Happy New Year!
I'd like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2006. I hope that it's also an interesting year of ghosthunting; I know that I have several new places that I'm dying to check out.
Before we leave the holidays completely, I ran across a holiday article that I wanted to post. Enjoy, and again, Happy 2006!
Posted at:
www.troymessenger.com/articles/2005/12/18/features/life09.txt
The Spirit of Christmas Takes Ghostly Form
By Jaine Treadwell,
The Messenger12/18/05
For Alma Bodiford, there is no doubt that a friendly - but hungry - ghost inhabits the Reunion Cabin at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama. And, there is no doubt that Christmas is "its' favorite time of year. Bodiford has had several encounters with the Christmas ghost and she has others who will back up her "story." Bodiford was in the kitchen making treats for visitors to the cabin. She heard rather loud footsteps on the dogtrot.
"It sounded like 'clonk, clonk, clonk' - like an older woman walking heavily," Bodiford said. "I called out, 'I'm here, in the kitchen.' I heard a few more steps and then they stopped." Curiously, Bodiford left the kitchen to greet the visitor. To her surprise, no one was there. "I looked in all of the rooms and all around the cabin," she said. "I was so sure that somebody was there, that I even looked under the cabin, but I couldn't see anyone or anything." Bodiford was confident that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her, but she hesitated to tell anyone about her encounter. However, a museum staff worker gave validity to her sighting by a sighting of his own - a tall, dark, transparent figure standing in the corner near the Christmas tree.
Bodiford had someone to support her "theory' of the Christmas ghost but most of those who heard the story were a bit more than skeptical. But, now the ghost has made two more appearances and Bodiford, laughingly, shares the experiences. "My husband, Calvin, had laid the fires in both rooms in the cabin and they were ready to be lit that night," she said. "We went outside to do some cleaning up," The Bodifords were busy with their outside chores when smoke began to bellow from the chimney on the far side of the cabin. They stood there stocked and stunned. "I said, 'Calvin, did you start a fire?'" Bodiford said. "He looked at me and said, 'No Š and the doors are locked.'" They went inside to find a fire roaring in the fireplace but no one anywhere around. A night or two later, Bodiford took supper for her and her husband - salads and tomato sandwiches.
"I put Calvin's on top of the kitchen counter and went in the other room to eat my salad and sandwich," Bodiford said. "Calvin came in with his salad and I asked him where his sandwich was. He said that he didn't have one." The couple turned the cabin upside down looking for the sandwich but never found even a crumb. Bodiford said the ghost is most certainly a friendly one and evidently enjoys Christmas time, a warm fire and tomato sandwiches. The story of the Pioneer Christmas ghost didn't just added to the fun and excitement of the Old Time Christmas event at the museum Dec. 12-16.
Each night people of all ages strolled the museum grounds enjoying something different and fun in each of the historic structures. In the Reunion Cabin there were roaring fires and fiddlers and other strummers and cider and sweet and salt treats. A visit to the Adams Store was a step back to the time when country stores were the hub of all rural communities. There were memories to sift through and the storekeepers were always up for a challenge in checkers. The fireplace in the demonstration cabin held a fire perfect for roasting marshmallows and hot chocolate was simmering on the wood stove. Over in the Little Red Schoolhouse, children laughed and chatted as they made Christmas ornaments.
The pioneer train chugged by from time to time, taking its passengers across the covered bridge to the log church where the pump organ was playing and the "congregation" and choir were signing the old carols of Christmas. In the Village Center, crafters set up shop and Old Father Christmas listened to Christmas wishes of young and old.
With all of the laughter and fun, Bodiford was certain that, just like her, all the other visitors to the museum were comfortable with the thought of a Christmas ghost enjoying the fun along with the many others who were "in the Christmas spirit."
Before we leave the holidays completely, I ran across a holiday article that I wanted to post. Enjoy, and again, Happy 2006!
Posted at:
www.troymessenger.com/articles/2005/12/18/features/life09.txt
The Spirit of Christmas Takes Ghostly Form
By Jaine Treadwell,
The Messenger12/18/05
For Alma Bodiford, there is no doubt that a friendly - but hungry - ghost inhabits the Reunion Cabin at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama. And, there is no doubt that Christmas is "its' favorite time of year. Bodiford has had several encounters with the Christmas ghost and she has others who will back up her "story." Bodiford was in the kitchen making treats for visitors to the cabin. She heard rather loud footsteps on the dogtrot.
"It sounded like 'clonk, clonk, clonk' - like an older woman walking heavily," Bodiford said. "I called out, 'I'm here, in the kitchen.' I heard a few more steps and then they stopped." Curiously, Bodiford left the kitchen to greet the visitor. To her surprise, no one was there. "I looked in all of the rooms and all around the cabin," she said. "I was so sure that somebody was there, that I even looked under the cabin, but I couldn't see anyone or anything." Bodiford was confident that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her, but she hesitated to tell anyone about her encounter. However, a museum staff worker gave validity to her sighting by a sighting of his own - a tall, dark, transparent figure standing in the corner near the Christmas tree.
Bodiford had someone to support her "theory' of the Christmas ghost but most of those who heard the story were a bit more than skeptical. But, now the ghost has made two more appearances and Bodiford, laughingly, shares the experiences. "My husband, Calvin, had laid the fires in both rooms in the cabin and they were ready to be lit that night," she said. "We went outside to do some cleaning up," The Bodifords were busy with their outside chores when smoke began to bellow from the chimney on the far side of the cabin. They stood there stocked and stunned. "I said, 'Calvin, did you start a fire?'" Bodiford said. "He looked at me and said, 'No Š and the doors are locked.'" They went inside to find a fire roaring in the fireplace but no one anywhere around. A night or two later, Bodiford took supper for her and her husband - salads and tomato sandwiches.
"I put Calvin's on top of the kitchen counter and went in the other room to eat my salad and sandwich," Bodiford said. "Calvin came in with his salad and I asked him where his sandwich was. He said that he didn't have one." The couple turned the cabin upside down looking for the sandwich but never found even a crumb. Bodiford said the ghost is most certainly a friendly one and evidently enjoys Christmas time, a warm fire and tomato sandwiches. The story of the Pioneer Christmas ghost didn't just added to the fun and excitement of the Old Time Christmas event at the museum Dec. 12-16.
Each night people of all ages strolled the museum grounds enjoying something different and fun in each of the historic structures. In the Reunion Cabin there were roaring fires and fiddlers and other strummers and cider and sweet and salt treats. A visit to the Adams Store was a step back to the time when country stores were the hub of all rural communities. There were memories to sift through and the storekeepers were always up for a challenge in checkers. The fireplace in the demonstration cabin held a fire perfect for roasting marshmallows and hot chocolate was simmering on the wood stove. Over in the Little Red Schoolhouse, children laughed and chatted as they made Christmas ornaments.
The pioneer train chugged by from time to time, taking its passengers across the covered bridge to the log church where the pump organ was playing and the "congregation" and choir were signing the old carols of Christmas. In the Village Center, crafters set up shop and Old Father Christmas listened to Christmas wishes of young and old.
With all of the laughter and fun, Bodiford was certain that, just like her, all the other visitors to the museum were comfortable with the thought of a Christmas ghost enjoying the fun along with the many others who were "in the Christmas spirit."
posted by mitchel at 10:07 PM - 
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