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<v Speaker 1>All right, here's a story about a dog man. This

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<v Speaker 1>man email. This is an older one too. He emailed

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<v Speaker 1>me quite a ways back. Let's see what he says.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's pretty good. I've traveled around the entire

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<v Speaker 1>lower forty eight states and through five time zones of

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<v Speaker 1>Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast offer hiking

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<v Speaker 1>and photography. I have visited all the big cities, but

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<v Speaker 1>most of the time I'm in one of the national

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<v Speaker 1>parks or state parks or national monuments. Recently, during the winter,

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<v Speaker 1>my daughter and I headed to Florida for a week

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<v Speaker 1>or two. The highlight for us was Key West. We

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<v Speaker 1>spent a couple of days in the Keys, and after

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<v Speaker 1>getting our fill of beautiful sunsets, we headed back to

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<v Speaker 1>the mainland. We reached US forty one through the Everglades

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<v Speaker 1>around midnight and we found a water pumps and we

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<v Speaker 1>parked under the light pole to kill some time and

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<v Speaker 1>rest up. After a while, a police car pulled into

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<v Speaker 1>the station. I assumed it wanted us and everyone else out,

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<v Speaker 1>so I started the car again and I pulled onto

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<v Speaker 1>the road heading west. We wanted to be at Sharp

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<v Speaker 1>Valley entrance to the Everglades, National Park by sunrise so

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<v Speaker 1>we could spend the day hiking, and our plan was

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<v Speaker 1>to pass the entrance and find a safe place to

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<v Speaker 1>park for a few hours. We drove past Monroe Station

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<v Speaker 1>and found a picnic area and we parked. The moon

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<v Speaker 1>was an upside down crescent sitting far in the east

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<v Speaker 1>of a black sky full of stars, and after just

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<v Speaker 1>a few minutes I saw a shooting star. And my

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<v Speaker 1>daughter had fallen asleep by then, and as I scanned

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<v Speaker 1>the sky looking for more action in the distance, I

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<v Speaker 1>saw a light coming our way. I thought it may

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<v Speaker 1>have been a lightning bug, since in Florida, insects seem

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<v Speaker 1>a lot bigger than back home in New Jersey. But

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<v Speaker 1>as I watched it get closer, I realized it wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>a lightning bug at all. It was the eye of

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<v Speaker 1>a ten foot tall monster. It was blazing evil a

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<v Speaker 1>giant lemon, and sticking out from the head of a beast.

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<v Speaker 1>I fumbled to reach for the headlights, but my better

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<v Speaker 1>senses told me not to let this thing know I

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<v Speaker 1>was there. It moved like it was on roller skates,

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<v Speaker 1>without the slightest bounce in its step, and it was

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<v Speaker 1>so big that it would have had to have stooped

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<v Speaker 1>down to look an elephant in the eye, and it

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<v Speaker 1>could have ripped the roof off my car and plucked

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<v Speaker 1>us like eggs from a basket. But instead it disappeared

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<v Speaker 1>into the darkness to the east, and I could tell

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<v Speaker 1>it was on a mission, and I was relieved it

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<v Speaker 1>didn't involve me and my daughter. At that point, I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't care about getting any sleep, so I started the

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<v Speaker 1>car and drove it to the exit and got straight

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<v Speaker 1>out of there. When morning came, we headed back to

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<v Speaker 1>the Everglades National Park, and when we passed through Monroe

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<v Speaker 1>Station again, we saw signs that said don't feed the Bigfoot.

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<v Speaker 1>I have repeatedly heard that Bigfoot has red eyes, but

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<v Speaker 1>the eyes of the creature I saw were blazing fluorescent

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<v Speaker 1>yellow without any pupils. I'm sure it could see in

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<v Speaker 1>the dark and must have known my daughter and I

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<v Speaker 1>were there. I believe it was a dog man, and

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<v Speaker 1>I told my daughter about it the next morning, and

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<v Speaker 1>to this day, I'm ridden with guilt that I endangered

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<v Speaker 1>her life by not getting out of there sooner. It

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<v Speaker 1>had the chance to confront us, but for some reason

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<v Speaker 1>it chose not to. We were lucky it didn't come

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<v Speaker 1>back with a friend and pick up the car and

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<v Speaker 1>carry us away to never be seen again. Wow, that's

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<v Speaker 1>another Florida, Florida's story, I said. When I first started it,

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<v Speaker 1>it was labeled a dog man's story and the sign

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<v Speaker 1>said don't fit feed Bigfoot. This is in Florida Monroe

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<v Speaker 1>Station Everglades National Park. I guess this guy saw a

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<v Speaker 1>dog man. I wonder if he saw any more detail

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<v Speaker 1>other than the shape, because it was dark and there

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<v Speaker 1>was a crescent man. There wasn't a full moon, and

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<v Speaker 1>it had big glowing eyes. Man, Man, that is cool,

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<v Speaker 1>cool story. Thank you to the writer. I hope you

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<v Speaker 1>guys have gotten over that episode and they're continuing to hike.

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<v Speaker 1>And did you say you do? Yeah, hiking in photography.

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<v Speaker 1>He's a photographer, So I hope you're still into that.

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<v Speaker 1>I really do, And again I appreciate the story. Sir.

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<v Speaker 1>Here is an email. Oh let me get my mic

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<v Speaker 1>up here. It was way over there. Here is an

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<v Speaker 1>email from a man from the United Kingdom. This is

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<v Speaker 1>pretty good. It's difficult to know where to start. Really.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm fifty five and I live in the United Kingdom

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<v Speaker 1>life and I absolutely love the United States, and I

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<v Speaker 1>have lost count of how many holidays over the years

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<v Speaker 1>that we have spent traveling your great nation. My granddad

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<v Speaker 1>was an American citizen, and he spent many hours telling

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<v Speaker 1>me stories about his adventures across the Pond. I guess

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<v Speaker 1>that's where my love for the United States came from.

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<v Speaker 1>I've never given Bigfoot much thought while traveling through the

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<v Speaker 1>national parks over the years, but I've always been open

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<v Speaker 1>minded about it, and if I'm honest, I would be

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<v Speaker 1>a person who needed proof. I sort of thought there

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<v Speaker 1>must be something going on, though otherwise it's the biggest

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<v Speaker 1>con the world has ever known. Either way, it never

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<v Speaker 1>deterred me from exploring. I've been traveling to the United

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<v Speaker 1>States since nineteen eighty nine and I have never had

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<v Speaker 1>any encounters, and I've been to over thirty states. Now.

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<v Speaker 1>Florida has always been somewhere that we've loved, and people

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<v Speaker 1>mistake it for just the attractions, but it's very much

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<v Speaker 1>more than that. The wildlife is amazing, and you can

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<v Speaker 1>find yourself in the middle of nowhere within ten minute

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<v Speaker 1>drive of serious infrastructure. It was love at first sight, really,

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<v Speaker 1>and we decided early on that we were going to

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<v Speaker 1>spend a lot of time there. In twenty sixteen, in

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<v Speaker 1>preparation for my retirement, we decided to buy a home

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<v Speaker 1>in central Florida. I took my son and his wife

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<v Speaker 1>and two grandchildren with me and we purchased a fabulous

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<v Speaker 1>home in a gated community in an area called I

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<v Speaker 1>can't pronounce this point Siana poi n cia na Pointciana.

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<v Speaker 1>That's the only way I know to say it. And

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<v Speaker 1>we had a great vacation. The night of the purchase,

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<v Speaker 1>we sat around celebrating and planning our many family holidays

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<v Speaker 1>to come. It was a special time for me, my

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<v Speaker 1>family around me, A second home in Florida, a place

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<v Speaker 1>I felt at home in. What more could I ask for.

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<v Speaker 1>We picked poinsy Ona because it was far enough away

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<v Speaker 1>from the attractions, but close enough to see them if

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<v Speaker 1>we felt the urge, you know, for the grandkids and

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<v Speaker 1>the extended family. And when you see it on Google Earth,

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<v Speaker 1>it looks like it's in the middle of nowhere, surrounded

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<v Speaker 1>by nature, and that's what I wanted. The community had

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<v Speaker 1>all the amenities that anyone would need, but the most

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<v Speaker 1>important thing for me was lots of trails in and

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<v Speaker 1>out of the community. In the UK, you don't get

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<v Speaker 1>this because houses are not on the verge of while

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<v Speaker 1>nature like that. It was on one of these trails

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<v Speaker 1>outside the community that my life changed forever, and not

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<v Speaker 1>for good by any stretch of the imagination. I've only

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<v Speaker 1>told this story to my wife and my son and

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<v Speaker 1>a few close friends. They thought I was crazy, and

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<v Speaker 1>they mocked me in a nice way. But it made

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<v Speaker 1>me realize that people have a hard time accepting this

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<v Speaker 1>sort of thing. Hell, I've already said that I would

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<v Speaker 1>need proof, so why would they be any different. My

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<v Speaker 1>wife refuses to talk about it anymore, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>she believes me, but the thought of this being true

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<v Speaker 1>is too much for her to comprehend. It was five

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<v Speaker 1>pm on a very warm day in June and I've

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<v Speaker 1>been doing some minor decorating task on the new home

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<v Speaker 1>while everyone else had gone to the attractions for the day.

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<v Speaker 1>I had to get this work completed because I wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to get the home on the rental market before we

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<v Speaker 1>left in the next few days to head back to

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<v Speaker 1>the UK. I was itching to explore, and I thought

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<v Speaker 1>of myself as a bit of a bushman, at one

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<v Speaker 1>with nature and all that. I took some water and

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<v Speaker 1>went out the back of the property and then headed

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<v Speaker 1>for the nature area. It was easy to find and

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<v Speaker 1>easy to transition into what I considered to be wild Florida.

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<v Speaker 1>There were trails running as far as the eye could see,

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<v Speaker 1>with a heavy blanket of trees above me and plant

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<v Speaker 1>and water coverage on either side, and I thought I

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<v Speaker 1>would take a walk down one of the trails, hoping

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<v Speaker 1>to see an alligator or maybe a python. I remember

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<v Speaker 1>feeling so happy and contented with myself. After all, I

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<v Speaker 1>had just realized a dream, and the thought of spending

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<v Speaker 1>lots of time there was almost overwhelming. I had been

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<v Speaker 1>walking for no more than ten minutes when I heard

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<v Speaker 1>what can only be described as a low moan coming

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<v Speaker 1>from my left. I slowed down, and without warning, I

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<v Speaker 1>stepped out into the trail. And nothing prepares you for this.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't care what people say. I was absolutely terrified.

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<v Speaker 1>It was fifty yards in front of me, and at

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<v Speaker 1>first I didn't think it saw me because it looked

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<v Speaker 1>across the trail to the other side. And then it

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<v Speaker 1>turned its head toward me and followed quickly by its

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<v Speaker 1>whole body, almost in one motion, and let out what

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<v Speaker 1>I can only describe as a low, deep, prolonged growl. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>my wife loved horror films, and I think they're stupid.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh my gosh, man, you and I could have a

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<v Speaker 1>long conversation over horror films sitting in the pub drinking

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<v Speaker 1>a beer, because my wife likes horror stories and so

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<v Speaker 1>do my kids, and I think they're stupid. They never

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<v Speaker 1>scare me because they're so stupid. I'm sorry to digress, y'all.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's get back to the story. I always say that

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<v Speaker 1>you would just run if a monster were coming, so

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<v Speaker 1>I could never take them seriously. But I'm here to

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<v Speaker 1>tell you that I couldn't move my legs. They felt

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<v Speaker 1>like lead, and my blood ran cold in that split second,

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<v Speaker 1>and my life flashed in front of me, and I

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<v Speaker 1>was sure I was a dead man. It was as

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<v Speaker 1>simple as that. I'm six feet two inches tall and

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<v Speaker 1>i weighed two hundred and twenty pounds, and I'm in

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<v Speaker 1>good shape. And this thing wasn't much taller than me.

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<v Speaker 1>But it was white and thick set, and it had

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<v Speaker 1>the face of a caveman. It must have been five

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<v Speaker 1>hundred pounds or more. It had muscle definition and fairly

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<v Speaker 1>long hair, and it looked at me with what I

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<v Speaker 1>can only say was contempt. Just as fast as it

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<v Speaker 1>stepped out, it turned and stepped to the other side

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<v Speaker 1>of the trail, and it was gone. Well. I turned around,

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<v Speaker 1>not quite believing what I had just seen, and I

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<v Speaker 1>started to walk back, looking over my shoulder every few seconds.

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<v Speaker 1>Now it sounds strange, but I was physically drained. I

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<v Speaker 1>could hardly walk, let alone run, And after a few

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<v Speaker 1>minutes I had to stop and I dropped to my

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<v Speaker 1>knees and I vomited. I was in absolute mess, and

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<v Speaker 1>I couldn't believe what had happened. This encounter has had

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<v Speaker 1>a very negative effect on me. It's opened up a

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<v Speaker 1>whole new world to me. If Bigfoot exists, then doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>that mean that other cryptids may exist too? Dog Man ghosts,

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<v Speaker 1>things that go bump in the night. I'm gone from

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<v Speaker 1>being an outgoing person to someone who looks over his

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<v Speaker 1>shoulder all the time. My wife keeps ponies and I

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<v Speaker 1>refuse to go and check them in the dark. I

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<v Speaker 1>have not been back to the US for four years.

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<v Speaker 1>We're planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains this year,

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<v Speaker 1>but COVID nineteen put a stop to that, and I'm

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<v Speaker 1>glad it did. The thought of going to the Smoky

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<v Speaker 1>Mountains fills me with dread and fear even now, four

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<v Speaker 1>years on and with some therapy. In twenty eighteen, I

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<v Speaker 1>sought help to try to overcome this because it was

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<v Speaker 1>dominating my life. Obsession is a strong word, but that

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<v Speaker 1>best describes how I felt about it. There wasn't a

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<v Speaker 1>week that I didn't have a serious nightmare about this thing,

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<v Speaker 1>and my life changed that day forever. I was worried

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<v Speaker 1>that I might be ridiculed, but the therapist was actually brilliant.

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<v Speaker 1>And the irony is that we Brits think going to

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<v Speaker 1>therapy is an American thing, but here I am doing it.

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<v Speaker 1>The therapist help me come to terms with the encounter.

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<v Speaker 1>She said that whatever I saw stripped away my innocence.

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<v Speaker 1>The paradigm I had built up over my life was gone,

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<v Speaker 1>and the world was a new and scary place. And

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<v Speaker 1>she helped me look at the encounter as a privilege

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<v Speaker 1>that many people would love to have. I'm in a

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<v Speaker 1>bitter place now, but I still need time before I

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<v Speaker 1>ventured to the US again. And as I said in

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<v Speaker 1>my garden, gaze up at the night sky, I know

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<v Speaker 1>they are out there, and some people may have suffered

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<v Speaker 1>horrifically at their hands. No matter how much therapy I get,

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<v Speaker 1>and no matter how many years go by, the look

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<v Speaker 1>of contempt on this thing's face is something that I'm

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<v Speaker 1>sure will never leave me. Okay, I read that cold.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't expect all that. Now I'm gonna sound redundant here,

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<v Speaker 1>but this is I have never gotten an email, and

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<v Speaker 1>he reverences COVID nineteen. So this is a couple of years.

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<v Speaker 1>I got this email a couple of years ago. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>getting all of them. I'm getting to him just to

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<v Speaker 1>hold on. I got a bunch to do, y'all. So

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<v Speaker 1>I wonder if he's been back. But I really have

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<v Speaker 1>never heard of anyone from the UK coming to the

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<v Speaker 1>US and having an experience like this. I assume this

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<v Speaker 1>was a bigfoot or what the Floridians people in that

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<v Speaker 1>area call a skunk. But because he said it wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>really that big. It was about his same height, but

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<v Speaker 1>I mean it was big. He said it weighed five

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<v Speaker 1>hundred pounds. Good grief, and he goes to therapy for it.

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<v Speaker 1>That's a good move. You know a lot of people

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<v Speaker 1>say they listen to different YouTubers to feel better about

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<v Speaker 1>some I don't know PTSD or whatever from seeing these things.

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<v Speaker 1>I guess I never really put much stock in that,

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<v Speaker 1>to be honest, because my son fought in Afghanistan. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know if he has PTSD or not. He doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>talk about it. You know, these guys in war and

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<v Speaker 1>people who have been through horrible things as opposed to

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<v Speaker 1>someone just walking up on an unidentified species of animal.

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<v Speaker 1>To me, that's two different things. But this email has

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<v Speaker 1>I think maybe my sensitivity to that may have just

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<v Speaker 1>clicked up a couple of notches because I can feel

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<v Speaker 1>this man's tension and the worry in his voice, and

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<v Speaker 1>his dread of actually coming back to the United States,

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<v Speaker 1>especially up in the Smokies where there are tons of

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<v Speaker 1>bigfoot encounter reports and stories and sightings and probably some

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<v Speaker 1>video and pictures of what people think are bigfoot. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>just saying, that's supposedly a realactive area, and it would

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<v Speaker 1>give them a great environment to live in, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>good habitat, just like Florida. So this was a kind

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<v Speaker 1>of an eye opening five and a half, almost six

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<v Speaker 1>years into this podcast, I got one that actually moved

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<v Speaker 1>me and to the writer, I think he gives his name.

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<v Speaker 1>He didn't say no. He said he wants to be anonymous.

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<v Speaker 1>But if you hear this, mister United Kingdom, I really

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<v Speaker 1>appreciate the email, and I hope you've kept your place

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<v Speaker 1>in Florida because a lot of us go out in

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<v Speaker 1>the woods every day. We never experience anything like this

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<v Speaker 1>at all. Matter of fact, the United States, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the wilderness in the United States, for the most part,

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<v Speaker 1>is very safe until you get out west and you've

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<v Speaker 1>got big predators like bears and big cats. And still

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<v Speaker 1>people hike it. They hike it, they go camping out there,

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<v Speaker 1>and some people get eaten by bears. Even in the

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<v Speaker 1>Smoky Mountains, people get injured or some people get killed

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<v Speaker 1>by black bears there for the most part, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>especially the southeastern United States. I never go with a gun.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't. Somebody asked me that recently. They said, what

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<v Speaker 1>do you carry when you go in the woods. I'm like,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not carrying that weight in the woods. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>I have a I'm not going to talk about my firearms,

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<v Speaker 1>but I have plenty of handguns, and even the smallest

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<v Speaker 1>one adds weight to my hip. And I just don't

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<v Speaker 1>like it, and I don't need it. I mean, the

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<v Speaker 1>most dangerous animal iversy is maybe a cotton mouth or

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<v Speaker 1>a People say you need to watch out for codies

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<v Speaker 1>and stuff. Every cody I've ever seen in my life,

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<v Speaker 1>and I've seen a bunch of them. They just run

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<v Speaker 1>away from me. They don't bother me. Maybe a pack

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<v Speaker 1>of curved dogs might be a problem, but I've run

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<v Speaker 1>up on those before too, and they just run off.

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<v Speaker 1>So the United States is a pretty safe place, a

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<v Speaker 1>lot more dangerous than England in the British Isles and England, Scotland,

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<v Speaker 1>Ireland and probably most of Europe is so populated and

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<v Speaker 1>so short on wilderness that you know, a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>the predators are probably gone. I don't really know. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know. I know that about England because they crave

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<v Speaker 1>to be in the people in England loved to go

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<v Speaker 1>to the wilderness, and especially here in the United States.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll quit rambling. I just I can't get over how

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<v Speaker 1>moved I was by this man's email, and I really

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<v Speaker 1>appreciating it. I really appreciate him sitting it, so thank you, sir. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>we'll end this podcast up with a bigfoot story. I

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<v Speaker 1>went on a long walk with my friends Wes, Sean,

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<v Speaker 1>and Randy in an area of wilderness between Abernathy and

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<v Speaker 1>Salmon Creek in Cowlitz County, Washington. Knowing what awaited us,

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<v Speaker 1>we were armed with a Magnum revolver and high powered rifles.

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<v Speaker 1>The day before, Sean had been out here looking for

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<v Speaker 1>fossils when he found a huge barefoot track twenty inches across.

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<v Speaker 1>He knew exactly what kind of creature made the track,

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<v Speaker 1>and he was set on going back to get a

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<v Speaker 1>cast of it. Each of us has had experiences with

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<v Speaker 1>bigfoot in one way or another since middle school. I've

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<v Speaker 1>read every book on bigfoot that I can find, and

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<v Speaker 1>based on my years of studying the subject and the

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<v Speaker 1>experiences of people close to me, I have no doubt

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<v Speaker 1>that it is real, and I'm open with folks about

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<v Speaker 1>my beliefs. My friend Sean had his own experience five

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<v Speaker 1>years earlier near the Bridge of the Gods where the

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<v Speaker 1>Sasquat shook his camper, and our friend Randy saw a

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<v Speaker 1>bigfoot cross a two lane highway late at night in

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<v Speaker 1>just three steps. We didn't want to go alone and unarmed,

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<v Speaker 1>and Sean invited Randy and me to go back with

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<v Speaker 1>him to make the cast of this perfect print. Sean's

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<v Speaker 1>stepdad Wes, is a dentist with an open mind. Now

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<v Speaker 1>that doesn't say dentist, it says dentiist. Is that somebody

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<v Speaker 1>who makes dentiers denturist, dentiists de n t u r ist. Anyway,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm hung up on that. Sorry about that. His stepdad

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<v Speaker 1>West is a denterious with an open mind and a

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<v Speaker 1>three hundred wind mag rifle. He came along too. As

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<v Speaker 1>soon as we crossed into the Warehouser timberlands, we heard

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<v Speaker 1>heavy footsteps parallel to us, made by something walking on

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<v Speaker 1>two feet, and we exchanged some cautious glances, but decided

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<v Speaker 1>to tread on. We falled a game trail Sean had

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<v Speaker 1>marked for about three hours until we got to the print,

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<v Speaker 1>and then we marked around it with an orange survey

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<v Speaker 1>or tape. Sean mixed the dental casting compound that West

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<v Speaker 1>supplied and made a good mold of the print. He

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<v Speaker 1>lifted it up and we started commenting on how detailed

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<v Speaker 1>and defined it was. When a scream came from the

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<v Speaker 1>woods a little too close to our location. The hair

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<v Speaker 1>on our bodies started to rise and we knew we

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<v Speaker 1>had worn out our welcome. We turned around and walked

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<v Speaker 1>out of there as fast as we could, hearing the

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<v Speaker 1>heavy bipedal footsteps parallel to us again, and they paced

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<v Speaker 1>us the whole way back. I've heard many times that

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<v Speaker 1>this is rare for these creatures to show themselves to

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<v Speaker 1>groups of armed men. Some say they can smell the

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<v Speaker 1>metal or the gun ole. I don't really know, but

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<v Speaker 1>if it had charged, we certainly had enough firepower between

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<v Speaker 1>us to knock him down. He must have known we

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<v Speaker 1>were dangerous because he kept just out of sight but

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<v Speaker 1>close enough to make sure that we were leaving his backyard.

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<v Speaker 1>The loggers know sasquatch are real from the Pacific northwest

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<v Speaker 1>all the way down to Arizona and New Mexico. They

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<v Speaker 1>see and hear things that would keep most folks up

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<v Speaker 1>at night. They know a lot, and if you're lucky

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<v Speaker 1>enough to get these guys to talk, they have some

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<v Speaker 1>incredible stories to share. Oh that was a good story

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<v Speaker 1>they got. This guy was a I guess that mean denteroust.

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<v Speaker 1>He's had casting compound for the they use on teeth

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<v Speaker 1>to do the to do the track print. I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>sure how the loggers came into that there at the end,

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<v Speaker 1>but it doesn't matter. It's he just knows. He knows,

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<v Speaker 1>he's probably heard some stories from loggers and that's why

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<v Speaker 1>he put that in there. But this was a really

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<v Speaker 1>good story, and I'm I'm glad. I don't know why

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<v Speaker 1>that caught my attention. He has an open he's a

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<v Speaker 1>dangerous with an open mind, and a three hundred win

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<v Speaker 1>mag rifle. Does it have a scope on it? That's

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<v Speaker 1>all I want to know. Brother. This was a good

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<v Speaker 1>This was a good story. I enjoyed reading it. I

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<v Speaker 1>appreciate you sending it. Kind of a short podcast. I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't have a lot of time today to do this,

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<v Speaker 1>to make a long one, and I thought i'd get

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<v Speaker 1>something out because these were really good stories. In the

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<v Speaker 1>next two or three podcasts may be less than thirty

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<v Speaker 1>minutes long, and I'm gonna keep cranking them out until

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<v Speaker 1>I till I land some work. So I'm having fun,

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<v Speaker 1>all right, See you guys on the next one. Thanks again.