Archives:
26th Ave. North, B
St. Petersburg
Residence
August 8, 2002
Recheck: May 2, 2005
26th Ave. North, B
St. Petersburg
Residence
August 8, 2002
Article published about the investigation in "Bayside News":
Brandy Buchanan
Part of St. Petersburg's charm is its ability to feel like a small town community despite its dense population and small city size. In between major thoroughfares are residential pockets and tight knit communities, where children play and neighbors still take time to check on one another.
Crescent Heights is one such area. Recently awarded status as a historic site, this beautiful slice of suburbia offers houses built from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Its prim lawns and sturdy houses have witnessed the lives of many.
The SPIRITS had done investigations in the area. One home on 26th Avenue complained of strange sensations. The first investigation proved little, but the second investigation, performed a year later, manifested orb images as well as a small visual appearance of a smoke-like entity.
A few houses away, a second home also hosted unusual phenomena. The long time homeowner experienced the sound of footsteps walking through the building since she and her mother bought the house in the 1970s. Recently, the homeowner, her mother long dead and she herself now a frail woman in her 70s, heard rustling sounds in her bedroom and sensed that she was not alone. The SPIRITS were again called in to investigate.
An intimate team of three worked well within the confines of the house. As per normal investigative rules, the homeowner and her adult daughter were present, though they revealed no information to the spirit detectives.
Almost immediately, EMF was detected in the Florida room at the back of the house. A small area of moving cold also pressed against the heated air and moved toward the doors leading into the main house. Two members of the team, both displaying sensitivity towards the paranormal, "felt" a tall friendly male presence that associated himself with the house owner. His name began with a "J" sound, most likely "John." They also determined that he was mechanically inclined, a tinkerer of sorts. He was the origin of the footsteps that echoed so often through the house, though he did not go into the main bedroom.
As the group continued through, a second area of manifestation appeared. Though temperatures did not fluctuate the EMF meter did flicker several times. Two people sensed children running through the hall, as if at play.
The third and most tangible phenomena occurred in the master bedroom. The atmosphere in the room was heavy and thick. With drawn shades, dark shadows seemed to stretch across the walls. As one woman was snapping photographs of the room, the other two began to sense a strong energy within. Minutes passed and the presence grew stronger: it was an old woman with wild gray hair and eyes. She appeared irrational to those who could sense her, and developed an intense anger towards one SPIRITS member. Unable to shake the feeling, the sensitives temporarily vacated the house to regain their bearings.
The interview afterwards answered many questions. The homeowner's husband died in the late 1960s, before she moved into the home. His name was "John" and, indeed, he was a mechanic. As a hobby, he also tinkered with mechanical items on and off throughout his life. It appeared that in death he still worked to keep an eye on his wife.
The homeowner also revealed that her grandson, who grew up in the house, often complained of hearing children running through the house. He thought they were closer to the living room, playing games in and about the front areas of the structure. Subsequent research has not turned up any records of children living in the home, though spans of history are incomplete.
From the 1970s to the late 1980s, the main bedroom belonged to the homeowner's mother. The mother deteriorated into dementia, though her daughter continued to care for her at home. She was described as having irrational behavior, including extreme territorialism and anger. She chased people out of her room, and once chased her grandson out of the house. A painting of the woman revealed that she did, indeed, have gray hair and watery gray eyes, possibly matching the description recorded earlier.
Though the investigation revealed little in the way of typical spectral manifestations, the amount of information picked up and confirmed by the sensitives was remarkable. Both arrived with no prior knowledge of the area investigated, and details exceeded what the contact had been told. It shows the amazing abilities of the human mind. From one side of the spectrum, it exceeds death and reaches out in both loving watchfulness and fits of anger. From the other, foreign images or sensations are felt as the living struggle to make sense of what they've found. This investigation again validated that those close to us in life are often not far away in death.
It also bears asking, can larger areas manifest signs of haunting in multiple households? If so, why and how? Thus far, two houses on the same street intersect in ghostly happenings, with rumors of others on the block. How is this possible? Why don't all areas display this activity? It is a question only those who silently communicate can answer.
Investigation Notes:
Date: Aug. 8, 2002
Time: 6:30 PM
Lunar Cycle: Near the new moon (2 days after)
Equipment used: Brandy's equipment: Olympus digital recorder, ELF meter, Samsung digital, 2 35 mm with 4-00 speed film, b&w and color, 100 speed professional negative film, walkie talkies (NO), Radio shack IR Thermometer, Polaroid 600
Others Present: Annie and Adele. Adele is the home owner, Annie her adult daughter.
Other notes: Temperature outside registered as 87 degrees
EMF: YES:
Location: In the outer area is a room of antiques. Susan discovered a cold spot in the room on the carpet. While the rest of the room, which was to privy to a/c, registered at 96 degrees, the carpet near the door was 87 degrees. Susan and Sandy sensed a heavy feeling and a sense of curiosity. Susan complained of dizziness. Susan described the man as middle aged, with a darkish complexion (tanned). Susan had an EMF spike, and there was an unrecorded temperature flux.
Brandy's EMF meter died at this point, only to come on again later in the investigation.
EMF: YES Range of Reading/Spike EMF flickers
Location: Hallway.
Other occurrences: Sandy sensed a child playing, a blonde little boy about 5 to 6 years old. He was running around in a circle. There were EMF fluctuations, and giggles heard by two investigators She got the name "J" with the child.
One sensitive described a blonde or ash blonde woman, thin, named Diana. She played jacks. She was the little boys' sister. Susan also sensed an old stereo playing the Lone Ranger (or an era show). She caught a snapshot of a woman in a flower dress, yellow with a bold pattern, and white straw hit, and short bobbed hair walkinga carefree summer day.
EMF: NO
Back bedroom: (Adele's room): Sensitive sensed an older woman, with grey hair, watery eyes, with an attachment to Adele, in Adele's bedroom closet. She was very angry with us for intruding in her space, and wanted us to live the room. Brandy had goose bumps. Third investigator was very distracted and sensed the woman coming after her. They had to go outside.
EMF: YES Range of Reading/Spike Flickers
Time & duration: Unknown
Location: Living Room
Other occurrences:
In the living room, there was a flicker on the meter. One sensitive sensed a woman cooking, and a man watching her from an easy chair.
In the front room, or Florida room, Adele has an old keyboard organ. Both women sensed a young woman, pretty, who was learning to play it because it was what a cultured woman learned to do. She did not want to learn it but did so out of deference to her mother. A digital of the keyboard had a slight mist image to it, though it could also be related to the angel of the camera.
One really sensed a strong feeling of a woman cooking with old-fashioned appliances. This and the organ memory seemed to be place memories. She also got the idea that on this block there were only a few homes, approx. 6 houses, and everyone in the neighborhood looked out for one another.
A woman, Diane, and a man, "J", were sensed in this area of the house. Diane was the one in the kitchen. "J" was I a chair listening to the radioit was wartime. Pacific theater, Pearl Harbor. He had been at an air base in the Philippines. Sandy also "saw" the room with an area rug, wooden chairs, and dark wood.
Sensitive saw a man in black rimmed glasses, a tweed coat standing near the bookshelves.
The old woman was sensed from the bedroom glaring out.
Walking through the kitchen, one sensed the old fashioned appliances, ice box, cast iron skilletprobably a place memory, or possibly suggested by the old kitchen tools.
The Team went outside. Two sensitives got a man's spirit in the alley, and also sensed the spirit of a cat. Susan picked up the name "wish bone" and thought that was the cat. "Saw" a big-bottomed woman gardening outside.
Sensed in the area of the garage that a man was out there tinkering.
Two Polaroid's were shot. One had no flash and didn't turn out. The other: null.
EVP: YES Recorder used: Olympus Digital Voice Recorder, DW-90
Other occurrences: This has not been fully analyzed as of yet.
Other Notes:
Interview with Adele and Annie:
Adele reports hearing noises, like the rustles of an animal, or movement. She sometimes hears voices, even when the TV is off. She often hears multiple male and female voices in a discussion.
These things often happen in her bedroom. During the interview, it was revealed that Adele took care of her ailing mother for quite some time. Her mother was senile, and was diagnosed with senile dementia She was very angry, and at least on one occasion chased her grandson with a pair of scissors. Susan and Sandy identified her as the woman in the room.
Her grandson, Christopher, has also reported hearing children playing and running through the house in the front room.
Adele hears footsteps in the back room. They do not go into Adele's room. They walk around the house. Susan picked up the name "John" and felt he was a mechanic. She sensed that he was not liked and did not mess with the entity in Adele's room. Adele confirmed that her mother hated him, and that it was probably he who tinkered all the time (as confirmed by Annie).
Adele bought the house in 1973 with her mother. In 1988 her mother passed away. Adele's husband died at the age of 57 in 1969. We confirmed that was the man she identified out in the "outer antique filled room".
Adele also told us that her mother had been called "Wishbone" due to her love of cooking. It was a nickname.
At one point, a man and woman owned the house. The man was living with two women at one time. The woman found out and threw him out.
A woman named Mildred sold the house to Adele and her Mom.
On the Internet the house was recorded as being built in 1936, but Adele thinks it may be older than that and built in the 1920s. She reported that both her mother and Mildred loved too cook.
Adele reported hearing footsteps as early as 1972, shortly after they had first moved in.
Adele did have two instances of parapsy. Behavior: she saw the manifestation of her grandfather the day he died, before she had been told of his death, and shortly after her husband died, she sensed a man standing at the base of her bed. He tweaked her toe, and then walked through two closed doors and left. She got up to follow him, thought it might be her son, but her son was asleep. Her husband used to tweak her toe as a sign of affection.
Investigation Notes:
7:54 Utility Room- No EMF or unusual feelings
7:56 Investigator 2 reports cool spot on floor in front of French doors in the Antique Room
7:59 Brandy reports EMF spike and cold spot in the same area. It seems to be moving around the room as we could track it with our hands and the temperature gauge.
8:01 I have a heavy feeling in my chest, which means a spirit is present
8:14 Brandy reports that her camera is not working in the back bedroom
8:15 I get the impression of a middle aged man with dark hair, eyes, and complexion standing in front of the French doors. I feel he is wearing a blue work shirt and khaki pants. He finds what we're doing amusing. Susan gets the word "mechanic" and the name "John".
8:20 EMF spikes in front of the French doors in the back bedroom
I should point out that from this time on I was unable to take notes because I was getting so many impressions so fast I could not keep up. So the following events I have no time line for and will try and put them down as they happened to the best of my recollection.
Hallway- I get the impression of a younger boy running up and down the hall playing. He has blonde hair and is wearing shorts, tee shirt and sneakers. I also get the sense of a little girl with long blonde hair with the bangs cut straight to the level of her eyebrows. They are playing jacks and I feel it is sometime in the 1940's. I hear an old time radio show coming from the Living Room. Summer time with bright sunshine in the afternoon. Older cars parked on the street out front with a young woman in a yellow print dress and white close fitting hat walking down the sidewalk. The dress is made of a lighter material and cool for the summer. Picture postcard of the perfect summer day in St. Petersburg.
Master Bedroom- The others called me to the closet to check out something she was picking up. I get the impression of an older woman with a long face, watery gray eyes, shoulder length scraggly white hair, and hard face in the back right hand corner of the closet. I also got the strong impression that we were not wanted in the room and we were making her angry. Brandy pointed out a painting on the wall of a woman and asked if that could be whom we were getting. I stated I didn't really know though it looked kind of familiar. The feeling that the woman did not like or want me in her room just kept growing and I finally had to leave.
Living Room- At the glass enclosed bookcase I get the impression of an older man with salt and pepper close cut hair wearing a tweed jacket and smoking a pipe. Black hard rimmed glasses. I think he is a professor or well-educated man. He likes the classics. He is tall and lean. He likes studying the books in the bookcase.
Turning toward the kitchen I get the impression of a woman in an apron bustling about in the kitchen, moving back and forth in front of the door. She is happiest in the kitchen and taking care of her home and family. There is a man sitting in an over stuffed chair in the living room as she works in the kitchen.
At this point I glanced at the Master Bedroom and get the sense of the old woman standing in the doorway
glaring at me. Susan and I both agree that the woman does not like me at all. I suddenly feel like the woman is all over me and I yell at her to get off me. I think I startled her and she redoubled her attack. I practically ran from the house in order to get away from her.The others followed me onto the front walk where I was trying to shield myself. In comparing notes with the other sensitive I felt that the woman had lost a child at some time and was overly protective. I felt that she and her daughter had a similar confrontation at some point. After putting a shield around me, Susan and I returned to the house.
Sun Room- I get the impression of a young woman sitting at the organ reluctantly practicing. She does it to keep peace with her mother who feels all proper young ladies should know music as well as needlepoint and china painting. She feels it will help her daughter land a good husband. I also get the impression that the man from the back bedroom likes looking out of the windows here to watch the world go by.
Back in the Living Room I get the impression of a large over stuffed chair in the corner where the piano is sitting now with an old time radio on a table beside it. An oval area rug that is a green color is on the floor with a green couch on the opposite wall. Two chairs with a table in the middle sit to the left of the chair in the corner.
Kitchen- I get the impression of breakfast cooking (eggs and bacon in a cast iron skillet) on an older stove as well as other older appliances.
Backyard- I have the impression of clothes hanging out on a clothes line in the summertime afternoon and we both pick up on a man standing in front of the garage door.I feel like there are two people leaning on the fence of the house next door in conversation. I get the impression of an African American man clinging to the gate as he looks in from the alley. He longs for the lives of the people inside the houses. He's not had an easy life and he envies those who have.It feels as if someone has raised a door and the energy we're picking up is incredible. The street just rocks with it. Susan picks up the impression of a cat on the back porch and gets the name "Wishbone".
Interview:
In talking with the homeowner we found out that her husband was an electrical engineer who died in November of 1969. His name was John and her mother was not fond of him at all. She always thought her daughter could do better than the man she married. The homeowner's mother died in 1988 and had all the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, though she was never diagnosed. The Master Bedroom was once her room. The owner's Grandmother lost a child and rumor among the family (though never confirmed) was that the owner's mother had an abortion at some time in her life. She also worked as a cook at a lumber camp and her nickname was Wishbone from an old western TV show. The old lady also loved to cook. The man at the bookcase fit the description of Charles Carey, a former judge who lived down the street. The organ in the Sun Room is form the 1800's and comes from a church up North.
Conclusions:
I believe the house sits on a street that is a possible lei line. The footsteps are those of the owner's late husband John who is just keeping an eye on things and the older woman in the Master Bedroom is her mother. The confrontation the mother and I had was nothing personal against me but had more to do with the Alzheimer's than any thing. The African American man at the back gate is someone Brandy has had an encounter with before and he roams the alley way behind the houses. The children in the hall are a place memory and the sounds in the Master Bedroom are possibly those of the owner's mother poking around. All the spirits in and around the home are benevolent and the owner has nothing to worry about. I would like to investigate other homes on the street to see what findings we could get.
Recheck:
5/01/05
Homeowners, 1 cat, 1 dog
Start: 7:05 PM
End: 9:10 PM
Homeowner reports: Peripheral vision manifestations, abnormal behavior of lights and doors (locked when thought unlocked, unlocked when thought locked).
As soon as we arrived, the EMF meter started to spike.
Laundry room:
86 degrees
EVP 1.2 with spikes. (1.2-2.2, then dropped to .8).
Went outside to check the wiring. The only wire emitting energy was the cable TV wire running into the house. Readings happened only when we were close to the wire; definite drop as we walked away from it and into the house.
Spare room: .6 EMF
80 degrees
Bedroom: 1.5 EMF
Hallway 1.5, with 78 degrees.
Bathroom: 2.0 EMF and temperature at 78.
Storage room
.8 EMF
77 degrees
Felt a cold spot when I walked in next to the closet.
Series of spikes: 3 jumps .2-1.0, 3 spikes .2 - .6
I asked "Anything else?" and there was another spike from .2 to 1.0.
"Can you make this needle jump again?" No response. "Make a noise?" 1.0
Attic, 89-93 temp; EMF 1.5.
Kitchen: EMF 1.4 2.0
Homeowner turned stove off and EMF went higher. (Don't' understand that; normally when appliances are off the temp goes down).
Dining room: small jump. .6 1.0
Florida room: Denise's batteries died. .6 1.5 spike, second smaller spike at .3 EMF
Living room: Air purifier on, SPIRITS unplugged it to see if it was affecting our EMF. It made no difference. We still had spikes.
Discussion:
Investigator 1 heard "Angela" In the storage room she heard Bennie, Benjamin someone attached to a dresser. Woman attached to a stand was "Angela"; in the back of the house she thought the homeowners might hear running. Thought it was Ben's son.
Investigator 2: bedroom, female energy, storage room Anne's mother or grandmother distracted in relationship; miscommunications, chair-connection; grandmother's chair.
Investigator 3: Energy from outside; drawn to picture of Adele (she called her Ethel). She felt that the woman was standing there in the doorway; she was sorry for th way she left things; felt "Hillary" very faint; hanging around the attic., Sensed Charles; drawn to the garage.
Brandy: Spikes.
Homeowners asked us to check the storage closet and the garage. We opted to also go back to the MA bedroom and the storage room.
Bedroom: spikes; Adele present. Crying. Sad about the way things were left; she doesn't want to leave her daughter (homeowner) because of a communication problem. She didn't want to tell us as it was personal (a child issue). However, Adele felt it could be resolved. She would listen to her daughter.
Garage: Male residue in it. The man in the house is drawn to the garage. (EMF .6 Temp: 80 degrees.)
Went back to Adele; asked for verification for her daughter. She said that she died over the summer time (homeowner confirmed). She felt better, brighter, passed on love to her daughter.
Homeowner discussion: Confirmed info about Adele and the difficulty that they had. Also noted that her father's ash3es were kept by her mother in the closet (and that when they found them, they literally took her father "out of the closet." Ethel was somewhat close to Adele, but the father's name was not close to any of the male names mentioned.
Conclusion: I was on the original investigation when Adele was still alive. She has since passed on and her daughter got the house. Her daughter had mentioned to me that she felt Adele was still in the house. I believe that she still is.
My hunch is that Adele will eventually fade from the home, showing up for holidays (as most parental entities seem to do).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investigator 2 report:
Although I didn't realize this until we got to the site, this was
apparently a follow-up investigation from a few years ago. Aside from
Brandy, the rest of us were completely cold--knowing nothing of this
house's history.
Throughout most of the house, neither our instruments nor our
sensitives picked up too much activity. In the master bedroom, I
sensed a faint female presence. Others picked up this entity as well,
and with better detail. We soon confirmed it was the homeowner's
mother.
In another room, which we called the "storage room" because the
homeowners were temporarily storing a lot of stuff in there, I sensed
residue of male energy. Both Denise and I picked up the name
"Charles," although the homeowners were unable to identify who that
might be. Even so, none of us picked up any entities present at that
moment. We were only able to sense the residue--the left over
energy--in the room, from someone being there before.
I was able to focus in on that residue to pick up additional
information. I sensed a man with short brown hair. I got a feeling
of problem or pain in the upper respiratory area. I wondered if he
had problems with his lungs. Smoke was also an issue, and I suspected
he was a smoker because of the lung issue...but I couldn't see him as
a smoker.
Later, the homeowners were able to confirm that person. And he didn't
smoke--but his wife did, and he complained about it all the time. He
also had a heart attack or something like that, which might explain
the upper respiratory area issue.
We focused our investigation on the female, the homeowner's mother.
Apparently there's a private, important personal issue the mother
needs to resolve with the homeowner. We advised the homeowner to find
some alone time to just sit and talk out loud, knowing her mother is
listening, and get EVERYTHING off her chest and out in the open.
Whatever the necessary issue was--it was important for both of them to
get out in the open and discuss. The deceased mother would then feel
free to "move on" in the afterlife once everything was all cleared up,
forgiven, etc.
All in all, most of what we picked up the homeowners were able to
immediately validate. We did pick up a few names and residues of
things we weren't able to confirm. Possibly, it's stuff left over
from previous homeowners. We may never know.
# # ##############################################################
Investigator 2 Report:
This investigation was interesting because the homeowner validated a lot of the information the sensitives of the group received. It was also a very emotional reunion between mother and daughter. We began the hunt at seven pm on May 1. While organizing my equipment I was feeling a lot of energy surrounding the outside of the home. It was later determined that the power lines had fallen. This explained the feelings I was having, but not the female who made her presence known the minute we walked into the master bedroom.
When entering the master bedroom I sensed an elderly female whose name sounded like "Ethel". She stayed in the bedroom most of the time. After looking around, I saw a photo of an elderly female on the homeowner's dresser. It appeared to be the same person. I asked the homeowner what her name was and they stated it was "Adele" I was impressed that the name I received was so similar to the deceased mother.
Later during the second walk-though of the residence we again entered the master bedroom. I sensed that Adele/Ethel would sit on the edge of the bed crying. She was very upset about something between her and her daughter, the homeowner. When Brandy asked if she had seen the "Light", Adele told me that she could not move on until she talked with her daughter. She said she was sorry for the way she left things. It was a very personal matter and she would not elaborate other than claim it had to do with her child, meaning the homeowners sibling. It was a great validation when the homeowner knew what this meant. She stated there are issues between her and her brother, which caused difficulty-involving Adele. So far, the homeowner completely and emotionally validated the information we were picking up. The only further information Adele gave to me for validation was that she had died in the summer time.
By the end of our conversation with Adele, she seemed much happier and would set of Brandy's EMF meter when showing her appreciation for her being acknowledged and passing on her requests to the homeowner. During part of the conversation, the homeowner discussed a tree, which had been cut down, and explained how this was upsetting to her. I sensed Adele told her not to "Sweat the small stuff". Again the homeowner validated this was something her mother would say to her in the past. When leaving the bedroom Adele said, "Thank you, thank you, and thank you". It made me feel as if we opened the door for both the homeowner and deceased to find peace
The only other entity I felt in the home was a man named "Charles". He was more of a residual energy than an active entity. I had taken approximately 200 photos and only had five possible orb pictures. None of the others showed anything unusual, not even dust. Coincidently, each of the possible orb photos taken was during the time one of the sensitives felt a presence or energy in the same location on the photos.
Overall, the hunt was quiet, but very emotional. I can only hope there is a positive conclusion for all involved.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
7p.m.
silent walkthru
laundry room-- 89'
got the name Angela
spare room-- 78'
bedroom--77'-78'
hallway--77.5'
bathroom-- 77.5-78.5
'storage room-- 78'
got the name Benjamin
attic-- 89-90'
back of house in attic-- running back and forth sounds like a small childs feet.
kitchen--81-83'-- stove is one owner is cooking living room-- 77-79'
sun room--- 80-83'
this person angela ia attached to furniture (bed the one in the laundry room with a small table or night stand and the dressers in the storage room.
homeowner verification
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mothers name was adale.
furniture beloned to mother
END OF REPORT
