1 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: I have a twenty five acre ranch in southern Oregon, 2 00:00:15,199 --> 00:00:19,800 surrounded by thirteen acres of virgin forest and twelve acres 3 00:00:19,839 --> 00:00:24,440 of meadow land. I'm surrounded by other large ranches nestled 4 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:28,559 in and around many forested hills and mountains, and wide 5 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:34,079 expanses of b lm lands with millions of trees. There 6 00:00:34,079 --> 00:00:37,280 are no cities out here, just a few small towns 7 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,679 scattered around in the countryside, connected by one major highway. 8 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,920 It's rural to say the least. I have a year 9 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,520 round creek along the back of my property and a 10 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:53,200 twelve foot deep spring fed pond toward the rear. Salmon 11 00:00:53,399 --> 00:00:57,439 run in the creek, and the pond teams with resident beavers, turtles, 12 00:00:57,479 --> 00:01:01,759 and migratory geese. There are all sorts of livestock on 13 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,319 the surrounding properties, and lots of typical wildlife in the 14 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,920 countryside that come down from the hills to grays and 15 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:14,400 forage or hunt and find easy prey. Many a house pet, 16 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,239 cows and sheep have either disappeared at night or have 17 00:01:18,359 --> 00:01:22,799 been found dead the next day from predation. I had 18 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,519 a black lab named Jupiter that I would take for 19 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,599 walks twice a day down to the creek and back 20 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,439 up to our house. Jupiter was a good dog, never 21 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,959 barking at anyone or any other animal. He liked chasing deer, though, 22 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,079 because of the danger of our local predators, I would 23 00:01:41,079 --> 00:01:43,400 never take him for a walk at night without my 24 00:01:43,519 --> 00:01:48,280 flashlight and my side arm, both at the ready. Jupiter 25 00:01:48,439 --> 00:01:51,079 would run ahead of me and glee, leaving me to 26 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,640 walk alone on the trail. One night, while we were 27 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,280 walking down to the creek and passing by the pond, 28 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,760 I heard something new. It was loud and guttural. It 29 00:02:00,799 --> 00:02:04,200 was almost a growl. It came from the tree line 30 00:02:04,239 --> 00:02:08,159 surrounding the back of the pond. I couldn't see anything 31 00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:11,599 in the dark, even with my flashlight. Whatever this was, 32 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,960 it startled me and I pulled my gun. I caught 33 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,560 up with Jupiter and found him drinking at the creek, 34 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:20,680 and I told him it was time to go. He 35 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,360 wasn't bothered, but I was dreading having to walk past 36 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:28,319 the pond again. It was pitch dark, there was no moon, 37 00:02:28,719 --> 00:02:31,560 and Jupiter bolted up the path ahead of me, leaving 38 00:02:31,599 --> 00:02:35,759 me alone once again on the trail. Well, the pond 39 00:02:35,879 --> 00:02:38,240 was coming up, and my pulse was nagging at me, 40 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,680 and when I got to the water, with my eyes 41 00:02:40,759 --> 00:02:44,680 fixed on the trees, a massive boulder was thrown fifty 42 00:02:44,759 --> 00:02:49,560 feet into the center of the pond. Whoever or whatever 43 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,439 through it had been waiting on me. The splash was big. 44 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,120 It was too big. Nothing I knew of could have 45 00:02:56,199 --> 00:02:59,759 done that. I jumped out of my skin, too scared 46 00:02:59,759 --> 00:03:02,400 to I think of firing a warning shot. I ran 47 00:03:02,439 --> 00:03:04,800 all the way home, a quarter of a mile up 48 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,360 the meadow. I was so exhausted when I reached my 49 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,000 house that I collapsed at the door. I pushed inside, 50 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,360 panting and gasping for air, trying to catch my breath. 51 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,120 Jupiter burst in behind me and disappeared out of sight. 52 00:03:20,159 --> 00:03:23,319 I closed the door and leaned against it, letting relief 53 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:28,199 wash over me. The night wasn't done yet. On the 54 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,960 other side of the door came an unearthly growl. It 55 00:03:32,039 --> 00:03:36,360 felt wrong and unnatural. I knew bears and cougars, and 56 00:03:36,439 --> 00:03:39,800 this was something else. It was the same growl I'd 57 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,840 heard at the water, only up close and personal. I 58 00:03:43,879 --> 00:03:46,360 slapped my hand on the lock and didn't dare move 59 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,159 until it went away, nearly soiling myself, and then suddenly 60 00:03:51,199 --> 00:03:53,599 it was gone. And it moved off into the night 61 00:03:53,919 --> 00:03:58,000 to terrify something else. The rest of the night was quiet. 62 00:03:58,439 --> 00:04:02,000 I know that because I didn't sleep wink. I've never 63 00:04:02,039 --> 00:04:05,000 heard it since, and I hope I never hear it again. 64 00:04:09,599 --> 00:04:13,120 I grew up in Holmes County, Mississippi, right outside Durant. 65 00:04:14,039 --> 00:04:16,600 We lived on seventy two acres, and we shared the 66 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,199 land with black panthers and a family of boogers for 67 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:24,519 as long as I can remember. My first experience was 68 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,279 when I was seven. Our dogs chased a huge black 69 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,560 cat all the way up a pine tree. My uncle 70 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,000 shot it with a twelve gauge, and a game warden 71 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,600 came and took it away. Nothing was ever said after that. 72 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,319 A few years later, my cousins and I were jumping 73 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:46,160 on a trampoline dunking basketballs into the hoop. Straight out 74 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,160 of the thicket. Next to us, a creature walked out 75 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:53,000 on all fours. At first, we thought it was somebody's 76 00:04:53,079 --> 00:04:56,560 pony that had gotten loose, until it saw us looking 77 00:04:56,639 --> 00:05:00,319 and stood up on two legs. It was only about 78 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,199 six feet tall, but it was built thick, with dark 79 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:07,079 brown hair covering its face like an eighties rock star. 80 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,360 It took off back into the woods, and we hopped 81 00:05:10,399 --> 00:05:13,759 off the trampoline and we hauled us back to Grandma's house. 82 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:18,399 My family knew these boogers were there, but we weren't afraid. 83 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,879 They never bothered us, and there was plenty of space 84 00:05:21,959 --> 00:05:24,079 on our property for us to stay out of each 85 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:28,879 other's business. But after years of frequent brief sightings and 86 00:05:28,959 --> 00:05:33,560 no real action, things took a turn. Either a young 87 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,800 booger grew up and became rowdy, or a rogue one 88 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:42,199 had found our little utopia and started causing problems. We 89 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,800 all made it home from school one day and found 90 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:49,480 our chickens dead and scattered around the property. Cattle started 91 00:05:49,519 --> 00:05:53,279 coming up missing, and we started finding skulls and bones 92 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:57,839 scattered across the land. And the remaining cattle started sleeping 93 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,920 beside our house instead of resting in the barn at night. 94 00:06:02,319 --> 00:06:06,319 Not long after that, the night howling started. I was 95 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,040 in my car one night listening to the radio when 96 00:06:09,199 --> 00:06:13,399 something howled out from fifty yards away. It wasn't human, 97 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,480 it wasn't an animal. It was something in between. It 98 00:06:17,519 --> 00:06:20,519 was disturbing enough that I killed my engine and ran 99 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:24,120 into the house. My mother was in the kitchen, shaking 100 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:27,199 her head, saying she thought I might come in. She 101 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:31,920 had heard that howling too. Tree knocking became a regular 102 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:35,240 sound around the property. It would come at all hours 103 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,279 of the night, and it surrounded us. When we went fishing. 104 00:06:38,959 --> 00:06:44,240 Sometimes we'd find wooden structures carefully and meticulously built. We 105 00:06:44,319 --> 00:06:47,480 never touched any of it, out of respect and fear. 106 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,040 The last time I saw one was just a few 107 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,040 years ago. It ran out in front of my car. 108 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:56,920 Its body was so enormous that it covered both of 109 00:06:56,959 --> 00:07:01,040 my headlights. It took two steps across road and it 110 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,439 was gone. My cousin was in the seat next to me. 111 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:06,879 I turned to him and asked if he saw it. 112 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,199 He cocked his pistol, and he says, cuz, don't you 113 00:07:10,319 --> 00:07:17,399 dare slow down. I grew up in the foothills of Colorado, 114 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,519 and my family owns thirty five acres in the south 115 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:24,399 central part of our state. It is as vast as 116 00:07:24,439 --> 00:07:27,560 it is forested, and the nearest year round neighbor to 117 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,519 our humble cabin is a mile away. It's nestled in 118 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,079 a valley on the east side of the Sangrid to 119 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:39,360 San grid to Cristo Mountain range. It is deathly quiet 120 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:41,879 down there, and it even harbors some of the darkest 121 00:07:41,879 --> 00:07:45,800 skies in the nation. It was Labor Day weekend in 122 00:07:45,839 --> 00:07:49,399 two thousand and sixteen, and I was spending some time 123 00:07:49,519 --> 00:07:53,319 on our property with my father. We were sheltered in 124 00:07:53,399 --> 00:07:56,480 a canvas pop up and had retired for the night 125 00:07:56,639 --> 00:07:59,879 pretty early. In the middle of the night, my dad 126 00:08:00,079 --> 00:08:04,920 was awoken by something being caught between dreamland and sudden reality. 127 00:08:05,439 --> 00:08:07,680 It was hard to determine what had woke him up. 128 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,839 After trying to go back to sleep, he heard a continuous, 129 00:08:11,879 --> 00:08:15,759 steady chain of slaps against the side of the canvas 130 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,079 of our pop up camper. Not knowing if he had 131 00:08:19,079 --> 00:08:21,480 been dreaming, he lay awake to see if it would 132 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:25,519 happen again. Sure enough, less than five minutes later, the 133 00:08:25,639 --> 00:08:28,720 exact same thing happened again. There was a string of 134 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:33,519 hits against our canvas all along the trailer. He was confused, 135 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,519 and he continued to lay there wide awake. On the 136 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,720 third repetition, my dad sprung from his sleeping bag and 137 00:08:40,799 --> 00:08:42,919 out the door and looked around to see what was 138 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:47,639 causing the sound. He saw and heard nothing. He never 139 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,519 heard any footsteps, and there was no wind that night. 140 00:08:51,759 --> 00:08:54,679 A few seasons later and I was down there once 141 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,799 again with my dad. He was already asleep and I 142 00:08:57,919 --> 00:09:01,399 was struggling to get to bed. I was lying there 143 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,279 and I heard what sounded like two rocks being clacked 144 00:09:04,279 --> 00:09:08,759 together about twenty five yards away. This continued for more 145 00:09:08,799 --> 00:09:12,000 than half an hour, all while circling our pop up. 146 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,480 This happened on many trips, and it happened for years. 147 00:09:17,639 --> 00:09:20,519 In another season, we had just come down and set 148 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:23,840 up our camp on the previous trip. My dad and 149 00:09:23,879 --> 00:09:27,360 his friend sat around drinking beer and threw their cans 150 00:09:27,399 --> 00:09:29,759 on the ground for them to clean up later, which 151 00:09:29,799 --> 00:09:34,399 of course never happened. That irritated me, but oh well, 152 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:38,240 we would clean it tomorrow. As I was laying there 153 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:42,200 trying to sleep, I heard an unusual rock clacking, sometimes 154 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:47,480 singular hits and sometimes quick successions of two or three. 155 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:50,440 Then I heard one of those beer cans get picked up. 156 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,039 Something rattled the small rocks and the pine needles that 157 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,399 had migrated inside the can, and then it crushed it. 158 00:09:58,120 --> 00:09:59,960 And then I heard the can drop into the train 159 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,559 ssh bag that we kept outside right next to our 160 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,960 pop up. The next day, we found the crushed up 161 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,320 can in the bottom of an otherwise empty trash bag. 162 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,519 On a different occasion, my mother had woken to something 163 00:10:13,639 --> 00:10:16,440 running into the side of the camper. There was a 164 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:19,200 long pause and then a mimic of a sound I 165 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,320 used to make when I was messing around. It was 166 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,759 a grunt mixed with a yell. I made that sound 167 00:10:25,799 --> 00:10:29,840 whenever someone was being stupid or just acting silly. My 168 00:10:29,919 --> 00:10:32,919 mom said something made that sound right outside the camper 169 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,679 when I was sleeping right next to her. Whatever it was, 170 00:10:36,759 --> 00:10:41,919 it was copying me. Over the years, more strange things 171 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,840 have happened. On one occasion, my dad heard a loud growling, 172 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:50,879 murmuring vocalization down in the valley. Another time he found 173 00:10:50,879 --> 00:10:54,159 a massive set of barefootprints in the snow, which he 174 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,039 still has a picture of. Today, we have found tiny 175 00:10:58,159 --> 00:11:01,399 rock stacks on our tables and chair, and random tools 176 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,240 will be misplaced from the time we leave to the 177 00:11:04,279 --> 00:11:07,960 time we return. And the last time I was down there, 178 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,759 I was by myself during a spring break of twenty 179 00:11:10,879 --> 00:11:14,320 twenty four. I had arrived late when it was dark, 180 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:16,559 and I packed my stuff into the cabin we had 181 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:20,879 all recently built. As I was breaking firewood for the stove, 182 00:11:21,399 --> 00:11:24,639 I started to feel like I was being watched. We 183 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,120 had a ladder at the cabin. It was one we 184 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,279 had used to build a cabin. I had gone inside 185 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,159 to build a fire when I heard the ladder being thrown. 186 00:11:33,879 --> 00:11:37,120 I was blasting rock music on my speaker, and I 187 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,200 still heard it. I went out to check and found 188 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,159 the ladder far out of place, and that freaked me out, 189 00:11:43,519 --> 00:11:45,960 so I tried to shake the nerves and go to bed. 190 00:11:47,399 --> 00:11:49,440 As I was lying there on my back, staring at 191 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:51,879 the ceiling in the loft, I saw a shadow move 192 00:11:51,919 --> 00:11:56,080 across the moonlit surface. That loft is twelve feet in 193 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,320 the air. Looked like a head had stepped in the 194 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,679 way of the moon and peered in and then stepped away. 195 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:05,960 A few minutes later, I heard knocking on the window 196 00:12:06,039 --> 00:12:08,600 down below me. I thought at first it was a 197 00:12:08,639 --> 00:12:12,080 bat hitting the window or something of that sort, but 198 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:16,320 then it continued sporadically, sometimes in knocks of two and four, 199 00:12:16,879 --> 00:12:20,960 and then sometimes just one. Whatever this is, I don't 200 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:24,799 think it is malicious or has ill intentions. I will 201 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,080 continue to update you on my findings if you would like. 202 00:12:28,639 --> 00:12:32,559 I'm curious about what the Dixie cryptid community thinks about 203 00:12:32,639 --> 00:12:36,360 all of these events. Thanks for all you do, guys. 204 00:12:36,399 --> 00:12:39,159 If you have opinions on what's going on, leave it 205 00:12:39,159 --> 00:12:42,480 in the comment section. He's asking, and I know you'll 206 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:45,399 have plenty of great advice. And I'm serious about that. 207 00:12:49,519 --> 00:12:51,840 A few years back, my family and I were on 208 00:12:51,919 --> 00:12:55,120 our way to the Oregon Coast to visit my grandparents. 209 00:12:55,879 --> 00:12:58,440 As anyone from the area knows, the drive out there 210 00:12:58,519 --> 00:13:01,360 is heavily wooded with true he's so thick you can't 211 00:13:01,399 --> 00:13:04,639 see past them, and so tall in spots that they 212 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:08,960 block out the sun. Driving along, my mind wandered to 213 00:13:09,039 --> 00:13:12,279 my neighbor, who used to joke about all the sasquatch 214 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,720 there in the redwoods. I sort of laughed to myself 215 00:13:15,759 --> 00:13:18,320 at the thought, and then glanced from the road into 216 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,480 the trees, and I started wondering if my neighbor might 217 00:13:21,519 --> 00:13:25,159 be right, because right there, coming up the hill toward 218 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:29,720 the highway, I saw two giant figures. I blinked. I 219 00:13:29,799 --> 00:13:32,600 was sure that I was looking at two men. I 220 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,919 looked at the road and snapped my head back at 221 00:13:34,919 --> 00:13:38,720 the trees, and I blinked again. They were humongous, and 222 00:13:38,799 --> 00:13:41,279 the bigger of the two was carrying a dead dough 223 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,960 by its neck. I don't know what they were, but 224 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:48,879 I knew they weren't human. I drove on past them, 225 00:13:49,279 --> 00:13:52,360 eyes squinting in a did I just see that? Kind 226 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,759 of look on my face? The rest of the drive, 227 00:13:55,879 --> 00:13:58,279 it was all I could think about that. And my 228 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:01,679 neighbor who told me about them. I guess he wasn't 229 00:14:01,759 --> 00:14:10,000 joking about the sasquatches after all. In nineteen seventy six, 230 00:14:10,039 --> 00:14:12,519 I went with my friend and his family to their 231 00:14:12,639 --> 00:14:19,879 cabin in Monissing. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, y'all. I've been 232 00:14:19,879 --> 00:14:22,320 doing this almost eight years now and I still can't 233 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,039 pronounce some of these words. In nineteen seventy six, I 234 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,840 went with my friend and his family to their cabin 235 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:33,600 in Monising, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula. We were thirteen 236 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:37,000 years old at the time. One night, he and I 237 00:14:37,039 --> 00:14:39,519 were heading back to the cabin after goofing off in 238 00:14:39,559 --> 00:14:42,919 the woods. We were heading through the trees and taking 239 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:46,600 our time when a crashing noise to our left cut 240 00:14:46,639 --> 00:14:50,159 through the air and it startled us. We whipped our 241 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,639 heads towards the sound and saw a nine foot tall, 242 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,600 shaggy creature, back lit by the moon and pushing over 243 00:14:56,679 --> 00:15:00,639 a tree. My friend was an athletic type, but I 244 00:15:00,679 --> 00:15:03,799 was an overweight kid. But that night you'd have thought 245 00:15:03,919 --> 00:15:06,799 I was the athlete. I was so scared that I 246 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:10,919 outran my friend. We burst into the safety of the cabin, 247 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,120 gasping and panting and wondering what we'd just seen. It 248 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,320 was way too big to be a bear, and if 249 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,840 it was some guy playing a trick on us. He 250 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,039 went through a lot of effort to do that, and 251 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,360 was strong enough to push a tree over. Many years later, 252 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,120 just before COVID hit, my wife and I went back 253 00:15:29,159 --> 00:15:32,440 to Monasing. We were there for a boat tour that 254 00:15:32,519 --> 00:15:35,519 would take us to Pictured Rocks, some of the most 255 00:15:35,559 --> 00:15:40,679 incredible sandstone cliffs and sandy beaches in the world. I 256 00:15:40,759 --> 00:15:44,080 vaguely remembered where the cabin was that I had stayed 257 00:15:44,279 --> 00:15:47,200 with my friend, and we drove up there, only to 258 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,759 find it had been turned into a subdivision. We made 259 00:15:50,799 --> 00:15:54,399 our way instead to the old downtown, where we found 260 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:59,679 large bronze statues of Bigfoot outside of a store. Asked 261 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,320 about it, and she said they put it up for 262 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,480 the tourists. I thought of asking her if she was 263 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:09,039 from the area, but I didn't. I bet the locals 264 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:17,320 have some interesting insights to share with the world. Okay, 265 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:20,000 here's a little short ghost story I thought was pretty cool. 266 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:24,159 In January of nineteen seventy one, my brother and I 267 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:27,639 had been sick for a while. I slowly recovered, but 268 00:16:27,759 --> 00:16:31,039 my brother didn't. One night, my parents took him to 269 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:35,480 the hospital, where, sadly he passed away from pneumonia. His 270 00:16:35,519 --> 00:16:39,600 funeral was packed with roses filling every corner of the space, 271 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:45,039 their scent carrying through the air, lovely and heartbreaking. Like 272 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,600 most families of that time, my mom was a stay 273 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:50,840 at home mom and my daddy worked. Prior to my 274 00:16:50,919 --> 00:16:53,840 brother's passing, my mom would get up and make coffee 275 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,120 once my dad left for work. My brother would sneak 276 00:16:57,159 --> 00:16:59,600 around the corner and peek at her until she would 277 00:16:59,639 --> 00:17:01,559 tell him that he could come and sit with her. 278 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:06,359 That routine would eventually start up again. After the funeral. 279 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:11,079 My mother would be sitting at the table drinking her coffee, grieving, 280 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,960 I'm sure, and would smell a sudden rush of roses, 281 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:19,559 overpowering the coffee and the cigarettes. She was sure it 282 00:17:19,599 --> 00:17:22,279 was my little brother stopping by it to check on her. 283 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,559 Around the age of nine, I started having trouble sleeping 284 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:31,279 and suffered terribly from sleep paralysis. I would be awake 285 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,359 and unable to move. I would try to scream, but 286 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,599 I couldn't. It may have lasted only minutes, but it 287 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:41,559 felt like hours. The lack of sleep exhausted me to 288 00:17:41,599 --> 00:17:43,880 the point that I would pass out, only to wake 289 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,359 up the next day. After that, I started hearing voices 290 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,480 speaking to each other, though I could never understand what 291 00:17:51,559 --> 00:17:54,480 they were saying. I could make out a word or two, 292 00:17:54,559 --> 00:17:58,359 but could never make out the conversation. The only way 293 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:00,599 I could get back to sleep at that point was 294 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:03,559 with the TV on, drowning out the sound of anything 295 00:18:03,599 --> 00:18:09,119 around me. I visited a psychiatrist, thinking it might be schizophrenia, 296 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:12,880 but I checked out clean. As far as the doctors 297 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:17,799 were concerned, I was healthy mentally and physically. My mother 298 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,880 and her sister share a similar gift, knowing when the 299 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,240 phone was about to ring and who would be calling, 300 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,960 knowing if someone needed help, and dreaming of an event 301 00:18:28,079 --> 00:18:31,880 before it happened. I would love to connect with others 302 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:36,319 with similar stories. It can be isolating at times, feeling 303 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,839 that I'm the only one with this gift, if you 304 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,599 can call it that. Years later, I still sleep with 305 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,160 the fan and the TV on at night, and I 306 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,880 don't ever see that changing. Call it a good instinct, 307 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:51,920 Call it what you will. I believe something is waiting 308 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,599 for me in the silence. You guys, if you've had 309 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:59,839 any kind of experience like this woman, I would love 310 00:19:00,039 --> 00:19:02,880 she would probably love to hear if she hears this podcast. 311 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:06,799 She would probably love to read your comments about what's 312 00:19:06,839 --> 00:19:11,240 going on, and would probably appreciate it greatly. Obviously, all 313 00:19:11,279 --> 00:19:13,960 these years later, she's still sleeping with a fan on 314 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:17,759 and a TV on. And I don't know I could. 315 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:19,640 I could never do that. I have to sleep in 316 00:19:19,759 --> 00:19:23,839 complete darkness and complete silence. I've always been that way. 317 00:19:24,559 --> 00:19:27,640 But I have people in my family that sleep with 318 00:19:27,759 --> 00:19:31,279 fans on, fans on them. Holy crap, I'd have a 319 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:33,960 cold three hundred and sixty five days a year if 320 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,200 I slept like that. I know people need noise and 321 00:19:37,279 --> 00:19:40,559 cool air and etcetera, etcetera to sleep, but I think 322 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:44,079 hers is from nerves or some anxiety as she has 323 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,440 over her brother. Anyway, give her a comment and tell 324 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:52,599 her what you think. Appreciate it. Okay, welcome to the podcast. 325 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:56,559 It's been almost a month since I uploaded anything on 326 00:19:56,599 --> 00:20:01,000 my YouTube channel or my podcast office Spreaker, which goes 327 00:20:01,039 --> 00:20:05,480 to Apple, Spotify, all the podcast apps that you use. 328 00:20:05,599 --> 00:20:09,000 And here's what happened. Four weeks ago. We had an 329 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,440 ice storm. We lost power for two weeks. I couldn't 330 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,160 do anything. It was so cold and there was so 331 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:17,359 much ice on the ground. I couldn't even move around. 332 00:20:18,039 --> 00:20:21,319 So we just kind of sat around. And we're neighbors 333 00:20:21,319 --> 00:20:24,880 helping each other. We were loaning generators back and forth, 334 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:29,160 and I have given away so much pro paine propane 335 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,279 hoses and gone and found heaters and brought them back 336 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,759 and letting people use them. I mean, it was terrible, 337 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:40,279 but there were some people that went three weeks without utilities. 338 00:20:40,279 --> 00:20:42,880 In other words, they just got their utilities back on 339 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,240 last weekend. And I bet you there's some still without 340 00:20:46,279 --> 00:20:51,279 power because the utility company can hook back up the lines. 341 00:20:51,279 --> 00:20:53,240 But if you had a tree fall on your house 342 00:20:53,279 --> 00:20:56,160 and break your weatherhead off or whatever, you got to 343 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,000 find an electrician to get that wired back up. The 344 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,400 util company here isn't responsible for that. So anyway, it's 345 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:08,559 been a tumultuous time. I live in Tippa County, Mississippi. 346 00:21:08,599 --> 00:21:14,079 You may have heard. We had. We had utility companies 347 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:16,160 coming from all over the country to help us get 348 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,960 our power back on. And how generous. You know, those 349 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,759 those linemen or those utility companies are good about sharing 350 00:21:22,799 --> 00:21:26,680 their labor with other people. And we had volunteers come in. 351 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,640 I can't remember one organization, but they stayed here for 352 00:21:31,079 --> 00:21:33,319 I think till last Tuesday, and they left and went 353 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:37,839 to another county. Also, Oxford, Mississippi got hit really bad. 354 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,799 That's an old town. Well every town of Mississippi is 355 00:21:40,799 --> 00:21:43,200 an old town, but you know, it's full of giant 356 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:46,400 trees and stuff and real expensive houses. I think the 357 00:21:46,519 --> 00:21:50,160 medium price for a house and Oxford, Mississippi is like 358 00:21:50,279 --> 00:21:52,440 five hundred thousand dollars. I don't know who in the 359 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,200 hell could live there, but people do. Or who would 360 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:57,799 pay that for a house. I wouldn't. I just wouldn't 361 00:21:57,799 --> 00:22:00,480 pay that for a house. I live in a camper 362 00:22:00,519 --> 00:22:02,799 before I pay that much for a house. But I 363 00:22:02,799 --> 00:22:04,720 don't have a lot of money. So you know, if 364 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:06,319 I had a lot of money, I might I might 365 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:09,359 think of it differently. But Oxford got hit pretty hard. 366 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,680 There's a strip through Mississippi from if you go south 367 00:22:13,079 --> 00:22:16,519 and west of Oxford and just strike a line from 368 00:22:17,079 --> 00:22:20,640 the Mississippi River down in Louisiana all the way up 369 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:24,559 into West Tennessee. Now there are towns that are fifty 370 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:28,400 miles east of us. It didn't get hit at all. Anyway. 371 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:31,200 The point is we got our power back on after 372 00:22:31,279 --> 00:22:34,079 two weeks, and then I was two weeks behind on 373 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:36,400 work and I had missed a deadline because of the 374 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,799 power outage, and my customer didn't jerk the job from me. 375 00:22:40,039 --> 00:22:42,720 They hung with me. And as soon as I got 376 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,240 the power on, I mean that day, I was out 377 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,039 here working and I've been going sixteen hours a day 378 00:22:48,079 --> 00:22:50,079 trying to catch up, and I finally caught up two 379 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,359 days ago, and then I spent the last two days 380 00:22:53,839 --> 00:22:58,559 picking up limbs and repairing stuff that got broken around here. 381 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,400 I'm still not through. I've still got a month worth 382 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,680 of cleaning up to do, but I've got my yard 383 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:07,119 looking fairly good and still quite a few limbs. But 384 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,519 it doesn't look like a hurricane came through here. So 385 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:15,799 it's been a crazy month. February has been nuts in 386 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:20,079 North Mississippi. I'm not complaining. I had to get you know, 387 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:23,559 It's funny. There were people. You know, after about three 388 00:23:23,599 --> 00:23:26,119 days we could get out. I had to cut a hole. 389 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:30,279 I had to clear trees off my driveway just to 390 00:23:30,319 --> 00:23:33,240 get out of the compound and get out on the 391 00:23:33,279 --> 00:23:36,440 major roads. But there were big, giant trees laying across 392 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,799 the highways and stuff. It took two or three days 393 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,480 before anybody could be mobile. But after that we would 394 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,680 go to the grocery store. They had power somehow. They 395 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,200 had connected power to the main artery down the highway 396 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,319 within about three or four days, so that people could 397 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:55,839 sell groceries and you know, milk and bread and eggs 398 00:23:55,880 --> 00:24:00,240 and all that stuff. And I'd run into people only 399 00:24:00,279 --> 00:24:03,119 if I get offended at this. But all the dudes 400 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,240 that I talk to say, hey, man, how you doing well. 401 00:24:06,319 --> 00:24:10,000 I'm doing fine. I did fine. I don't as long 402 00:24:10,039 --> 00:24:12,440 as I have a little bit of light, a little 403 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,119 bit of heat, and a place to sleep, take a crap, 404 00:24:15,319 --> 00:24:18,119 take a boil some water, and take a sponge bath. 405 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:22,079 You know, I'm okay. But every one of them said, man, 406 00:24:22,559 --> 00:24:24,759 I'm doing fine. But if I could just get my 407 00:24:24,839 --> 00:24:28,160 wife to quit complaining about this, like complaining is gonna 408 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:30,920 fix it. That's what us guys do when women start 409 00:24:31,559 --> 00:24:34,400 fussing about this or that. We feel like we need 410 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:36,359 to fix it, but there's nothing we could do here 411 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:40,079 because we're not utility. We're not with a utility company. Anyway, 412 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:42,759 I just thought that was funny. Every single dude I 413 00:24:42,799 --> 00:24:45,880 talked to, Man, if my wife would just quit complaining, 414 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:49,039 we'd be fine. Now she's got the kids complaining. And 415 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,000 there's one friend of mine he's got let's see, it's 416 00:24:52,039 --> 00:24:54,319 him and his wife and they've got four or five kids, 417 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:58,559 and they're young, they're a younger family, and he's like, 418 00:24:58,599 --> 00:25:01,880 now she's got the kids, come play. But anyway, I 419 00:25:02,079 --> 00:25:04,799 just thought it was funny. And then I got my 420 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,680 taxes done. I could not. I was going to do 421 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,519 a podcast yesterday, but I had to get my taxes 422 00:25:10,559 --> 00:25:13,680 together to take to my accountant. I got that done, 423 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,160 and man, that is a huge, huge burden off my back. 424 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,640 And I'm caught up on work and I was just 425 00:25:20,759 --> 00:25:24,640 getting rolling after a big slug of work back in January. 426 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,400 On this podcast, I was putting out a podcast every 427 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,880 I don't know, two three, four days. I was putting 428 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:33,039 them out regularly like I used to do, and then 429 00:25:33,079 --> 00:25:35,720 this ice storm hit. So now I'm out of work. 430 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:37,960 I got my work called up. I've got a big 431 00:25:38,039 --> 00:25:40,799 job coming in. If y'all don't mind me talking a 432 00:25:40,839 --> 00:25:44,480 little more, I'm sorry to drag this on with but 433 00:25:44,599 --> 00:25:48,279 I'm just gonna tell you this. I put out a 434 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:50,680 video I guess it was late last summer that says 435 00:25:50,759 --> 00:25:53,440 I'm quitting. And what I meant was I was quitting 436 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,160 my regular job and I was going to spend one 437 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,799 hundred percent of my time writing and doing this podcast. 438 00:26:00,079 --> 00:26:03,519 Was just reading these stories for you guys. And I 439 00:26:03,559 --> 00:26:06,920 actually told my customers I'm done. And it was that 440 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,240 way for about two weeks, and I was able to 441 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,559 do a little writing and on Steve Lily, working on 442 00:26:12,599 --> 00:26:16,000 Steve Lily, and I was able to get podcasts out 443 00:26:16,039 --> 00:26:19,839 on a regular basis. And then they called me. You 444 00:26:19,839 --> 00:26:22,599 know what, this was early last summer, This was back 445 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,359 in June. I think they said, we got this one 446 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:29,440 really nice, clean job. We just we want you to 447 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,200 do one last job. Well, so let me let me 448 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,559 tell you. It's a good feeling knowing you're wanted, you're needed, 449 00:26:36,079 --> 00:26:38,960 and you're good at what you do and people want 450 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,319 you to do work for them. So I looked at 451 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:44,720 the job and it was clean as a whistle and 452 00:26:44,759 --> 00:26:47,640 it was going to go pretty fast. And they gave 453 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,839 me like six or eight weeks to get it done, 454 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:52,720 and I knew I could get it done in two 455 00:26:52,759 --> 00:26:57,240 or three weeks. Well, it got all clogged up in engineering, 456 00:26:57,319 --> 00:27:01,000 and which is a whole nother story. But I did 457 00:27:01,039 --> 00:27:04,480 not finish that job. I was doing other stuff, but 458 00:27:04,559 --> 00:27:07,519 that one particular job. There were three phases to it. 459 00:27:08,079 --> 00:27:10,880 I had them all done. We were just waiting on 460 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:14,279 connection approvals and stuff like that, and the engineers couldn't 461 00:27:14,279 --> 00:27:17,200 get their shit together. And so I got the job 462 00:27:17,279 --> 00:27:20,960 in June and I submitted and finally finally released it 463 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:26,359 for construction this past January. They needed it. They needed 464 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:31,359 my drawings submitted back last like around the first of August. 465 00:27:33,319 --> 00:27:36,680 Never heard anybody screaming. They weren't nobody screaming about the 466 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:41,680 schedule or anything. It was the weirdest thing. But anyway, 467 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:45,119 they were just offering to pay me good money for it, 468 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:46,960 and I just couldn't turn it down and it was 469 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,680 going to be so I haven't completely quit. I actually 470 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:54,000 been another job, a job out in California that I 471 00:27:54,039 --> 00:27:57,160 think I'm gonna get and it's pretty profitable. And it's 472 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:00,519 a good job and it's a good customer out there, 473 00:28:00,559 --> 00:28:04,039 so I'll probably do another few things. But I you know, 474 00:28:04,079 --> 00:28:08,240 I've always been able to balance the job with the podcast. 475 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:11,759 But I'll say, you know, the last year or so, 476 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:17,319 I'm not spending I'm not working fifteen sixteen hours a 477 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,240 day to get them both done. My wife and I 478 00:28:20,279 --> 00:28:23,279 had a talk and one thing we'd like to do 479 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:26,119 is kind of hang out together at night. I wasn't 480 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:29,240 doing that when this podcast was going real strong. It 481 00:28:29,319 --> 00:28:31,880 was I mean, she never saw me. I'd come in 482 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,720 at nine or ten o'clock at night every night, and 483 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,319 I'd come out here and work early in the morning 484 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:40,559 on this podcast. And so I decided to just kind 485 00:28:40,559 --> 00:28:42,759 of back off of it a little bit. Now she's saying, 486 00:28:42,759 --> 00:28:45,880 you need to get these podcasts out more regularly, so 487 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:48,240 I may get to go back to going early mornings 488 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:50,759 and late nights, which I like to do. I like 489 00:28:50,839 --> 00:28:53,640 to work anyway. That's kind of an update on where 490 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:56,599 I am, Like, you give a crap. I thought i'll 491 00:28:56,599 --> 00:28:59,000 tell you about the ice storm, tell you that I 492 00:28:59,079 --> 00:29:04,920 planned on retire and quitting, but I didn't. And you know, 493 00:29:05,079 --> 00:29:08,200 I'm still able to work I'm still in good health, 494 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,599 good mental health good. You know, I don't have dementia yet, 495 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,039 I guess is what I'm saying. Now, I can do 496 00:29:14,119 --> 00:29:16,279 the work. So I mean, while the money's there and 497 00:29:16,279 --> 00:29:18,160 the economy is good, I might as well go ahead 498 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:20,519 and do the work and make that money. With all 499 00:29:20,559 --> 00:29:24,279 that said, I am just about done with Steve Lily nineteen. 500 00:29:24,599 --> 00:29:29,240 I'm even gonna probably have twenty done. There'll be two 501 00:29:29,519 --> 00:29:33,680 Steve Lilly's released within thirty days or so, hopefully in 502 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,079 the next couple of weeks. I really am real close 503 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,160 on it. That's one project I just have not been 504 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,480 able to pay a lot of attention to. But I've 505 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:46,079 been thinking. I've been thinking nineteen's a pretty good story. 506 00:29:46,599 --> 00:29:48,519 All right, That's all I've got to say. Let's get 507 00:29:48,519 --> 00:29:52,319 back into this and get some stories going. Or rather 508 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,359 than that, I may just put this at the back 509 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,039 of the podcast so the people who don't like to 510 00:29:57,079 --> 00:30:00,880 hear this stuff won't hear it. How about that. Appreciate you, guys. 511 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:05,039 I'm glad you tuned into this podcast. And I'll conclude 512 00:30:05,079 --> 00:30:08,319 with this, I love you. There's more podcasts coming. I 513 00:30:08,319 --> 00:30:11,200 haven't gone anywhere. It's just a fact of God that 514 00:30:11,319 --> 00:30:13,599 kept me from doing this, but I love doing it. 515 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:15,839 I still love doing it as much as I ever did, 516 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:18,799 and there'll be more to come this week. Should have 517 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,799 two or three podcasts put out this week, so we're 518 00:30:21,839 --> 00:30:24,400 back on track. Thanks everybody, I love y'all. We'll see 519 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:25,279 you on the next week.