The Strange and Unusual

The Moon. She has always been there. Hanging in the sky. Giving me freedom and returning to comfort me. I have always enjoyed the lore and legends surrounding the moon. Though I am not a very religious person, I feel very spiritual about the moon. To me, she represents constant change but a solid presence. She also associates herself with the occult in many ways. Often the patron of women and hunters. She represents power and beauty combined into one. I know that I am never alone when I look up at the night sky and see her shining back. The eternal lady. Full of wisdom and strength. She is sought out by those seeking to find honest answers and caring words.

There is a beautiful saying that encompasses how I feel. I do not know the origin of the original words:

The ancient Egyptian culture fascinates me. As a child, my first wish was to become an egyptologist. Of course, as I grew older, I realized that the glory days of Egyptian artifact discoveries were long gone and that museum work was not for me. However, I continued to study the myths and legends surrounding the dead culture.

Perhaps what interests me the most about the ancient Egyptians, were that they were a fairly dynamic people. Able to write, understand mathematics, create interesting architecture, sculpt, paint, and keep excellent business records. All this, while being very religious and war-like people. These people encompassed so many contrasting ideas and perhaps that is the lure to them. Being able to believe and practice with both magic and logic. Today, I still enjoy reading about them and keep posted on new discoveries. I keep a fortune cookie paper on my piece of papyrus that states: “You long to see the Great Pyramids.”

There is a sense of danger and excitement when entering abandoned buildings. Not everyone can understand that feeling. The beauty these decaying walls hold and the stories that echo in the peeling paint. I have enjoyed ghost stories but preferred the ones based on reality. Many of these old buildings house such stories.

Growing up in the Poconos gave me a vast playground of abandoned Inns. The Henryville House and The Buck Hill, in particular. Both have their own stories surrounding their demise. Though they tend to be primarily financial issues, to the ghost hunters, they think a few murdered ghost played more of a role. Unfortunately, I never took photographs of the great adventures I had wandering the old places.

Living in the desert supplies different types of abandoned places. Mine shafts and ghost towns. Most of the towns have been swept away by the wind. And though they are interesting, they do not compare to the lost asylums and hospitals of New England.