Kansas: Haunted Wellington?

Okay - this was for Saturday... but it will undoubtedly be repeated next year so mark it on your calendars!

From The Wellington Daily News: Haunted Wellington?
Wellington, Kan. — At over 140-years old, it can't be denied that Wellington has a lot of history. With that kind of age, the town is also a potential hot-bed for paranormal activity.

Over the past few years, paranormal investigators have visited the city to perform ghost hunts for local fundraising efforts. Several of those events have been conducted by Paranormal Investigations of Wichita (PIW). Saturday, April 28 the group will be back in Wellington.

This time PIW will be taking people through the Memorial Auditorium, along with the Smith, Bales and Buckman buildings downtown, followed by the Regent Theatre.

"We're going to do something that we've never done before," said PIW's Tom Tongue. "We're going to do a live ghost hunt, in a building we've never been in." That building used to house Blossoms by Bridgett.

"I'm going to do an orientation at the Memorial Auditorium before each of the ghost hunts," Tongue explained. "...We'll give people a chance to ask questions, see how we do it, and what kind of equipment we're using." PIW is also bringing in someone with "sixth sense abilities."

"And this will be her first time in the building, so we'll get an opportunity to watch her walk through the building and see what she picks up as well," Tongue continued. As previously stated, this isn't the first time for the paranormal group to visit Wellington.

"You've got to remember, your city was founded back in the 1870's..." Tongue said. "It had a tornado, you've had a rebuilding, and it's really a very cool downtown." He noted that a lot of the downtown has been restored and is easily navigable for the ghost-hunters.

Tongue's group has been on ghost hunts in the Chisholm Trail Museum, and the Old Junior High School Building in Wellington; along with the buildings scheduled for this upcoming hunt.

"We've investigated a lot of private homes, and some private businesses..." he said. "There's a hell of a lot more going on down there than just what you read about us." So Why Wellington?

"When you've got that much history in one location, and you've got people in town who are interested in what we have to say about it, it works out pretty well," Tongue said. With PIW's past experiences in the upcoming ghost hunt locations, Tongue said people's senses are going to get a workout.

"In the auditorium, they may be able to smell something, in the Buckman building they may be able to feel something, and hear something," he explained. "In the Smith building, there's a very good chance they're going to hear and possibly see something."

For a $20 donation, people can go on the 7:30 p.m. ghost hunt on April 28. There is a VIP session at 10 p.m., at the Regent that is for a minimum of a $30 donation. All money raised during the event will go towards the restoration of the Memorial Auditorium, and the Regent.

Tickets are still on sale, and can be purchased from Pam Hinman. Anyone interested in tickets can call her at 620-326-2162 or 316-650-3930. Event organizers are asking people to wear "sensible shoes," and to bring a flashlight. Ghost hunt participants "must be in good physical health, and 16 or older."

While the town may have a lot of history, Tongue said just because a building has been a round for a long time isn't the only factor when it comes to hauntings

"It doesn't necessarily have to be aged," Tongue said. "It just has to be a place where there's been some tragedy or a place where spirits feel comfortable to return to."

The High River train station ghost hunt

From the High River Times: The High River train station ghost hunt
If anyone saw lights on at the train station late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, no worries the museum wasn’t being broken into. It was just the sight of a paranormal investigation.

The not-for-profit Office of Paranormal Investigation and Research (OPIR) made the train station their home for a few hours and did a bit of poking around to see if there was any validity to the numerous claims that the station is haunted.

What they found was interesting according to Ryan Dowson, director of OPIR.

“Initial reaction it seems as though there is something there and it seems to be there is some historical facts to back that up,” said Dowson.

The team utilizes a number of various devices to record their investigations. They utilize video recorders, cameras, voice recorders, digital thermometers, and a compass during their investigations as well as some less scientific methods like feelings and a medium (who comes in blind to the building, not knowing anything beforehand).

OPIR hasn’t had a chance to fully go over their findings just yet, it takes a long time to fully go over everything, but they did have a preliminary thought on some of the things that occurred in the building. This included an interesting experiment with the office and one of the doors.

“We were all sitting in there and Krystyna [Halliwell] got up, the door opened up itself. That we haven’t debunked because you actually have to push on the door to open it,” said Patricia Dowson. “We haven’t really figured out a way to debunk that one. Playing around with it it won’t just open, you actually have to push on it.”

The door won’t even open when you jump on the floor around it, as tested by Ryan. According to Halliwell from the museum that door doesn’t just swing open on its own either.

The only other thing they saw, or at least felt, was in the ladies washroom.

Patricia went to go wash her hands at one point and felt an intense sensation to stare up at the mirror, expecting to see something there. And it wasn’t just Patricia who experienced that.

“If there is one team member that felt out of place, that doesn’t mean much. Having multiple team members at different times, that is an indication of something,” said Patricia. “None of us had talked at that point either. I thought that was a very strong indicator.”

Outside of those experiences, the OPIR thinks they may have caught a couple of other things on cameras and possibly a couple of sounds but they will know for sure after finishing looking through all their data.

This isn’t the first time the OPIR has done an investigation either. Both Ryan and Patricia are fairly seasoned at doing ghost hunts, with about a decade of experience each under their belts and said the High River area is ripe with places they would love to go and visit.

“There are lots of other places out there and High River is a perfect location,” said Ryan. “We’ve got right now, nine or ten active case files that we are pursuing; most of that is from the High River area.”

As for a summation of their findings, that should be up on OPIR’s website www.opir.ca by the end of the month.

The High River train station ghost hunt

From High River Times: The High River train station ghost hunt
If anyone saw lights on at the train station late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, no worries the museum wasn’t being broken into. It was just the sight of a paranormal investigation.

The not-for-profit Office of Paranormal Investigation and Research (OPIR) made the train station their home for a few hours and did a bit of poking around to see if there was any validity to the numerous claims that the station is haunted.

What they found was interesting according to Ryan Dowson, director of OPIR.

“Initial reaction it seems as though there is something there and it seems to be there is some historical facts to back that up,” said Dowson.

The team utilizes a number of various devices to record their investigations. They utilize video recorders, cameras, voice recorders, digital thermometers, and a compass during their investigations as well as some less scientific methods like feelings and a medium (who comes in blind to the building, not knowing anything beforehand).

OPIR hasn’t had a chance to fully go over their findings just yet, it takes a long time to fully go over everything, but they did have a preliminary thought on some of the things that occurred in the building. This included an interesting experiment with the office and one of the doors.

“We were all sitting in there and Krystyna [Halliwell] got up, the door opened up itself. That we haven’t debunked because you actually have to push on the door to open it,” said Patricia Dowson. “We haven’t really figured out a way to debunk that one. Playing around with it it won’t just open, you actually have to push on it.”

The door won’t even open when you jump on the floor around it, as tested by Ryan. According to Halliwell from the museum that door doesn’t just swing open on its own either.

The only other thing they saw, or at least felt, was in the ladies washroom.

Patricia went to go wash her hands at one point and felt an intense sensation to stare up at the mirror, expecting to see something there. And it wasn’t just Patricia who experienced that.

“If there is one team member that felt out of place, that doesn’t mean much. Having multiple team members at different times, that is an indication of something,” said Patricia. “None of us had talked at that point either. I thought that was a very strong indicator.”

Outside of those experiences, the OPIR thinks they may have caught a couple of other things on cameras and possibly a couple of sounds but they will know for sure after finishing looking through all their data.

This isn’t the first time the OPIR has done an investigation either. Both Ryan and Patricia are fairly seasoned at doing ghost hunts, with about a decade of experience each under their belts and said the High River area is ripe with places they would love to go and visit.

“There are lots of other places out there and High River is a perfect location,” said Ryan. “We’ve got right now, nine or ten active case files that we are pursuing; most of that is from the High River area.”

As for a summation of their findings, that should be up on OPIR’s website www.opir.ca by the end of the month.

Spanky’s Diner ghost hunt in Massena to benefit American Red Cross

You missed it this Sunday, but they'll doubtless do it again next year. Mark it on your calendars.

From Watertown Daily News: Spanky’s Diner ghost hunt in Massena to benefit American Red Cross
MASSENA — Anyone who has lived in Massena for any length of time has undoubtedly heard Spanky’s Diner is haunted.

Some people believe the tale — others do not — but if you find yourself on the fence, this evening may be your opportunity to find out once and for all what is behind one of Massena’s most well-known local legends.

The PISToLS, Paranormal Investigations of the St. Lawrence Seaway, will host a paranormal investigation of the property at 7 p.m. Sunday. The cost to tag along is $10, all of which will be donated to the local branch of the American Red Cross.

“Spanky’s is one of the more well-known haunts in the area,” said PISToLS co-founder Lana M. Putnam. “This will be our first time going into Spanky’s, but there have been several other groups who have gone in there before.”

Aside from raising funds for the Red Cross, Ms. Putnam said a secondary goal is to educate the public about what they do.

“We’re going to show people our equipment, let them use it and explain to them what we do,” she said. “We’re not just going to show them the metaphysical side, but the scientific side we use to back that up.”

Ms. Putnam explained while she is a believer in the paranormal, she looks for evidence to back up people’s claims and tales.

One person who believes the diner is haunted is Valerie J. LeValley, who owns and operates the diner purchased by her father, Alex “Spanky” Krywanczyk, more than 20 years ago.

“If I’m in the only one here and I’m in the basement, I can hear footsteps upstairs,” she said. “The lights go on and off, the radio goes on and off and the stoves do, too,” she said, adding she can also feel people walk by her when she’s in the basement.

When asked what her customers think of the legend, Ms. LeValley said the reaction is mixed.

“I think a lot of customers don’t want to think about it,” she said. “That’s why it’s not advertised up here or anything.”

While the bulk of her customers would rather not think about the possibility of their favorite lunch spot being haunted, other customers have asked about it.

When people take them up on the offer, Ms. LeValley said they are seldom alone.”

Tickets for the event are $10 each and may be purchased at Spanky’s Diner or at the weekend’s Psychic and Holistic Wellness Faire at St. Lawrence Centre. Participants must be 18 years old and sign a waiver.

The 2012 San Diego County Fair Is “Out Of This World!"

From San Diego Scoop: The 2012 San Diego County Fair Is “Out Of This World!”

Blast off to the 2012 San Diego County Fair June 8 through July 4! The San Diego County Fair, presented by Albertsons/Sav-on, promises to be an “Out Of This World” experience featuring man’s fascination with the world of outer space and the wonder of the universe, as well as the fun and imaginative world of science fiction.

The “Out Of This World” Theme Exhibit, sponsored by Jeffrey Scott Fine Magnetics, will have images to captivate and countdowns to anticipate. Do some star “gazing,” take a “walk on the moon,” and visit a UFO. Here’s what to look forward to:

* The Mars Rover, Curiosity, will land on the red planet this August. Experience the countdown and watch the simulated landing as scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory believe it will happen.

* Relive the Apollo Space program; look back on the moonwalkers and the Astronaut Hall Of Fame.

* Learn about NASA’s Space Centers; explore the Space Shuttle program, compliments of the Johnson Space Center.

* Find out the latest on NASA TV and journey to the Moon, to Mars and the edge of the universe in our mini-theater.

* “Step” on the moon and have your photo taken with Earth as the backdrop.

* Open your mind to UFOs! The most notable events of UFOlogy are on display – including Roswell, the mystery of Area 51, and more.

* The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego Air and Space Museum, and the Palomar College Planetarium will have special exhibits exploring the marvels of our galaxy.

* It fell from the heavens. An actual meteor will be on display.

* Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an astronaut? “Wild Science” is an area of interactive play which will give you an idea of the challenges that astronauts endure in space travel.

* What does your cellular phone, a cordless drill, and the gel inserts in your shoe have in common? They were first developed for the space program. You’ll be amazed by the everyday products and devices that have “Out Of This World” origins.

* Stargaze and view the incredible images taken by the Hubble telescope.

* Oceanside Photo and Telescope will help you “view” the stars, and beyond. See what’s going on in our universe through Google Sky and NASA’s Eye on the Earth.

Curiosities abound at Area Fifty-Fun! Enter the realm of science fiction, UFOs and other evidence of life beyond earth out in the infield at Area Fifty-Fun. Experience the unexplained and unexplored. The sky’s the limit.

* Can anybody explain “crop circles,” the Bermuda Triangle, and the Nazca Lines? There are unexplained phenomena, or “things that don’t fit.” Explore the mystery of the Easter Island statues, Stonehenge, and the Egyptian Pyramids.

* What does the Mayan Calendar actually mean? Just what is predicted to happen on December 21, 2012?

* The OTW Learning Lab will feature “researchers” gaining insight on life forms in our galaxy. Look for tongue-in-cheek fun and amazing creatures to discover.

* See the influence of space travel on pop culture. You’ll find wacky, weird, and fun collectibles from TV, movies and fashion on display.

* Visit an “alien crash site” with “Out Of This World” antics.

Every day at the Fair will be filled with discovery and the mystery of the outer limits. Be sure to join us for some serious space science and some outer space fanatical fun as the 2012 San Diego County Fair is “Out Of This World.”

The 2012 San Diego County Fair will run for 24 days opening Friday, June 8, to Wednesday, July 4. The Fair will be closed Mondays except July 2.

Gates open daily at 11 a.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, and 10 a.m., Saturdays, Sundays, and Monday July 2. Admission is $13 for adults; $7 for ages 6-12 and 62 and older; free for ages 5 and younger.

For more information about the fair go to the Fair website, www.sdfair.com. Facebook fans will find the Fair at www.facebook.com/sdfair. Twitter fans can get updates and special offers at twitter.com/sdfair and those on the go can use the Fairgrounds mobile phone website at m.sdfair.com. (Please note: The mobile phone link only works when used on a mobile phone)

With 4 Million Views in 48 Hours Live Streaming Ghost Hunting Show LiveSciFi Officially Goes Viral, with 12 Hours to Go, Looks to Set Bar for Original Online Content

From Broadcast Newsroom: With 4 Million Views in 48 Hours Live Streaming Ghost Hunting Show LiveSciFi Officially Goes Viral, with 12 Hours to Go, Looks to Set Bar for Original Online Content
Atchison, KS (PRWEB) April 17, 2012 Billed as "Big Brother meets Ghostbusters" online reality show LiveSciFi.tv is scoring a hit this weekend as the relaunch of their cult streaming ghost hunting show gets over 4 million views in the first 48 hours, going into their final night on location at the haunted "Sallie House" of Atchison, KS. Scheduled to last 72 hours, the response to the show has been so great the team decided to extend it to 96 hours to give the viewers just a bit more paranormal investigation to ponder until the next live show scheduled for late May. LiveSciFi can be viewed live from now until 4am PST Tuesday April 17th at LiveSciFi.tv. Evidence clips will be posted over the next few days to the LiveSciFi.tv paranormal blog.

Known for taking tamer cable TV ghost hunting fare to the extreme, the LiveSciFi team (Tim Wood, Scott Di Lalla, and Patrick Langdon) visit the most haunted locations and take turns doing various experiments such as Ouija board, Ganzfeld sensory deprivation, BeezleBox(tm) and Ghost Radar®. Calling itself "As real as it gets." the show allows viewers to watch unedited continuous feeds from various rooms in the house while the ghost hunters deal with whatever supernatural energies may exist in the house and attempt to bring them to the visual and aural realm for all to see.

Created by Wood in late 2007, LiveSciFi was the first live streaming paranormal show ever attempted on the internet and it achieved a cult-like status among loyal followers even though the technology wasn't up to today's standards. "I just got sick of various fake paranormal shows that were edited down without showing the audience what was really happening and letting them decide for themselves," says Wood, "I never imagined it would go this crazy." The show came to the attention of award-winning One World Studios Ltd. toppers Scott Di Lalla and Zack Coffman who acquired it just three weeks prior to this weekend's streaming, keeping Wood on as host and creative director.

The One World duo had just finished up their own paranormal Ouija movie, a feature film called "I Am ZoZo" shot entirely on Super 8mm and based on true accounts of the demon ZoZo attacking people through the Ouija board, when Di Lalla's friend and fellow paranormal hobbyist Patrick Langdon mentioned that the intense online reality show he had appeared on needed another camera operator. Di Lalla accompanied LiveSciFi for a weekend and when he returned he told Coffman, "We gotta get in on this." Two weeks later One World had acquired the show and began seeking sponsors and a platform to stream it to the widest possible audience. "We approached all the usual suspects, but honestly, this is sort of unexplored territory so it wasn't easy with such a short window before the next show. Justin.tv told us that they could offer a front page placement and we had the deal done in a matter of hours. Muses Coffman, "The guys at Justin told us to expect 750k to 1 million viewers over the weekend and those were amazing numbers to us. We never expected the response to be four times that...and it's still going for one more night."

Bethlehem, PA: Sun Inn to Host 'Ghost Hunt' Saturday Night Fr

om Bethlehem Patch: Sun Inn to Host 'Ghost Hunt' Saturday Night
f you have ever wanted to hunt ghosts like the folks from The Atlantic Paranormal Society on the SyFy Channel, the Sun Inn will give you a chance this Saturday night.

Accompany Lehigh Valley P.H.E.A.R. (Paranormal Help Experiment and Activity Research) on what the Sun Inn is billing as “an actual ghost hunting experience as seen on TV.”

Organizers are telling would-be ghost hunters to “bring your own flashlight, camera and voice recorder.” Those who come will be teamed up with members of P.H.E.A.R. to explore different parts of the building.

On television, the TAPS team found “Sarah,” the spirit of a little girl who is said to inhabit the third floor of the Inn. The organizers are challenging visitors to do the same.

The Sun Inn is asking for a $35 donation to participate in the hunt from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Call the Sun Inn Preservation Association office for reservations at 610-866-1758.

Sun Inn
556 Main St, Bethlehem, PA

Australia: Ghostly Pursuit

From the Canberra Times: Ghostly pursuit

Old Bywong Town is a creepy place to be seeking spirits on an unusually chilly night.

Low clouds race furiously across a shallow sky. I've never seen clouds move so fast. It's as if they're running from something. All around me, tall dead grass blows forlornly in the wind as the cold change approaches. It's eerie, and the tour hasn't even started.

Braving the conditions and sitting on a piece of old machinery out the front of historic Bywong Town, Canberra-based ghost hunter Jo Howard is deep in contemplation. She's a ghost aficionado who has been on many tours around Australia in her quest to experience the paranormal and tonight she is joining me on the inaugural ghost tour of this old gold mining town, just north of the ACT border.

''I've heard all sorts of stories about this place,'' whispers Jo, and she pulls her beanie down lower to protect herself from the howling wind. It's also unseasonably cold, so we're both relieved when the bus carrying the rest of the tour participants finally arrives from Goulburn.

Inside the locked gates we meet our guides for the night, Louise Heatherbrae and her paranormal investigator, Bobbi. If you see a shadow, or hear something go bump in the night, its Bobbi's job to come running. And no, she isn't wearing overalls or sporting an ectoplasm vacuum backpack, but she does have gear, and plenty of it.

While Louise and Bobbi unpack their ghost-hunting kits, the rest of us head off on a sortie. The sun has well and truly set and the dark clouds have got even lower, shrouding the ghost town in a miserable mizzle. My weak torchlight lances through the night air. Ghost gums flank me on either side. Jo's already snapping photos, hoping to catch an obscure orb or inexplicable vision.

As I creep around (read: stumble over) the old humpies, I fall victim to the dreaded heebie jeebies not once, but twice. The first is when my light shines on a sleeping mannequin partially hidden beneath a sheet of canvas, and the other when I illuminate a row of weathered saddles and other tack at the old saddlery. At first glance they resemble human skeletons dangling from the rafters; at least in this highly charged atmosphere they do.

As if that's not enough, as I look over my shoulder to see what the scratching noise is behind me (turns out to be a possum), I come face to face with a moss-encrusted ram skull nailed on a tree like some wanted poster. This is Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets Blair Witch Project. Even the landscape looks harsh, despite recent rain the ground is seemingly devoid of vegetation. It's as if it's had the life sucked out of it.

''Everyone back to base,'' Louise's crackly voice cuts through the moist night air as the wind drops and the drizzle sets in. Back at base there's a head count. There's eight of us. Well, that's eight of the flesh and blood kind. ''We often encounter the odd phantom wandering through here,'' deadpans Louise, the flickering lantern picking up the seriousness on her face.

We line up and are issued with our ghost-detecting equipment. There's got to be more surveillance equipment here than the cops used in the recent hunt for fugitive Malcolm Naden. These include small video cameras that look like torches (presumably to trick the camera-shy ghosts into showing themselves), EMF meters that apparently measure magnetic/electrical fields and digital audio recorders to capture those ghosties who are up for a chat. There are also ghost boxes which, according to Bobbi, ''allow people to have conversations with spirits''.

Just before we set off, we're also all issued with a handful of barley sugars. ''I'll explain why later,'' Louise advises mysteriously. I just hope I won't be staking out a 120-year-old humpy so long that I'll need barely sugar for sustenance. Not in this weather anyway. With military precision we fan out in V formation through the old town. If a sleeping wallaby 200 metres away near as passes wind, I'm confident that our gear will pick it up. Among all the humpies is a relatively stately looking cottage. ''This was the best home in the village,'' says Louise, as we enter through the obligatory creaking door. I prepare to wipe away the otherwise ubiquitous spider webs and dust. However, inside it's near spotless. An old ram's skull nailed to a tree at Old Bywong Town. Photo: Tim the Yowie Man ''People speak about a woman seen in here sweeping and psychics have contacted a woman in the building who is believed to be very house proud,'' says Louise, who explains that despite the fact this cottage is never cleaned it remains spick and span. Great - a house-cleaning ghost. Now, that's one I wouldn't mind haunting my home. Outside the ''clean house'', Lizzie McIntosh, a paranormal enthusiast from Braidwood, thinks she's heard some footsteps. Bobbi rushes over and studiously listens back on the digital recorder. ''It's too hard to call,'' is her initial verdict. Apparently it's not the first time steps have been heard in this part of the village. ''These footsteps are believed to be what we call residual haunting,'' explains Louise. ''That is where energy from the living has been left behind and repeats day-to-day activities.'' ''These hauntings are not believed to be intelligent and you cannot interact with them and nothing stops the haunting until the energy fades,'' adds Bobbi, listening to the recording again. The phantom footsteps aren't the only hauntings here at old Bywong. According to Louise and Bobbi, there is a veritable gaggle of ghosts here. Some even have names, like the ghost of Nicholas Harrison who walks the deserted gold mines. There are two stories surrounding Nicholas's untimely death. One is that he was a gold thief and when chased one night plunged to his death down a mine shaft. Another version is that Nicholas was wrongly accused of thieving gold and his business partner murdered him by pushing him down a shaft. Suddenly, we hear a thud on the track behind us. I quickly look over my shoulder. Lizzie points her camera in the direction of the noise and clicks way. Quite possibly it's a roo. What else can it be? We gather around her camera to look. In the centre of the frame is some sort of shadowy figure. We all pour over the image. ''It appears to be a man wearing long strides and a long sleeved shirt, black thick belt and a cowboy style hat, similar to what the old gold miners used to wear,'' agree Louise and Lizzie. Is it just the drizzle and the light from our torches playing havoc with the shadows or has Lizzie genuinely caught the image of ghost of an old miner? We push on, with a renewed sense that we might not be alone. At the old post office, Louise asks us to pull out our lollies. I reach into my pocket. Eew! My hand is plastered with a sticky gooey substance. I wish I could say it's the errant ectoplasm of a ghost, but alas it's just my melted barley sugar, placed a little too close to my body heat (perhaps raised by my heightened nervousness?). Not wanting to reveal the embarrassing stickiness, I pretend to slip a lollie in my mouth while feverishly attempting to lick my fingers clean. ''We like to use triggers which are used to entice ghosts to interact with us - items that a ghost may be familiar with, something from their era or perhaps an item they may have used,'' explains Louise. ''Barley sugar and toffees would have been a treat for the children and also the men who toiled here.'' But no ghosts or ghouls show up. However, the annoying mizzle does get a little heavier, causing more droplets of water to drip off the trees, resulting in even more nervous glances over our shoulders. A short trek out of the village proper is a billabong. Here gnarly trees and thick reeds hide a hotbed of ghostly activity. Tales of yowies and bunyips also abound. ''Many visitors have reported seeing an elderly man and a young boy fishing from the billabong in period costume,'' says Louise. ''Thinking it is actors in for the tours, people have approached to discover the people just vanish.'' My neck is a little stiff from far too many sudden looks over my shoulder, so I'm quite thankful that a puzzling ''plonk'' in the water is right in front of me. I grab my torch. What can it be? A bunyip on a late-night feeding foray? It turns out to be a duck going for a midnight dip, not that it stops a frenzy of clicking cameras from the tour's posse of true believers. Who knows, maybe they hope it's a ghost duck? If ever there was a location tailor-made for a ghost tour, this has got to be it. Creepy atmosphere, informative guides, peculiar props, spooky stories and close proximity to Canberra. My only word of advice is, if you go and you've got a nervous disposition, do some neck exercises first. Oh, and also be careful where you stash your lollies. FACT FILE Old Bywong Town Ghost Tours: These three-hour plus paranormal investigations run every couple of weeks or so. Next tour is on Friday, April 13, so paraskevidekatriaphobes (fear of Friday the 13th) beware! Bookings essential: spooky@spiritchasers.com.au or (02) 4822 8808. Cost: from $65 per person. Bywong is a 30-minute drive north of Canberra. More: www.spiritchasers.com.au Did You Know: The gold mining town of Bywong was at its peak from 1894 through to 1906

The Future of Paranormal Investigation Arrives with Ghost Hunt IR

Press Release: The Future of Paranormal Investigation Arrives with Ghost Hunt IR

Bowling Green, KY: Have you ever wished you had a thermal imaging camera on your ghost hunt, but thought that they were too expensive and hard to use? Ghost Hunt IR, a team from Bowling Green, KY, is a group of credible thermal imaging experts and offers training seminars on using the equipment, as well as offering the opportunity to have a professional paranormal thermographer accompany YOUR team on YOUR investigation and validate YOUR evidence!

Thermal imaging is considered by most to be the holy grail of paranormal investigating. Thermal imaging cameras, or FLIR which stands for Forward Looking Infrared, have become a very popular tool with many paranormal groups looking for spirit activity. These cameras work similarly to non-contact thermometers, only instead of having one point, they have many points that combine together to form a picture. It allows you to see hot or cold spots in any location and track temperature fluctuations in real time. It is a very valuable tool and provides compelling evidence for many ghost hunting groups.

The paranormal community has long since embraced thermal imaging as a confirmative way to prove temperature anomalies in the location being investigated. The thermal imaging camera points to the future of paranormal detection-human observation operating with devices that measure activity beyond normal sensory perception. Ghost Hunt IR’s mission is to bring the science and the education of paranormal activity together with the science of thermography. They provide level 1 paranormal thermography education as it relates to understanding infrared imaging and ghost hunting, as well as a paranormal infrared investigation national lecture series.

Ghost Hunt IR, a guest at Dead Winter Horror Convention earlier this year and will be a featured guest at Scarefest Convention in the fall, wants to make this type of equipment available for any paranormal group! They are educating paranormal enthusiasts in many seminars over the next few months, and are currently working with several different companies to offer a thermographer to be available at local paranormal events.

For more information on seminars and services, please email info@ghosthuntir.com or call (270)-392-3043. Or you can visit the web at www.ghosthuntir.com, follow us on Twitter @ghosthuntir and like us on Facebook.

Easter Pause

So sorry to have missed so many days of posting - unexpected family matters cropped up.

And now it's Easter, so more family matters.

Will get back on track Monday.

Thanks for your patience.

Old news: Ghost hunt on tap Saturday at Furnace Town in Snow Hill

Yes, it's old news, but I share it so you can put the name of the place - Furnace Town, on your calendar, and check its website for future Ghost Hunts.

From Ocean City Today: Ghost hunt on tap Saturday at Furnace Town in Snow Hill
(March 30, 2012) C & C Investigations will conduct a ghost hunt at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, at Furnace Town Living Heritage Museum. Guests are invited to tag along as the paranormal investigation group, hailing from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, explores the church, furnace, blacksmith shop and trails, among other landmarks.

C & C Investigations has traveled across the United States and appeared on national television for its findings on the supernatural.

Cameras and recording devices are permitted. Cost is $20 per person and space is limited. For more information, or to reserve space, call 410-632-2032.

For more about Furnace Town, visit www.furnacetown.com.

Supernatural' Season 7 Episode 19 'Of Grave Importance' Preview: Who's in a Very Haunted House?

From Gather Entertainment: Supernatural' Season 7 Episode 19 'Of Grave Importance' Preview: Who's in a Very Haunted House?
Supernatural season 7 continues on April 20 with episode 19, "Of Grave Importance,"

"Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) get a call from Annie Hawkins (guest star Jamie Luner), an old hunter friend, asking for help on a case. When they arrive in town, they find out Annie has disappeared. They trace her last whereabouts to an old abandoned house that is haunted by a powerful ghost."

This is the episode that will be bringing in a hunter that both Sam and Dean have a past with, but it doesn't look like they're going to have much time to even share a laugh over that. They have bigger things to worry about, and that's the hunt they're on because it's not going to be their regular, everyday ghost hunt—not once they come across one of the ghosts in the house.

In the Supernatural season 7 episode 19 promo for "Of Grave Importance" , Sam and Dean find themselves in the old Van Ness house, which is on a Most Haunted Houses in America list. It certainly looks like it earned that spot on the list, and this episode looks like it's getting back to the good ol' days of ghost hunting and cases that have the potential to be scary, but it's pretty easy to forget everything else by the end of the promo, when Sam and Dean come face-to-face with someone very dear to them—Bobby. His "You can see me?" ends the promo and breaks your heart.

Episode 18, "Party On, Garth," ended with the reveal that Bobby is very much hanging around, but Dean didn't see him then. What is it about this house that the Winchesters are going to see him now? How will this end for them? Will the end of the case lead to the end of Bobby, or will that be something Sam and Dean need to do afterwards? There doesn't seem to be any way this can end in anything but more heartbreak.