Bats in the Belfry, Cats in the Attic

This post is coming way too late! I am just finishing my semester at school, though, and the workload is starting to slow down (but not for long!).  So, late last month, I went with my boyfriend to New Orleans.  I've been dreaming of visiting this city for years, and I finally took the chance to go. When we arrived from our bus, we went to go eat some tasty beignets at Café du Monde and then proceeded to walk all around the French Quarter, stopping at shops as we went along. While we were there, we got to stop in old Catholic churches and pray, we had some delicious New Orleans food and drinks (Ramos Gin Fizz at Bar Tonique being my favorite), we got to see a great down and dirty blues band on Frenchman street, and we met some really cool locals who told us their stories. One of the ladies, who had thirteen cats who lived in her shop, told us her Hurricane Katrina story. Another guy, an Oi! punk working at a hat shop, talked with us and gave us free beer. It's no wonder s...

Last week, I returned from a vacation to Williamsburg, Virginia. For those of you who don't know, Williamsburg has a whole section of the city (Colonial Williamsburg) that was restored to look like it did in the colonial days complete with "interpreters" and tours. Williamsburg is also home to the beautiful College of William and Mary, the second oldest college in the United States. I will share my pictures, so without further ado: Governor's Palace Marquis de Lafayette  The College of William and Mary was founded in 1693. Although I love my school, I considered applying to W&M, and I know I would have loved the old buildings with all the legends and tradition at this school. We were able to take a ghost tour of Williamsburg, and there were a few stops at William and Mary. One of the Haunted Buildings, because of suicides.  The building above, home to the English Department, had some interesting stories that I remember. One of the students...

Established in 1823, Decatur Cemetery is older than the city of Atlanta itself.  Through the iron gates sprawled pathways lined by stone walls and oak trees. There were monuments of varying sizes and shapes, some worn and peppered with lichen.   Within the cemetery, there are a few mysterious letterbox locations. Letterboxing is a past time similar to geocaching. Participants use riddles to find hidden boxes. Inside the box is a pad of paper that is stamped and dated by the finders. My boyfriend and I trekked through the cemetery to find the hidden boxes. We managed to find one of the three, which was soaked with water. Although we didn't find all, our cemetery exploration proved successful. soaked letterbox, hiding under the tree trunk. Thomas Holley Chivers Upon research, I found that Decatur Cemetery is home to a man named Thomas Holley Chivers. Chivers was a Medical Doctor who became a poet, achieving mild fame at the time. He is famous for his fri...

Noonday Missionary Baptist Church's Cemetery is also known as "Devil's Turnaround." It is located along a little back road in Kennesaw, Georgia, and most of the graves are scattered in the woods. It is easy to miss, but some of the gravestones are visible from the road. The cemetery has graves from the 1860's. I wouldn't doubt that some of its occupants were slaves at one time. Many say the land is haunted by malevolent spirits who hurl objects and make physical contact--shoving, scratching, and even biting visitors. I could understand why any lingering spirits might be upset: These grounds have been terribly neglected. Much of the graves are broken and toppled over. Some are barely visible through the overgrowth of ivy and weeds. People also say the root of the haunting may be related to rumored cult rituals performed on the property. Located right by the cemetery are huge power lines (high voltage transmission lines). I could hear them b...

I don't think many of you know this, but there was a period of time where I wanted to be an astronomer. I don't say this lightly either. When I was in the fifth grade, for example, I was seriously researching Princeton's Astrophysics program and what it would take to be an astronomer. No normal fifth grader does that, but what can I say other than I've never been "normal," really. Although I've found my calling in writing, I'm still enthusiastic about astronomy. My boyfriend, Ryan, shares this enthusiasm--He is an Astronomer after all! To celebrate the end of this school year, we both took a trip to NASA's Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  When I was younger, I really wanted to get some basic astronaut training at Space Camp. I didn't realize at the time how expensive it was. As a consolation, since my parents couldn't afford to send me, my dad took me to tour the Space Center years ago. It was just as good as I reme...

It's very late, and the  moon is radiant and high in the sky. You're walking back home on a dirt path beside the desolate road. The air is biting-cold. You sniffle, eyes darting back and forth, and your feet take you in through the tall wrought iron cemetery gates. You've used the graveyard as a cut-through before, but you're still feeling uneasy. There's a disturbance, and you can sense it in your gurgling gut. Your suspicion grows as you approach a dirt mound above a grave. A shadow glides past in your peripheral vision. You walk faster and faster, but trip on a patch of pebbles. Stumbling, looking around, you see what looks like a pile of a person. Then the smell...it hit like a wall of sticky decay. You sprint as fast as your feet can take you. Gliding through the air, refusing to look back, there is one thought rattling your brain: Ghoul. source The legend of the ghoul is one that fascinates me thoroughly. Many people confuse ghouls with zombies, but ...

My brother's spending his last days in Georgia since he's leaving for Thailand very soon. We went for pho at lunch in Atlanta. After that, we visited my favorite cemetery in the area, Oakland. My handsome brother. Taken at Dua Pho in Atlanta. Oakland is a very unique cemetery. This is where the elite of Atlanta (including Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With The Wind) are buried, so tombs and gravestones are very elaborate. The cemetery is very well taken care of, and the landscaping is fantastic. With all the varied plant life, it's like a cemetery garden. This place even has it's very own gift shop , guided tours , and special events  ( Tunes from the Tombs , a music festival, and Run Like Hell 5k ).                       I have no idea...but I like it.  I hope everyone gets the chance to visit this lovely place. Until then, here's "Because I Could Not Stop f...