window, though I would die. I slept with a radio on in my room for months.
I love the picture of your haunted barn.
I love how much history you have all around you.
Sorry this is so long.
Have a great, (haunted) Halloween. :)

Unknown said...

I never watch scary movies! I would never sleep again!

xo,

annie

happy halloween!

Verde Farm said...

Somehow Canyon Girl's comment got deleted mistakenly so I am reposting as I thought it was neat:
"My husband sees them too sometimes. Not me. I'm not afraid of the dark -- I don't like scary movies -- I never saw a ghost. In Sweden, witches fly on broom sticks to a place called Blakulla, the Thursday before Easter. And kids go around the neighborhood getting candy, just like they do here on Halloween."
Thanks Canyon Girl

Sharon said...

The movie "Amityville Horror" was absolutely nothing compared to reading it, after everyone had gone to bed and it was pitch black outside. I used to read a good book in the evening (start to finish) and I was late getting started, so there I was at 1:00 in the morning - scared out of my wits! I finished and went straight to bed all wide eyed! Rough night! I don't watch many scarey movies unless I can shut that stupid sound off - that's what gets a person!
Happy Halloween!

Country Gal said...

After my dad passed I encountered his spirit as there were only certain things he did or said that only I knew of at the time of his spirt showing up.He called my nick name he gave me as a child he wispered it to me and he always pulled my long hair back off of my shoulder as a child so he could see my face and his spirit did that as well. When my mum traveled to England after his death, she went to a psychic whom she has never met , my mum didnt believe in them but thought it would be good for a laugh, Well it was more like a shock she got, The psychic said my dads name and said the name my dad called my mum by her nick name, well my mum was in aww cause she never told them a thing, well my dad was there with her in England to watch over her as she hasnt traveled for years on her own, the psychic said he is happy cause he visited his family and can rest in peace that they are all fine, after that I havent heard from him again! So yes I do believe in the spirits as I have witnessed them more then this one time ! Have a great weekend !

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

Can you say chicken? I will only watch a scary movie if my kids or husband are home. Your story about the barn was creepy in a fun kind of way.

Angela said...

I don't think I've ever seen that movie Amy. I'm not very good with the scary movies now that I haven't watched them in a long time because of the kids.

I did see a little girl with long brown hair in a beautiful dress in our old farm house that we lived in before we built our house. I was pregnant and woke up to find her. She told me everything was going to be alright and then she disappeared. She was a beautiful little girl. We have since then tore down the old house. It was around 100 years old. It wasn't kept up over the years. It would have cost more to fix it up than to build a new house.

Happy Halloween!
Angela

Michelle said...

I don't watch scary movies, they just creep me out. I did read the Amityville Horror, though. Didn't sleep for a week. Interesting stuff at your barn. I am not sure I would be brave enough to work in it alone at night.

FarmHouse Style said...

I made the mistake of watching the Exorcist at a young age and I must say it scarred me for life! Since then, I don't do scary movies and eventhough I've occasionally encountered things that I could not explain, I tend to not think about them too hard. I'm just a big ole' fraidy cat.

Glenda said...

Oh my, I would have so much fun at Verde Farm. I would be scared half to death, but would be begging to close the barn down for the night. Still watch scary movies with Bob the Builder in the room, but cover my eyes and peek out when I know something is about to jump!!!
~G~
Happy ~Haunted~ Halloween

Maureen said...

I'm just a big weenie and don't watch scary movies. Like Farmhouse Style I watched The Exorcist and that scared the dickens out of me.

Chris at Red Gate Farm said...

No ghosts in my barn, not that I'm aware of at least. The man we bought our place from, his father died in our original barn, so maybe he was still hanging around??
I agree about scary movies, nobody told me that in the original Halloween movie, Jamie Lee Curtis is BABYSITTING... I watched it while babysitting too. Not a good combo, I still think it is one of the scariest movies, ever.
Chris

Melodie said...

Our old house is 103 years old..we conveniently blame all things miss placed on "ghost"! I do believe in ghost though....

Rural Rambler said...

I don't watch scary movies, they make me scream like a little school girl! Love the picture of Verde Farm Barn :) Happy Halloween!

Karen Thomason/Gordon Setter Crossing said...

The Exorcist scared the you know what out of me years ago and I haven't watched a movie like that since. I do, however, believe that some spirits remain behind for what ever reason, and can show their presence. Watch out for them this week end!!

Lisa@Pickles and Cheese said...

That is a great story! Creeped me right out! The witch's and the tornado in The Wizard of Oz scared me as a kid! I saw the Exorcist when I was in college...scariest movie ever I think! I don't usually do scary movies or books any more but I find stories like yours and the those in the comments here fascinating!

Janet, said...

I don't watch scary movies! I've never seen the Amityville Horror film. There's a ghost tale on the land where we live. This used to be an old farm that was subdivided into around 8 lots. The lot on the end of the field was where a barn used to be. They say a graveyard was there before the barn and the farmer pulled up the tombstones and built his barn over where the graves were. His cows wouldn't stay in the barn, they carried on something awful and always tried to get out of the stalls. Well, the barn isn't there any more, but a house stands there now. Just about everyone in the county knows the story about the barn built over the graveyard and the animals wouldn't stay in it.

jp@A Green Ridge said...

Well, after reading that, I guess I won't take a nap after all! Thanks, Amy...:)JP

flowerweaver said...

Thanks for visiting my blog via Hug a Sheep! I don't watch scary movies at all, but I once had an experience with ghosts while traveling so I can no longer deny their existence. Of course, we live in a 'ghost town' and keep expecting to see the 1860's blacksmith who once lived on our property.

Razzberry Corner said...

How very neat to read about your ghost man! The old timers who knew our historic home before we moved here tell us that our home is haunted by an old woman and a young boy. They say they have actually seen their ghosts in the house! The woman who we bought it from said she could always smell food cooking in the kitchen when nothing was actually cooking. I told her I wish the ghosts would cook for me! I totally believe in spirits/ghosts/whatever they are, I can feel them in the house, although I don't see them much. I love knowing that they are around.
-Lynn

Maura @ Kisiwa Creek Photography said...

Cute post Amy! I'm like you in that I'm scared of the dark. Not as bad as I was as a kid but still not good either. As a child I wanted to watch the scary movies too but couldn't do it at my home with my grandparents and dad but when I'd go to my friends (one day to become my step family) home we'd get to stay up late and watch Chiller Thriller!!! BUT...then for the next week or so I wouldn't be able to fall asleep for hours and heard things during the night that scared the heck out of me. I was a sucker for punishment I guess. Now I know better and don't watch movies like that...after all...I live in the country and my hubby works nights :0 Have a wonderful day...
Maura :)

Missouri Gal said...

I'm a believer. Had strange things in my house as a child. had a tall thin man in my old house in Jeff. My daughter, my hubs and myself saw him. Never did anything to us, just stood and watched.
I watched Sybil when I was little, as in under the age of 10. Scared me to death! Thankfully my sister and I shared a bed at that time. But I recall doing the run and jump thing into my bed as well. I still like scary movies!

Lisa Sall - Sall's Country Life said...

Yikes! Love your scary barn image!
Lisa

Janice Grinyer said...

uhm. Im sure there are many here who are still creeped out about going into the basement. Any basement. At night. Alone. lol

my new house doesnt have a basement :p!

Rebecca said...

What a fun post-love scary movies-especially ones that are based on true life-like the Haunting in Conneticut-one of my favorites-and I love making my house look haunted!