Lon Strickler's Blog, page 491

Huge Thunderbirds Encountered in California's Trinity Alps Wilderness

“I live in the Trinity Alps Wilderness of California. I have had two encounters with Thunderbirds up close and personal. The first was for about 10 minutes at a distance of 200 to 500 feet while it circled overhead. The second time one flew past me at a distance of about 15 feet. If I had any idea how big it was, I would have tried to shoot down the first one because I had time to get a gun. The one who flew past me was as big as I am, and the wings were 22 to 23 feet long as it flew between the trees on the driveway. It tucked in its wings to pass through the trees. I measured the trees and they are 30 feet apart. The birds looked like eagles except for the size and wing shape. The wings were straight from root to tip with no gaps at the end between the feathers. The wing tips were round, which is unusual for most birds. Other than size, the birds were not unusual in any way.” - Hiram Abiff

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UFO and Aliens

“I am waiting for someone to come forward about a ship that quite a few of us saw one summer evening in Scarborough, Ontario in 1972. A ship came over a row of houses across from the parking lot of our home and sat motionless except for an electrical pulse that 'zapped' every few seconds. It was the size of a big house with a rounded front window where three 'aliens' like a family, one big, one medium and one small in height, stood as though through a screen looking at us as we stood looking at them. It was incredible!!!” - WWG1WGA

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UFO Witnessed in Afghanistan

“In December of 2003, Afghanistan, we were preparing a raid on a small village in Khost province. Looking for a high target ID. It was around 0330hrs and were stationed just outside the village that was around 9,000ft. high in the mountains. What I witnessed that morning was exactly the same account that the people from Phoenix, Arizona witnessed back in March 1997. That only difference was that I had NVG's and a Thermal nuclear scope. That early morning it just finished snowing and the sky had just cleared up. I could see all the stars in the sky. There a few clouds as far a my eyes could see. I was a gunner pulling guard on top of a vehicle so I had a 360 degree view. That morning I saw what I believe to be a fighter jet flying over us since we had air reconnaissance, they were our eyes in the sky for this mission. But what I witnessed right after was breathtaking and shocking at the same time. The first thing I saw was a dim white light coming from behind us at a very slow speed almost like a floating balloon, moving very slowly. My first instinct was it was one our ours. But then the more I saw it moving I realized it wasn't one of our aircrafts. So I pull down on my NVG's to take a closer look and what I realize was that this light, as it was moving forward it was covering all the stars in the sky. So I looked up and behind me and I could see a triangular shaped with three dim white light on every corner as far as my eyes could see with the exception of a fourth light which was much bigger and brighter of an orange color. This orange color bright light was center to the triangular shaped object. And from this light I could see something burning like a white phosphorus light going from bright white light to bright red and then orange. And every time this happened a light was shooting down and it kept doing one after the other as if smaller light were flying off this colossal object. I try getting the attention of my squad and bringing it up to my NCO so I explain that there were some weird lights in the sky and he quickly dismissed it as of: we had air reconnaissance flying over us. So my next instinct was to dismount the Thermal nuclear scope I had on top of my cursor weapon so I could aim it at the object. What I saw with this scope was thousands of small fragments of lights following this object. It was like a scene coming out of a science fiction movie. This object covered at least 3/4th of all the sky and covered at least 3/4th of all the stars in the sky. Whatever this thing was, was enormous. To this day I have never seen anything like it. Just as it came, it left making no noise what's so ever. Like it never happened. I related my story to my wife many years ago and stand firm on the testimony I have written.” - Freddy Fernandez

Still Roaming About: Black Hounds, Black Shucks & Devil Dogs

The following information was posted several years ago. I thought I'd update a bit and then repost. Even though there has been a strong influx of bipedal canine sightings in recent years, there has also been a steady number of phantom black dog reports in the UK, as well as a few in the US:

express - The fiery red eyes and the blood-curdling howls of ghostly Black Dogs have long haunted the pages of British literature.

From Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles to the sinister Padfoot in the tales of Harry Potter, time and again nail-biting stories have been woven around the legend of mythical huge dogs.

Whether such tales are just fiction is now open to doubt.

In recent years reports have continued to emerge of wolf-like Black Dogs seen roaming the country. Now zoologists and experts in the paranormal are calling for a probe to prove their existence.

Richard Freeman, zoological director at the Centre for Fortean Zoology in Bideford, Devon, said Black Dogs have been reported in Britain, across Europe and in South America. He said: “I would welcome support for a thorough investigation into their existence.

“If one could be captured on film or filmed with a thermal camera it might give us a clue to the nature of these creatures.” A report in this month’s Countryfile magazine details the legend of more than a dozen Black Dogs with such wild names as the Yell Hound of Devon, the Lean Dog of Tring, the Padfoot of Wakefield, the Gurt Dog of the Quantocks, Mauthe Dhoog of the Isle of Man and the Gwyligi of Wales.

Dr Simon Sherwood, senior lecturer in psychology, director of the Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes at the University of Northampton, said: “Sightings of Black Dogs are certainly not just legendary accounts from hundreds of years ago. I still receive accounts from people who have been looking for information about similar sightings and have come across my website.

“I have probably collected about 50 or 60 accounts from around the world over the past 10 years or so and some of these are recent sightings.”

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The Black Hounds of England


Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' that featured Detective Sherlock Holmes was spun from the legend of mythical huge dogs

Sightings of the Black Hound have been reported all over England since the early 1500’s up until the present day. The Black Hound is often described as an abnormally large jet black dog the size of a cow or a bear, with large claws, fangs, matted or shaggy fur and glowing red eyes.

Many believe the Black Hound to be a beast, however as folklore goes the Black Hound is believed to be a phantom or ghost dog. The Black Hound is mostly a nocturnal apparition, often said to be associated with the Devil. Most common sightings of the Black Hound are at points that act like boundaries such as gates, fences, hedges, bridges, roads, paths and many sightings at graveyards and burial grounds.

Folklore claims that the Black Hounds travel leylines, these are essentially paths that the spirits are said to travel. In old folklore the leylines are said to connect graveyards and lead to the spirit world. The Black Hound is seen as an omen of death.

There are lots of stories about Black Hounds terrorising villages and attacking travellers, not many of which report sounds from the beast that are out of the ordinary, however some have reported a terrifying howl and even that the hound was maniacally laughing.

Accounts of the Black Hounds attacking aren’t uncommon. Suffolk, UK 1577, one Sunday it is claimed a Black Hound made its way into a church, two men who were touched by the beast fell down dead and a third man seemed to have died from severe burns.

Another account tells also of a Black Hound entering a town hall and physically killing two men before escaping.

Even now there are common sightings of the Black Hound. In 2003 a teenager reported seeing a Black Hound when on his way home around midnight, apparently the hound was seen lurking around the bottom of a tree next to a hedge (boundary) and was described as a large Black Hound with matted fur just a little smaller than a cow.

Other phantom dogs are more benevolent and stories exist of people being helped from tight spots. For example Augustus Hare in his book 'In My Solitary Life' recounts a common tale he heard about a man called Johnnie Greenwood, of Swancliffe. Johnnie had to ride through a wood in darkness for a mile to get to where he was going. At the entrance of the wood he was joined by a black dog, it pattered beside him until he emerged from the trees, whereupon it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

On his return journey through the wood, the dog joined him again on the dark woodland path, and disappeared mysteriously when he emerged. Apparently, some years later, two prisoners condemned to death confessed that they had decided to rob and murder Johnny that night in the wood, but the presence of the large black dog had stopped them.

Black dogs are also seen as guardians of treasure, especially in Scotland. A black dog was said to guard treasure buried under a standing stone near Murthley in Perthshire, here we have an account of a black dog at an ancient site and as a guardian of treasure.

In summary it seems that the phenomena of phantom dogs is a complex mix of folklore, sightings, and local superstition, which has roots reaching far into the past. There are probably a myriad of different explanations for modern sightings, and a phantom black dog is a powerful archetype, incorporated into modern stories such as the 'Hound of the Baskervilles' by Arthur Conan Doyle. We hope to delve into the mystery further in the future, including some of the many folk tales associated with them.

REPORTS: Sightings of the Black Hound, Black Shuck or Devil Dog

Large Hound
Location: A684 (Yorkshire) - Between Northallerton and Leeming Bar
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Summer 2001, between 20:00h - 22:00h
Further Comments: A large black dog ran in front of two women travelling to Leeming Bar by car. The driver closed her eyes and braked hard, expecting to hit the creature. The passenger watched the hound pass through the bonnet, and noticed the creature had no facial features, floppy ears, and was shadow-like. A man that the women spoke to once they reached their destination later killed himself - was the hound a portent?

Red Eyed Dog
Location: Ailsworth (Northamptonshire) - General area
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This huge hound possesses eyes that burn as bright as the sun, making the creature easy to spot if he tries to sneak up on you.

Running Hound
Location: Alfriston (Sussex) - Between the Downs and Town Fields
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Full Moon (reoccurring)
Further Comments: A large black dog is said to run from the Downs to Town Fields - here it stares over a flint wall before retreating the way it came.

White Dog
Location: Alfriston (Sussex) - The White Way, road leading from the town towards Seaford
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This creature is reportedly the dog of a young man murdered while out walking during the 1700s - because the pitiful hound sat by the victim's shallow grave, the criminals killed it also. The haunting is said to have ceased after the bodies of dog and owner were discovered when the road was widened.

Long Necked Dog
Location: Algarkirk (Lincolnshire) - Area around the village church
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Twentieth century?
Further Comments: This black dog was described by a witness as being tall and lean, with a long neck and a protruding muzzle. The hound is not regarded here as an ill omen.

Dog in Trees
Location: Algarkirk (Lincolnshire) - Church
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This large black hound was seen between three trees that grow close to the religious house.

Hound
Location: Allington (Wiltshire) - Area between village and All Cannings
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Early twentieth century
Further Comments: The story of the black dog was used to frighten children in this area. One man may have been chased by the creature (though it was dark and stated it might have been a pony), while another couple who spotted the hound said it stood almost as tall as their pony.

Grey Greyhound
Location: Alphamstone (Essex) - Sycamore Farm
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: One night during the late '40s.
Further Comments: After seeing a creature in his chicken coop, a farmer fired a shotgun at the creature - it ran through the wire netting and escaped. Examining the scene in the morning, the farmer could find no holes in the netting or footprints of the dog.

Black Dog
Location: Alveston (Warwickshire) - Exact location not known
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Late Nineteenth Century
Further Comments: Charles Walton (the same man who was murdered in Lower Quinton (see Quinton database entry for further information)) claimed to have seen a phantom black dog for several successive nights when he was younger - on the last night, instead of the dog, he saw a ghostly headless woman. He soon heard that his sister had died at roughly the same time as the last sighting.

Dog
Location: Amlwch (Wales) - Stone circle between village & St Ellian Church
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A phantom hound is said to haunt this prehistoric site.

Barguest
Location: Appletreewick (Yorkshire) - Trollers Gill (or Ghyll)
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Possessing glowing red eyes and a yellow tint to its fur, the dog-like barguest is a harbinger of doom.

Shaggy Dog
Location: Ascot (Berkshire) - Old Huntsman's House
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: It has been reported that this house is haunted by a sheepdog-looking entity, which has also been heard barking. A man in a red coat was also said once to haunt the site.

Black Dog
Location: Ayr (Ayrshire) - Wooded areas
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Mistakenly blamed for killing a child, it was later discovered that the dog had tried to defend the infant from a wolf (a la Gelert). However, this hound was less forgiving for its former master's murderous action and now runs around the dense woodland.

Webbed Footed Hound
Location: Baildon (Yorkshire) - Slaughter Lane
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A large dog with eyes the size of saucers once haunted this area.

Monkey-faced Shuck
Location: Balsham (Cambridgeshire) - Wratting Road
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: For reasons unknown, the shuck which has been observed in this area is believed to have a bald head and wide eyes, similar to that of a monkey, while the body is that of a large black shaggy dog. It leaps out in front of cars travelling along this road, only to dart out of the way at the last possible second, either on all four legs or standing upright.

Black Collie
Location: Barberbooth (Derbyshire) - General area
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This phantom dog stands as tall as a very large collie, and is said to belong to the fairies.

Rough Coated Dog with Large Yellow Eyes
Location: Barham (Suffolk) - Along the main Norwich Road, Barham Church Lane, just past Barham Hall gates.
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: 1910s?
Further Comments: The dog harassed a couple of men walking back from work - one of them reported trying to hit the creature with a stick, but the piece of wood passed straight through the dog's body. Another version of the story states the dog disappears into a solid wall.

Shuck Haunt
Location: Barnby (Suffolk) - Bridge over Hundred Stream
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Legend states the stream to be the haunt of a Shuck, though no further information could be found.

Chained Hound
Location: Batcombe (Somerset) - Gold Hill
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Buried in nearby woodland by an owner, this phantom hound is now reputed to roam the area, a large chain around its neck.

White Dog
Location: Beccles (Suffolk) - Cemetery
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: 1974
Further Comments: A woman passing through the cemetery watched a large white dog as it faded away in front of her.

Red Eyed Hound
Location: Beckingham (Nottinghamshire) - Old Trent Road
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This large black dog with glowing eyes is said to have driven a local farmer mad after the man tried to block the creature's path. The farmer was also left almost completely paralysed. The hound is said to walk from the churchyard to nearby marshland before fading from view.

Capelthwaite
Location: Beetham (Cumbria) - General area near the river Bela
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Also known as a Cappel, this spirit is said to be able to transform into any four legged creature, though it prefers the form of a dog. A local vicar is said to have banished it into the river Bela.

Headless Hound
Location: Beetham (Cumbria) - Between village and Milnthrope, and surrounding countryside
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: It is said that if this large creature follows you, death is not far behind.

Black Dog
Location: Belchalwell (Dorset) - Unnamed gate in the area (still standing?)
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: A particular gate in the area was said to be home to a black dog once the sun went down.

Glowing Mouthed Hounds
Location: Birstall (Leicestershire) - General Area
Type: Shuck
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The locals here say their devil dogs, known as Shag Dogs, have a glow that emanates from the inside of their mouths.

Sources:
itsnature.org
Shapeshifters: Morphing Monsters & Changing Cryptids[image error]
express.co.uk
Cryptid Creatures From Dark Domains: Dogmen, Devil Hounds, Phantom Canines And Real Werewolves[image error]
mysteriousbritain.co.uk
Chasing American Monsters: Over 250 Creatures, Cryptids & Hairy Beasts[image error]
paranormaldatabase.com
Monsters Among Us: An Exploration of Otherworldly Bigfoots, Wolfmen, Portals, Phantoms, and Odd Phenomena[image error]
myths.e2bn.org
bbc.co.uk





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Giant Bird Sightings in the Midwest

“Many years ago in southern Ohio, some buddies and I were out scouting for new places to go hunting. While walking through the woods, we came up to a big swamp. As we were standing there taking in our surroundings and talking, for about 10 minutes or so, about 50 yards away, gliding down from the tree tops, was what we all thought was somebody in a hang glider going to crash into the water, but after a second or two of observation, we were in awe that this was a huge bird that resembled a California Condor but much larger. It stayed in our sight for perhaps another 5 or 6 seconds. It never flapped its wings in its descent down, just glided to a place in the middle of the swamp where there were lots of dead trees and cat tails that obscured any further sighting. We stood there for a while thinking it might show itself but it never did. On the drive home, our opinions differed on the size and even if it was a bird at all, maybe a giant kite or remote control plane that somebody was flying and crashed, since it did not flap the wings, but we found that highly unlikely since we were in a very remote area. But we all agreed the wingspan was at least 12 feet or more.” - citizen-x

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“I live in Shelbyville, Illinois. In the early 1960s, I would have been about 10 years old, I saw a huge bird sitting on top of our milking barn. The bird was several times larger than an ordinary buzzard. When the bird flew away, it's wing span was half the length of the barn, so that would be about 20 feet. I will never forget it.” - Carl Borders

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“Around 2009, in Plainfield, Indiana, I was outside. It was around 12:00 noon. I happened to look up at the sky. I spotted a huge black bird in the sky that cast a big black shadow. I had to look about three times or more, since I thought it was a hang-glider. It was not. The wing span on that thing was about 20 feet across.” - Dixie Pierpont

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Blue Praying Figure

“One night it was storming, lighting, thunder, everything. I was about 6 years old (2008) and was sleeping on the couch. I woke up to the sound of thunder at about 2:00-3:00 AM. I rolled over on my side and saw a transparent blue figure praying over the bed in the guest bedroom. No one was sleeping in the bed, and I stared at it for a few more seconds, rapidly blinking, before making it out to be my great aunt who had passed a few months prior. I rolled over, rubbed my eyes, and turned back around to face her, only to see her still standing there, hands folded, not moving, wearing her dress. I was now terrified that what I was seeing was completely real. In pure and utter fear, I got up and ran towards my Grandma’s kitchen. There, I found my Grandma and Dad having a conversation. They were the only ones up. I was telling them I saw a ghost. They said it was just my imagination and to go back to bed. The thing is though, they didn’t seem confident, I sensed that something was wrong. I don’t remember what happened after this except for how much those 3 minutes impacted my life. I was so damn scared of that room. I wouldn’t go near if. To this day (17 years old) I make sure that door is closed 100% and wouldn’t sleep in there for $100.” - LP

Reader's Alien Encounter During Sleep Paralysis Incident

Hi Lon,

I would like to start by saying that I’m a big fan of your blog and have been for a long time now. I enjoy reading of people’s unusual encounters having had quite a number of experiences myself. The experience I want to tell you about happened 11 years ago in June or July of 2008 and has always left me wondering. I’d like to begin with a bit of a background as I think it is significant.

For as long as I can remember I’ve always experienced sleep paralysis. Even as a child I can remember it happening to the point that by the time I was 8 or 9 I believed that it was normal and it happened to everyone. The frequency that it happened would be every 2-3 months maybe 6 or 7 times a year. It wasn’t until I was in my teens that I found that it wasn’t all that common. For the most part I figured my body was still asleep and my brain was awake and I’d just close my eyes and go back to sleep. Although I would occasionally see a shadow moving around the room I thought it was because I was half asleep and never gave it a second thought. That was until the day in 2008 when I woke in the early morning to find myself paralyzed lying on my back.

It was probably around 5am as I could see the sun coming in through my bedroom windows. What I saw next absolutely scared the living sh*t out of me. Looking down I see 4 Greys standing around my bed. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, they were 3 1/2 to 4 ft tall with pale skin, large heads, big solid black eyes, no ears, 2 small holes for a nose and just a slit for a mouth. Needless to say I completely lost my sh*t, I tried screaming and moving, my heart had kicked into overdrive and I could feel it pounding in my chest but I was completely frozen. There were 2 of these creatures standing on the right side of my bed, one at the foot of the bed and the last was on the left side. The one on the left was reaching over and doing something to the left side of my ribs, my blankets were pulled down to my waist, I don’t think it had anything in its hands, no instruments that I could see. At this point these creatures looked at one another and although there were no expression on their faces I got the impression they were surprised I was awake and the one on my left started working faster, whatever it was doing. I thought I was going to die, that this was how people mysteriously die in their sleep. My heart was racing so fast I thought that I was going to have a heart attack if I didn’t calm down. I started to focus on my breathing trying to get my heart to slow all the while the creature still worked on my left side. By this time it had been 3 or 4 minutes.

Once my heartbeat wasn’t completely jackhammering I decided that the only way I was to survive this encounter was to get the creature away from me. Using the same focus I used to slow my heart rate I concentrated on moving my left arm. After 20-30 seconds I did it, my hand jerked up with just enough power to push its hands away. I felt its skin on the back of my hand, it was dry and rough. I don’t think I hit hard enough to hurt it but I’m pretty sure I startled it because it made a bit of a yelp kinda like when you accidentally step on your cat's tail. I didn’t hear this noise out loud but inside my head. Now what happened next I can’t say for sure because the next thing I know is that I’m basically jumping up out of bed. It’s about 930-10 o’clock in the morning, there’s no aliens in my room and I’m left wondering what the hell just happened.

Back to the part about sleep paralysis, this event happened 11 years ago. At the time I was 34 and had countless episodes of sleep paralysis. Since this happened I have only had sleep paralysis once! (This involved another entity and is a whole different story, I did say I’ve had quite a few unusual experiences). I’ve been left wondering if this was all an unbelievably vivid dream or something else and I’ll probably never know which.

Anyway that’s my story take it as you will and thank you for taking the time to read it and thank you again for all the work you do on the blog and in the paranormal field in general. It has provided myself and many others endless hours of interesting and thought provoking reading. SA

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You can use one of the donation buttons on the blog or newsletter, or go to Paypal.com and use my email lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com as the payee. Thanks again. Lon
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New 'Phantoms & Monsters' Archive - Important posts from the past 15 years - Updated and adding daily - Make sure to bookmark

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The Inhumanoids: Real Encounters with Beings that can't Exist! [image error]

The Books of Enoch: The Angels, The Watchers and The Nephilim (With Extensive Commentary on the Three Books of Enoch, the Fallen Angels, the Calendar of Enoch, and Daniel’s Prophecy) [image error]

Beasts of Britain [image error]

Creatures of Thought: The Creation of Living Thought-Forms And The Mastery of Your Reality [image error]

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Lon's Suggested Reading List - Books & Films / DVDs

Subscribe to the Phantoms & Monsters / Arcane Radio YouTube channel
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UNEXPLAINED ENCOUNTER OR SIGHTING?










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Phantoms & Monsters: Let's Help Each Other

Hey folks...after mulling over the future of the newsletter and other issues concerning the Phantoms & Monsters blog, I've come to the following conclusions. I'm not going to start a subscription plan for the newsletter or any other parts of the blog. This would go against my original premise for writing the blog when I began in 2005. Instead, I've decided to make an appeal to the readers with the following requests:

1. Spread the word. Help by promoting Phantoms & Monsters to friends, associates, etc. Share links on social media, recommend blog posts, etc. This will help tremendously.

2. Patronize my advertisers and use the Amazon product links on the newsletter and blog. When you click on a product link, regardless of what you purchase on Amazon, I still get a percentage of that product sale.

3. Help get the word out about my books and products. Recommendations and reviews are influential to buyers.

4. Let others know about and support Arcane Radio. You can also become a patron.

5. Consider a donation to Phantoms & Monsters by using the Paypal buttons on the blog and newsletter.

6. A little bit goes a long way. I am grateful to all of my loyal and generous readers.

If you have a suggestion, please feel free to contact me. I have always considered the blog, newsletter, radio show, etc. to be a cooperative effort. Help me to continue to provide you the information you have enjoyed for the past 14 years. Thanks...Lon






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Pursued by a Physical Shapeshifter

I recently came across the following strange account:

I saw a thing in, or near, the woods on three separate occasions now. Each time I saw the thing, it was in a different state along the east coast of America, and each time the sighting was fleeting. I’m in my 30’s now, and the sightings have several years between them. The first time I saw it was in high school, and this is most definitely the time I got the longest look at it. The second time I only caught a glimpse, and I’m pretty sure (but not entirely sure) it was the same thing. The third time I got a clear look at it from a distance, but it caught me so off guard that I stumbled as I was taking a step and I lost sight of it. I have been calling it a thing because I have no idea what it is and quite honestly I don’t even have a good guess either. It was not a Sasquatch, a Wildman, a Rake, a Lizard person, or any other creature I have found through my incredibly frustrating recent internet research on the subject matter. Maybe a shapeshifter of some kind because the first time I saw it, the thing changed its form for sure. Yes, I said it changed its form, you can go ahead and leave now if you like.

If you are someone like me that will rely on science for validation, you try to keep an open mind, but you also tend to explain away peoples paranormal encounters for any number of different reasons. Also, I would have expected that if I ever did end up seeing something otherworldly, it might be something that someone else had seen before, right? I might see something I recognized from television or movies, and I might say; “Look up there! That’s a UFO!” or “Holy sh*t a ghost!” or “Goddamn, is that a Bigfoot? Kill it!” This thing though ya’ll, this f*cking thing, it was so surreal and so deranged looking I’m really at a loss.

This post is the first time I have put any of this out there to anyone, and if it weren’t for this last encounter, I would have forgotten the first two again. I have never mentioned this to anyone because of how ridiculous it sounds, the fact that I have no proof and the fact that I am a known f*ck-about; I’m pretty much exactly the person you would think might make something like this up. At this point, though I only want to get this off my chest to hopefully find out if anyone else has ever seen this thing.

Before I begin telling you what happened, I would like to make it clear that I swear what you read here is the truth about what I saw as best as I can remember. If you don’t believe it fine, whatever, I get that, this is the reason I am posting the what happened here, and it is the reason that I have never (and will never) tell anyone I might have to see in my daily life. I’m sure they would think I’m crazy or just desperate for attention because what I saw is downright absurd. Well, now that I have thoroughly destroyed any credibility I may have once had, I will tell you what I saw as best as I can. I have been thinking about exactly how I might explain this to someone a while now so; I will do my best to keep out of a narrative tone. Well, now that I have thoroughly destroyed any credibility I may have once had, I will attempt to explain the details about what I saw as bluntly as possible with as vivid of a recollection as I have of the events.

1.) First Sighting: Southern New Hampshire – 2000 or 2001 Summer probably (I don’t remember exactly when) – Well after midnight:

I am going to take some time to explain this first encounter in as much detail as I can recall even though it all happened so fast, literally lasting in total maybe ten seconds, it is still the longest amount of time I have spent truly looking at the thing. I was walking to a friend’s house from the apartment complex I lived in late at night. To get from one place to the other quickly, you had to cut through a small patch of forest (roughly 100 yards) that was technically someone else's property. A couple of times before we had someone shine a light on us and once he fired a shot in the air to try and scare us in an attempt to get us to stop cutting through though, it never did stopped us. It did, however, teach me to be stealthier when cutting through, and so on this night; I was creeping very quietly through the trees as I went. The forest was in a valley between my apartment complex, some houses, and the neighborhood where my friend lived. The valley dipped down in the middle with a steep incline surrounding it and so at first; I had to go down into the valley, and then at the end, I would walk up out of the valley exiting the treeline right onto the street where his house is. Once exiting the tree line, one would be standing on the side of the street with the end of the road about half a mile to your right and the entrance to the neighborhood about the same distance on the left. The houses were spaced apart decently, so the night was very dark except for the area around the houses and a couple of light circles under the orange streetlights, of which there were very few for the amount of space. I got through the valley with no problem this time, and I got up some speed to go up the hill in front of me where the forest ended maybe five feet from the edge of the street if the event that far.

At the exact moment, I came out of the treeline and onto the edge of the road; something caught my eye to the left of me emerging from the woods across the street. It stumbled awkwardly out of the dark woods and into view right at the edge of the circle of orange light radiating down from one of the streetlights. At first and for just a brief moment it looked like a shadow; however, I heard a sound coming from the dead leaves beneath its feet, and I quickly realized that it was not a shadow. Its body shape was like that of a starving child (maybe three feet tall) that you might see in a third world country, but its legs and arms were so thin that there appeared to be no way it could support the creature’s body weight. It was dark but from what I can remember at the ends of it’s frail looking limbs were just nubs; no hands and no feet that I saw. Its movements were the creepiest part honestly, and they were the first thing that threw me off. I can’t even really explain how absurd and unnatural its movements were or how it was standing on those tiny legs. It moved forward from the trees and toward the street extremely awkwardly with the couple of steps that I saw it take. It was almost as if it was not supposed to be walking around like that, but it had somehow figured out a way to do so regardless. The thing was roughly two or three feet tall with an enlarged light bulb shaped head and a little belly in spite of how thin the rest of its frame was. In addition to its shape and motion, the thing seemed unreal mostly because it didn’t seem to reflect any light at all when it stepped into the light of the street lamp. It appeared to have no three-dimensional form at all with its body almost blending right into its shadow, and I could only really tell it had solid form by the way that it moved and navigated the environment around it.

I froze in place instantly when I saw it with my brain unable to even process what I was seeing. In a couple of steps, it exited the trees, stumbled across the patch of grass to the street, and then sort of fumbled down forward toward a sewer drain on the side of the road. I’m not sure what I did if anything, but as soon as it hit the curb, it rose back up and looked over at me. I couldn’t see it’s face or anything at all still just this bizarre black shape moving so unbelievably awkwardly. I really can’t stress this enough; its movements were ridiculously uncoordinated.

What happened next is what sent me fleeing into the woods with all of the cowardice that has kept me alive to this day. Upon seeing me, this malformed shadow child-thing did this quick twisted turn toward me, dropping down to all fours and becoming a much more animal-like shape when it did. I again have no idea how to describe the motion as it was so unnatural, but when its turn was complete, the thing had become something I can only describe as a shadow dog/cat/bear. I know that sounds crazy but, I can’t describe it any other way than that. It stood on all fours like a predatory animal, but I couldn’t make out any definition on it with the way it didn’t catch the light that it was standing directly below. This thing, it didn’t just go from being human-like to being a human on all fours, I mean it genuinely became something else as far as I can tell.

I debated leaving this next part out because it just slices into the credibility of the events even further, but it happened, and so here it goes. As soon as the creature had hit all fours and was no longer humanoid its eyes flashed yellow at me, and it let out a loud shriek, not a growl, not a bark, not a snarl, not an animal-like roar, or even a hissing but a legitimate shriek that sounded like neither a person nor an animal. The sound started quiet then rose quickly, almost as if it was winding up or under pressure and just painfully been forced out of the creature’s mouth at great anguish. Its scream had a certain harshness to it as if it might have had something seriously wrong with its vocal cords or it had just smoked a million cigarettes consecutively. I remember the thing had a weird, almost scared vulnerability to the sound it made, which contrasted the harshness and tone as well as the defensive stance the creature took.

All this took place in just a few seconds, maybe ten at most, from the time the thing exited the treeline to the time it turned, postured, shrieked at me, and sent me running without a single thought in my head right back into the woods. I did not stop; I did not look back; I did not try to be quiet through the forest; I just ran as fast as I could. That is correct; I was so scared I ran back into the dark, scary woods to get away, only realizing how dumb that was some time afterward. The sound it made chilled me to my core then, but now in hindsight, I think the flashing eyes bother me more than the sound because it seems so expected. The flashing/glowing eyes trope is precisely what I have heard in so many other people’s stories I never believed about mysterious creatures they claim to have encountered. I mean because that is what scary things in the night do right? They flash yellow eyes and make a scary shrieking sound at you, obviously, what else would they do? I never made it to my friend's house that night, and I never mentioned this to anyone ever since. I managed to forget about this experience pretty quickly all though I’m not sure how my life was high-drama at the time, so I’m sure it is because I did something stupid and that took over my world.

2.) Second Sighting: Central Florida – 2006 Spring (I believe) – Early night (8 pm):

The second sighting is much briefer and as I mentioned before I am 90% sure it was the same thing but, I’m not entirely sure. I’ll keep this short and tell you simply that I was out camping, went for a walk along a trail, and watching my girlfriend hop from rock to rock across the river. I heard a sound to my left, and when I turned to look, I saw an extremely thin skinny black nubbed leg (possibly a tail) disappear behind a tree as if an animal running away from something. I ran over this time but, I found nothing and I didn’t mention it to my girlfriend. No experiences or weird sounds that night and no more encounters for several years. If you like more detail about this one you can attempt to email me with any questions and I will try to remember.

3.) Third Sighting: Eastern Shore of Virginia – June 8, 2019 – Late night (11 pm):

Well finally here it is the reason I felt I had to put this out there and the reason I am so freaked out by this thing. It’s not so much what happened last week as it was another quick glimpse and nothing else, but instead, it is the fact that it happened again to me and as far as I know, no one else.

Last week I was at a party at a friend's house celebrating her birthday because she is one of those people in their 30’s that still gets excited about those things. I don’t drink, so I was not drunk but, in the interest of total transparency, I have been known to partake in the occasional medicinal herbal supplement for recreational purposes. You can take that information however you like. My friend lives with her husband in a farmhouse surrounded by open fields for a couple of acres in any direction surrounded of course by a thick forest. I had been there for a while, and the thing was the furthest thing from my mind. We were all just hanging out and rambling on about the usual inane bullsh*t.

I decided that I wanted a smoke and so I went out the front door and onto the porch. I stepped forward and went to step down the front steps to get a little more space, and as I did, I glanced up and out into the field in front of the house. There it was, roughly 50 yards out and bumbling through the field toward the trees. For a split second, I could see the unmistakable shape of this weird shadow child thing. It was just the same as before; large head and belly, unbelievably thin arms and legs, and again reflecting absolutely no light at all. I was mid-step when I glanced up and lost track of where I was stepping, causing me to fall forward. I managed to catch myself as I fell barely and I must have made a sound when I did it because when I looked back up the thing was on all fours quickly running like a dog off into the woods. I reiterate this thing DID NOT move on all fours like a person in any way but, it moved like an animal with knees bent backward. I was too far, and it happened to fast for me to tell if it had hands and feet this time. I started to walk out and look around a bit when someone came outside and not wanting to tell anyone I just went back to the party. I must have been distant the rest of the night because I couldn’t get it out of my head this time. I ended up leaving the party relatively early and went home to start obsessing about it, as I have been, for about a week now.

So I am sufficiently freaked out by a lot of things about what I have seen. Even discounting the second sighting, I got two brief but good looks at something that I can not explain. One of the things that bother me the most about this is, why me? Why, as far as I know, have I been the only one to see this thing? If it knows of me and is following me or something like that then, why does it seem surprised by my presence each time I’ve seen it and then enter a sort of fight or flight mentality. If it doesn’t know of me, then why am I the only one to see this thing and now in three different states years apart? I have so many questions! I’m writing this over a few days to make sure I have got all the details as best as I can remember and I hope I’m not the only one that saw this creepy little f*cker.

What I saw that night was so unnatural I never expected to see anything like it in my life, it honestly just DID NOT belong in our physical reality, and it almost did not even seem to fit in the environment around it as if it’s something 2D superimposed into an authentic 3D background. I looked into shadow people videos and sightings but, I don’t think this was that as there was nothing ghostly about what I saw, it was there and had solid form. This thing ya’ll, this f*cking thing, it was so out of place but at the same time I saw it there and heard it as well, I don’t know what else to say about it. Each time (except the second) I could see enough of it that I could tell it was not somebody messing with me, and I could see enough of it to say to it did not belong here in this world with us. My best guess at this point is that it and I crossed each other’s paths in a possible inter-dimensional rift or time slip only because of how surreal the experience was. I know that sounds crazy, but it is all I have come up with to rationalize the fact that this thing did not fit into its surroundings in any way. It did not even look like it was made to move and get around in this world; the force of gravity should have for sure crushed its skinny legs under the weight of its body, it was like an eggplant on toothpicks.

That is all that it is for me to tell, but I sincerely hope someone else saw something like this, so I know I am not starting to lose it. At this point, I only want to know that I am not alone and that what I saw has some explanation, rational or not - I don’t even care please, just give me something to go on. I need one reasonable answer from somewhere at this point because I know what I saw, and I can’t get the way this thing moved or how dark it was out of my head. SFW

NOTE: Strange series of encounters, but not unheard of. I believe that this being may have 'tagged' the eyewitness after the first incident and then manifested later under certain conditions. There could also be some thoughtform aspect to this phenomena as well. Was it an interdimensional corporeal being? Possibly. Maybe a magical entity...like a Skinwalker or Djinn? Again, a possibility. The shapeshifting characteristic is interesting, but very similar when compared to other encounters with supernatural entities. Your thoughts? Lon

Shapeshifters: Morphing Monsters & Changing Cryptids [image error]

Shapeshifters: A History [image error]

Skinwalkers Shapeshifters and Native American Curses [image error]

Interdimensional Universe: The New Science of UFOs, Paranormal Phenomena and Otherdimensional Beings [image error]

The Vengeful Djinn: Unveiling the Hidden Agenda of Genies [image error]

Lon's Suggested Reading List - Books & Films / DVDs





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Bigfoot, Shadow Figure and Time Loop in the Catskills

I would like to tell you about a couple of unusual things that I have encountered. First off I will tell you I grew up a small farm and am an avid outdoorsman. My family are hunters and I am familiar with all the local wildlife. I have lived in the area called 'the Ridge' all my life. I'm 43. I am working on becoming a '35er' in the Catskills and have done 17 peaks so far. I call the woods my home.

My first story happened when I was in my mid-twenties. I would take my family camping on vacation in the Catskills in Livingston Manor. On this particular day I was taking my son fishing to a pond I had found way in the woods. It was about a two-mile walk up an old logging road that was made at the turn of the century. There was a pond at the top of a series of waterfalls that had an old dam built to control water flow for the old railroad that long had been removed. There was a summer cottage on the pond that me and my son walked to and around to ask for permission to fish. No one was there and it looked like no one had been in a very long time. So I decided to fish from the dam at the edge of the property. We were there all afternoon and fishing was good.

It was getting pretty dark when we started hearing noises in the woods across the pond in the direction of the cottage. They sounded like footsteps, heavy ones. They would go and stop sometime fast and sometimes like they were creeping along. I thought that maybe the cottage owner was coming to chase us out of there so I shouted "hello, who's there?" But got no response. Then there was more noise from the other side now. There was more than one. Now I'm thinking bear? Coyotes? I yelled again and as I did a rock hit the ground 20 feet from me. Now I know bear don't throw rocks. Was someone messing with us? Just as I thought that another rock, big rock, hit the water. Now I know when I'm not wanted and quickly gathered my things and my son. I yelled out "all right we're leaving" and got the heck out of there. I could hear the footsteps continued around in our direction around the pond as we headed out. Whatever it was it stopped when we got 100 yards down the trail. What or who was in the woods back then I still don't know. We were miles from the nearest road and no one ever answered. Whatever it was didn't want us there.

My next story took place when I was hiking with my sister up Whittenburg Mountain on our way to Cornell Mountain. We had made it to the summit of both Whittenburg and Cornell in about 2.5 hours and were on our way back. We made good time up and the trail was clearly marked. I had GPS just in case and record my hikes as I go so I can look at average pace, elevation gain ect. We had seen others on the trail too. Now I can't explain it but it took us a long time to get down. A really long time. We kept hiking and following the trail for hours but it just kept going. Both me and my sister couldn't understand it but what took us 2.5 hours up took 6.5 to get back. It was like we were stuck in a time loop. We checked the GPS and maps and followed trail marks but it seemed like we weren't getting anywhere. We would comment to each other how long it is taking and what was going on. The GPS kept saying a little farther. By the time we made it out it had been 10 hours! Time warp? Fae folk messing with us? Can't say. The GPS showed our average pace onto the way back was the same as the ascent and the mileage didn't add up to the time. Just wierd. I really think there was something going on.

My last story happened when I was on my way home from work. I have about a 40 minute drive to work on route 44/55 that takes me over the Ridge and to local town of Newburgh on the Hudson River. On my way home I was approaching the ridge where 1200 foot cliffs rise above the Hudson Valley. It was a swamp on both sides of the road. It was dark out and a clear nice night. Up ahead about 60 feet I saw a figure come out and cross the road. I was traveling about 55 miles an hour. It was a shadow person. My headlights could not light it up even though it was right in front of me. The figure was tall walking on 2 legs, if I had to guess taller than 6 feet. My headlights would illuminate the road everything around it even the sign past it. But not he figure. It absorbed the light and was just dark. You couldn't see through it but it was definitely there and turned toward me a little as it crossed from right to left. I slowed when I reached the spot where I saw it but there was nothing there. It was swamp on both sides that was sparsely wooded. If something was there it would have nowhere to hide. I firmly believe I saw a shadow person cross in front of me. Something that walks on 2 legs and is the size of a big human. I have never seen anything there again. Lloyd

Expanded Perspectives

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Thunderbird Over Wyoming

“I saw what appeared to be a Thunderbird while driving on I-80 through Wyoming near Rawlins, Wyoming. It was on the ground on the side of the road, maybe about 60 yards away from the side of the road. There was a fence post, a barbwire fence post, and this thing was as tall as the post. It was standing there with his wings spread a little and his head down between his wings looking up at me. It looked kind of like a cross between a raven and a hawk with a little bit of a longer neck. I didn't quite know what I saw but I know it was bigger than the antelope standing on the backside of it until I saw some things about Thunderbirds on YouTube and how they describe that it was pitch black and how it looks and I realized that I probably saw one of these Thunderbirds.” - Carlos Silva

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Facebook event announcement: Ronald Murphy - Folklorist, Paranormal Investigator and Author - Arcane Radio
Join me as I welcome folklorist, paranormal investigator and author Ronald Murphy to Arcane Radio. Ronald L. Murphy, Jr. has professionally published short stories, poetry, had a play produced, and this, his first novella. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in literature, Mr. Murphy studied medieval history at the graduate level at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. His interests include acting, playwriting, and photography. He lives in rural Western Pennsylvania with his wife and five children. - This should be an interesting show! Join us this Friday, June 14th at 9PM ET / 6PM PT on ParanormalKing.com or the direct link at Mixlr - Paranormal King - Meet us in the chat room...just click the banner or go to www.paranormal.olicentral.com
Listen to our podcast at Arcane Radio on Podbean or on my YouTube channel. You can also listen to the podcast at Arcane Radio on Stitcher - iOS, Android and the Webplayer. Please consider becoming an Arcane Radio patron. Thanks...Lon
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You can use one of the donation buttons on the blog or newsletter, or go to Paypal.com and use my email lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com as the payee. Thanks again. Lon
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New 'Phantoms & Monsters' Archive - Important posts from the past 15 years - Updated and adding daily - Make sure to bookmark

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UNEXPLAINED ENCOUNTER OR SIGHTING?










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Scary Bigfoot Incident in Shenandoah National Park

I recently received the following account:

My story is scary, and I have been reluctant to mention it over the years. A few friends and family have been told, though I doubt that any of them believe me. The girlfriend who was with me at the time was deeply affected by the encounter. So much so that she has never really been the same since.

In the summer of 2016, my then girlfriend and I were camping in the Lewis Mountain Campground, which is near the Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park. We had been there several times before and we always enjoyed our time there. I set up a large tent and separate canopy. There were no other campers within 100 yards, but we could hear others in our proximity. We spent most of the daytime hiking throughout the area.

The 2nd night (a Saturday, early Sunday morning) we were fast asleep. We had been out and about all day and were very tired. I believe it was approximately 1 AM when we were both awoke by a crashing sound outside the tent. I looked out the flap but couldn't see anything. So I got up with the lantern and walked to the canopy. I noticed that the camp stove had tipped over. I assumed it was the wind or that one of the legs gave way. I shrugged it off and went back to the tent.

I hadn't gone back to sleep when I heard a strange chattering sound. It reminded me of the sound a monkey makes when agitated. Once again I looked out the tent and this time I noticed a tall shadow standing by the canopy. I woke my girlfriend and asked her to look. She was frightened, but eventually took a look. By this time, the shadow was moving slow around the camp and make low deep grunts. The first thing I thought was that a black bear was looking for a meal, but I then realized that this shadow was extremely tall and walking on 2 legs.

I grabbed a flashlight and directed it towards the shadow. When I did, this shadow quickly materialized into a huge hairy beast that lunged towards us. We both bolted back into the tent and cowered against the far side. The grunts continued as this beast walked around the tent. I tried to call for help on my phone but the signal cut out each time it connected.

We were horrified by the ordeal, which continued for about 10 minutes. We were afraid to scream because we feared it would attack us. Eventually the beast left the camp, but we stayed awake the rest of the night. We packed at daylight and quickly left. I later contacted the park authorities, but they dismissed my story.

I'm sure that this beast was what people call a Bigfoot. My girlfriend and I soon broke off our relationship, but she has had emotional issues since that encounter. I have bad dreams at times and have never camped since. Thanks for reading. JK

NOTE: I called JK and we talked about the incident. He did say that it was a bit windy that night, but he does believe the camp stove was toppled by the Bigfoot. He also stated that the Bigfoot bared it's teeth when it lunged towards the tent and that it batted at the front of the tent a few times. Lon

The Sasquatch Hunter's Almanac: A Novel [image error]

The Bigfoot Book: The Encyclopedia of Sasquatch, Yeti and Cryptid Primates [image error]

Strangers from the Meadow: A Bigfoot Frightening Encounter [image error]

Bigfoot and Eastern Cousins [image error]

The Best of Sasquatch Bigfoot [image error]

Lon's Suggested Reading List - Books & Films / DVDs





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Outdoorsman Encounters Giant Bird in Minnesota

“When I was leaving the Minneapolis VA Hospital one morning, I turned right out of the parking lot just past the train tracks and there was a bicyclist riding in the same direction down the sidewalk about 30 yards ahead of me. I almost crashed when I saw a completely brown bird take off from the grassy area between the VA parking lot and the sidewalk in front of the cyclist--not because of the birds proximity or speed, but because the bird was about twice the size of the man and his bicycle combined. It flew from one side of the street to the treetops on the other side and was lost from view after that point--probably 5 seconds of total encounter time. When I looked into the sighting, someone mentioned to me that there was a condor aviary in Minneapolis, but I couldn't seem to find any evidence of such a place online. As a hunter and avid outdoorsman, it's nearly unthinkable for wildlife to startle me in such a way, but this birds sheer size left me awestruck. I've seen bald and golden eagles at various stages of development and this bird easily dwarfed even the largest specimen I've ever seen. As far as I'm concerned, this mystery is still unsolved.” - Raven LeMarque

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Strange Howl Along the St. Croix River

“I was fishing, up from the St. Croix River on the Maine, New Brunswick border. It's known as part of the Cheputinicoote Lake chain. 1977. I was alone. The wind on this area, gave you 6 foot swells regularly. Its an hour to sunset, I am casting as the boat is pushed down lake by the current. I heard a scream, louder than I could imagine. It sounded like it was directly in front of me, some 30 yards to shore. I never saw anything. As I searched the shore, looking for the generator of the sound, It echoed off the mountains surrounding me. I was immediately taken by the sense that someone was watching me, and I had no idea of where or who they were. The hair on my neck was standing, my arms too. I was 6 feet and 250lbs then, but I felt quite small. I started the engine and gunned it for home. I have never heard it again, in all the years of hunting, fishing the area since. Its been 42 years. It matters not if you believe or not.” - CW

Bizarre Winged Being Appears Over Falls City

"A fascinating account of a "winged weirdie” was given to me several months ago by the witness to the event. The name of the witness is on file, and available to serious researchers. We will refer to the gentleman as Mr. Hanks, because of his request for anonymity.

On a beautiful autumn afternoon in 1956, Hanks and his family were returning home from an outing. The family had unloaded their car, and gone into the house, while Hanks readied some equipment he needed at work, in his pickup truck. As he was going about this, he noticed what he at first thought was a kite, about 3 blocks away from his home. As he watched, the kite drew closer, and Hanks assumed that it had gotten away from whoever was flying it. As this object fluttered to within about a block of his position, Hanks realized that it was not a kite, but a human-like form, with wings. As the thing came closer, Hanks was able to see the creature's face, which he described as "very frightening, almost demonic." "It's eyes were very large, blue in color, and watery. They were shaped and placed on his face almost like horse's eyes. The skin on his face was like tan leather. It was very wrinkled, and seemed to overlap in folds. I had a good look at his face-he was only about 25 feet away, and hovering maybe 15 feet above the ground. He was between eight and nine feet tall."

As Hanks watched, the creature wobbled, and almost fell to the street below. After recovering, the creature flew toward Hanks, and passed directly overhead. Interestingly, as Hanks watched the creature approaching closer, he tried to move, and found he couldn't. He was experiencing some sort of paralysis. As the creature passed overhead, Hanks was able to observe the wings of the thing. He described them as like polished aluminium, with a grid-like appearance on the top side. The underside of the wings each had 4 or 5 colored lights about four inches in diameter-the lights closest to his body on either side glowed blue, then a yellow, then an orange, and finally a red light out toward each wingtip. The wing was at least fifteen feet long, from tip to tip, according to Hanks. He indicated that the wings appeared to be about two feet wide next to the creature's body, and three feet wide at the tip. When asked how the wing was attached, Hanks said that, "It was fastened to him by a shoulder harness, which seemed to have a breast plate of some sort with dials on it. He seemed to touch and move these dials, but his hands, if that's what they were, looked more like white dove's wings, all opened up." Hanks went on to say that as the creature passed overhead, he heard a sound like air hissing from what he thought was the rear of the wing. As he watched, the creature moved off into the distance, and disappeared behind a group of trees about 2 blocks away.

After the creature was out of sight, Hanks was able to move again. He said that the entire event lasted somewhere between eight and ten minutes. According to Hanks, for the next 23 years, he was continually bothered by nightmares in which this creature would reappear. He became, in his own words, "a workaholic- I wouldn't sleep any more than I absolutely had to, and worked constantly so I wouldn't have time to think about it." Finally, over a period of three years, Hanks was able to overcome this obsession by forcing himself to write out the story, and then destroy it. Evidently this served as a suitable catharsis, because Hanks concluded by saying, "I still don't understand it, but it doesn't matter any more."

Source: Journal of the Fortean Research, April 1986, Vol. 1. Issue 1, pgs 3-4

NOTE: I believe the location was Falls City, Nebraska. Lon