Into the Unknown

So when is doing something stupid the norm? In my case, the answer is simple. “When you are an adrenaline junkie that's when.”

I was raised by a father who also was an adrenaline junkie. As a young child I was awakened at all hours of the night, bundled up and taken out to the car so my father could drive to whatever fire, accident or police/fire department activity was taking place at that time. It didn't matter what the weather was like. We were always on scene.

I remember hearing the buzz of the police scanner that he always kept on. He would go over all the codes with me so I would have them memorized. A one time private patrol security guard in West Sacramento, my father, who ended up working for the post office, first as a mailman and later as a customer service representative (glorified salesman), always pined to be a policeman. He, at one time had been asked by the California Highway Patrol to fill out an application but decided against it. My mother had previously been married to a Sacramento City Police officer and the marriage hadn't gone well.

And so it went, we chased ambulances and emergency personnel my whole young life. Once I reached my late teens, he had dreams of me becoming a police officer or joining the US Coast Guard. He went so far as to find me friends whose parents were in law enforcement so that I would stay in the loop. Needless to say, I have an aversion to guns, always have. I admit that I own three antique rifles and three air pellet guns but they are for recreational use only.

Anyhow, as the age of 18 approached, I felt more and more pressure from him to become a law enforcement officer. I had five friends start college classes towards that goal. Not me! In fact, to appease him, my cousin and I decided to get on the list for the Department of Corrections  because they were looking for prison guards.

Now you are probably wondering where all this is leading. Please be patient for a bit longer.

I went to community college and to my father's dismay, I started taking courses in my chosen career. Recording industry and recording studio engineering and other related courses. I also took theater classes and photography. Because I was a late starter in the first semester, there were no English classes open so I got into a journalism class. I figured I'd get some college writing in no matter what. I carried 18 units plus summer school for three years so I could take and pass everything that I wanted.

Three years later, I graduated and was essentially a jack of all trades with a lot of possibilities ahead of me.

Now, when I went to work as a journalist, what was my specialty? At first I was a page editor and designer at the Roseville Press Tribune but I really wanted a news beat. After about four months, I got my chance. Yup! Crime and courts. I joined the staff at the Woodland Daily Democrat. Who would have figured? All those years of feeling that adrenaline rush must have rubbed off. I actually got a major thrill during big accidents on the freeway because I was allowed to drive up the emergency lane when all the other traffic was stopped. I was allowed access to accident scenes and see things up close and personal. Covering alleged murders and other crimes on scene was also a thrill. The fire department would allow me into burned homes to look around and take pictures. It was a rush and the best part was that I didn't have to put on a uniform. Even covering courts was a blast most of the time.

I wasn't on the job three days before a drive-by occurred during a late night party which resulted in the deaths of three young men. Within a week of that, a young girl lost control of her SUV and ran over two joggers, both teenagers. One was killed. The driver, who had just turned 16, went into hiding but was eventually caught. It was an eye-opener because who would have figured such a small city would have that much stuff going on.And it stayed busy for a long time, especially with Interstate 5 running through. A lot of fatalities and other accidents. Add to that the casino in Capay. A lot of drunk drivers and accidents.

In Woodland, I was the only reporter to ever go to police classes focusing on gangs. I took courses along side of the police officers. I worked closely with former gang members and pastors to help them try and get kids off the streets via stories, local events and profiles of community leaders. And I can't count how many pot grow busts I got to go on. Some required hiking deep into the foothills and woods. I got to fly with lifeflight, the CHP and do several ride-alongs including the Yolo County River Patrol boat.

I became the City Editor of the paper and served the dual role of Crime Beat Reporter and  City Editor. I did that for six years. When I left the publication and moved on to the Placerville paper, I no longer covered a crime beat, I became the  a general assignment reporter meaning that I covered every beat when needed. During my career there, I went dog sledding, climbed giant sequoias, jumped out of an airplane, flew with the Blue Angels, flew in a B29, snowshoed, skied with the Olympic team at Squaw Valley, went ice fishing, dove with Fish and Game at Lake Tahoe and a lot of other stuff.

Anyway, enough of that.

Fast forward to present time.

Lately, I've been challenged by friends to go out to very dark and haunted locations by myself. I am not to take any equipment except my Iphone.

My first location was an old cemetery. I drove out and walked around a but got spooked because to be perfectly honest, I am afraid of the dark and there were only two lights in the whole cemetery so I locked myself in my car. Going online with Facebook Live as per my agreement, I sat in my car in the darkness trying not to panic as animals and other creatures made noises in the woods and grass. Being a ghost hunter, I also sat waiting to see if anything paranormal might happen. I began to hear footsteps that seemed to encircle my car. I also began to experience loud banging against my car door. I could not see anything or anyone outside my car. In addition, I began experiencing tapping on my windshield. I conducted an Evp session and then asked if whatever it was that was tapping, could tap once for yes and two for no. I did get responses accordingly. Then my phone died and I decided to leave the area. Was I scared? Absolutely! Was my adrenaline pumping? You bet!

Early Sunday morning, March 17, I went out yet again. This time by the American River on a challenge to see the Levee Walkers. According to local legend, the Levee Walkers are Native American spirits who walk along the levees and beaches at night dressed in full regalia and in many cases carrying shields and weapons. They are seen walking or marching with torches lit.

In my case, I had spoken to some local culanderas before going out and getting the low down. No electronic equipment. Apparently the spirits will adversely affect any electronics. So once again I found myself in a very dark location with just my Iphone. I started up my Facebook Live Feed and my friends came on to join me on my adventure. Then things got really strange.

The trees around me seemed to come alive with bright flashes of light. At first the flashes were sporadic but then like fireflies, they came faster. It reminded me of a residential investigation that our lead Field Psychic Trish and I had conducted a few years ago where we could see flashes of light in the attic of a garage. Trish had said it was angels that had come to help us. As I looked up, I really hoped that this was the case on this night. And then I began an EVP session and listeners on Facebook live heard voices that I couldn't. Perhaps someone was in the car with me.

Things only got stranger as my hour in the car progressed. I began to hear footsteps outside my drivers side door and then the car would shake. Maybe an earthquake I told myself but it happened again and again. All the while, the flashes in the trees grew brighter. Then the pounding started. The same pounding on my drivers side door that I experienced at the cemetery. I thought about the expansion of plastics like with those big pop bottles. Sometimes they making popping sounds. After all, my car is pretty much fiberglass. If I wasn't scared before, I certainly was now.

And then my cell phone battery drained from 80 percent down to 50 percent instantly. Of course I chocked that up to drain from having the light on and Facebook Live going. But then it dropped down to 15 percent and that really got my attention. Not normal wear and tear drain. And all the while the car was being shaken from time to time. And then the phone died. I happened to look up and across the river, I could see a beach (the river isn't too wide). I could see what looked like mist on the beach. Not just mist but 10 to 15 separate mists. All lined up as if single file. My glasses aren't the best at night..stupid glare, but I could make out the misty stuff in the moonlight. I could not tell if the mists were moving. My mind also thought of logical explanations as well like fog or some type of gas. But there was definitely something or someone there.

It was time for me to leave...and straight out of a horror move, my car wouldn't start. Now the panic set in. My heart raced and I thought of all the stupid things that I had ever done and this would be the one to finally finish me. I thought of my poor neighbor who was at my house waiting on me. I thought of my friends and everyone else in my life. After five minutes the car finally started and I drove to Denny's for chocolate to steady my nerves.

Would I do it again? Probably. The adrenaline rush was wild. But I think a little more planning is in order before I do it again. After all, I don't want to become a statistic and have my own ghost hunt team hunting me.