Friday

So it’s Friday now. One day away from Internet!

I thought I should explain some things. First, I drew the dragon in the last post. I realize it is not a great drawing since I can’t actually draw, but I really like my little dragon. Probably because he’s all mine. Most of my art has to be based on something. He’s all free-hand. I wanted to take a picture of the dragon on my backdoor but the light was terrible. I couldn’t get a shot without a reflection or glare. Also my dogs tried to run out every time I opened the door. The dogs will probably be in most of the photos. They are large and they have a knack for getting in the way.

Another thing that COULD be in a photo (not saying this will happen) is Bill the Ghost. We don’t know that his name is Bill but a man named Bill did expire in the house so we just assume. Did I mention the house is haunted? He has a thing with doors. Actually, I don’t think I’ve told this story.

The house seemed fine when I moved in. Normally I can sense a ghostly presence. I didn’t notice anything. My friend the air witch came over with her psychic daughter and they didn’t notice anything either. There’s something a little odd about my sewing room but it’s more of a hot, stuffy, air-can’t-move kind of feeling. I’ve been burning incense and banishing negative energy so the room feels better now but it still seems to have a kind of energy drain on it.

Two months after I moved in I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I got back in bed and just as I was starting to go back to sleep the bedroom door opened.

Of course it startled me. Kevin didn’t live here at the time. I was a single woman living all by myself in the country and suddenly my bedroom door opens in the middle of the night.

Well, I did just go to the bathroom. I shut the door, got back in bed and no sooner than I laid down the door opened again.

Okay that’s just creepy.

I got up, turned on the light, and firmly closed the door. I pushed it. I made sure it was shut. I locked it. Then I turned around and before I got back into bed the door opened.

Waaaaaay creepy.

I shut it, then sat up in bed with the light on for over an hour staring at the door waiting for it to open. Nothing happened. Finally I decided I was stupid. I turned off the light and tried to sleep. About 30 minutes later the door opened again.

I gave up. I left the door open and didn’t sleep at all.

Over the next few nights the door would open all by itself. I couldn’t find a cause for it. I locked it thinking that maybe the latch was worn. It didn’t matter if the door was locked or not. It was always open in the morning. Sometimes it woke me up and sometimes it didn’t. Sometimes it would be wide open and sometimes slightly ajar.

Other doors started to open. I told Kevin and we ran several experiments. We opened and closed doors and windows trying to create drafts. We slammed doors. We stomped around and tried to make doors open by vibration. We looked at knobs and doorframes. Try as we might, we could not make a door open. Kevin told me I had a ghost. I agreed and we headed to the porch. As we walked through the kitchen the living room window slammed shut. We could find no reason for it.

My solution was to leave the doors open.

This worked for a while. One day I came home and the backdoor was open. I was freaked out. I thought robbers were in the house. I stood on the porch for a while and debated going in. I realize no one should ever go in if they come home and find the door open. If you catch the robbers in the act you will be meeting villains alone and unarmed. Things could get ugly. Particularly if you are a country woman living alone and no one will think to check on you for days.

However, I knew I had a ghost. So I entered (carefully, just in case) and when I was sure I wasn’t being robbed I told the ghost he couldn’t be messing with the backdoor because it was too dangerous.

I haven’t come home and found the backdoor open again.

Sometimes I hear him walking through the house in heavy work boots. Kevin has heard him too. The dogs never react so I feel that this is a benign presence. He’s touched Kevin on the arm, lightly, as if brushing into him. I’ve seen Bill the Ghost, he’s white and not at all like that awful shadow person in my last house.

But I could be sharing my space with other things that are not so nice. Bill the Ghost seems to be a different energy from the draining sewing room. My dog Sophie had three stillborn puppies and almost died. My dog Halona had complications after I got her fixed. I had to rush her back to the vet. I became diabetic. Both Kevin and I have unexpectedly been in the hospital. I have had the worst luck with the garden- rabbits, horned worms, and seeds that never sprout. Something ate my aloe. My aloe! I’ve been growing aloes for years and nothing ever bothered them before. The washer keeps breaking down. And it storms here all the time. It will rain here when the rest of the state is suffering a drought.

I asked Kevin if he thought we were having a bad year. He said no because he finally had his finances under control. He said he was happier. I just couldn’t spoil it for him so I didn’t pointed out all this other stuff. Maybe I’m having bad luck. Maybe the land is angry. Maybe the grumpy old fart next door is sending negative energy my way.

Until I figure out what is going on I’ll keep my incense handy.