Sylvia Shults's Blog, page 60

Today I Learned …

The crested auklet (a bird related to the puffin) feeds on plankton, squid, and fish. They store plankton under their tongues (apparently they have tongues) to bring back to the nest to feed their young. They smell like tangerines — the scent attracts mates and repels ticks.

Lights Out #61 — Investigating in Cities

Most of us are used to investigating in nice, quiet environments. But what happens when you try to hunt for evidence of the paranormal in big, noisy cities? Let’s talk a little bit about that in this episode of Lights Out, your virtual campfire. https://youtu.be/X5T550WKMTU

Fun Stuff Ahead!

Oh boy oh boy, here we go! Time to start the season of busy!

Things kick off this Saturday. I’ll be speaking at the conference in Rockford at the veteran’s hall right across from the public library. We’ll be getting into the holiday mood a little early; I’m doing the Spirits of Christmas presentation.

The first weekend in October is super busy! At 3:00 pm on Friday, I’ll be at the Lake Villa Library in Crystal Lake for the Ghosts of the Illinois River presentation. Then at 7 pm, I’ll head to the Barnes and Noble in Crystal Lake to hang out with fun folks like Dale Kaczmarek and Shadow Hunters. And on Saturday, I’ll be manning a table at the Afterlife Paranormal Conference in DeKalb, at the Red Roof Inn. Swing by and say hi — I’ll likely be there all day.

On Thursday October 11, I’ll be chatting on The Brian and Sherri Show at 8 pm. It’s always fun to catch up with those guys.

The next week, it’s time for a couple of library presentations. I’ll be at Lillie M. Evans Library (207 N. Walnut, Princeville IL) at 6:30 PM on Tuesday October 16 for Ghosts of the Illinois River. On Thursday October 18, I’ll be doing Fractured Spirits at Mackinaw Library (117 S. Main Street, Mackinaw, IL) at 6:30 PM.

On Saturday and Sunday, October 20 and 21, we’ve got something super cool coming up (I’ll do another post on that later). Long story short, I’ll be telling ghost stories on a canal boat on the I&M Canal near LaSalle. That’s at 5 pm both evenings.

And on Thursday October 25, I’ll be joining the fun in Bloomington at nightshop (517 N. Main Street, Bloomington). Horror comes alive just in time for Halloween. Dark tales, macabre music, haunting stories, scary movie chat, and ghastly art – all wrapped up with a gory bow on top. It’s an event you won’t want to miss. Featuring Troy Taylor, The Murder-Metal-Mayhem Podcast Hosts (Pete and Chris), The Quaker Goes Deaf, and MORE! It’s $6 at the door, and it will be SO worth it!

I’m quite sure I’ll be adding more events as the month goes on. And stay tuned for upcoming events in November and December as well.

Today I Learned …

Turtles spend the winter months hibernating underwater. Not surprising. The surprising thing is, they spend that time breathing through their tails.

Today I Learned …

Lions cough up hairballs the size of hotdogs.

Why I Keep Writing

This past weekend found me at Pekin’s Marigold Festival, enjoying the end of summer and watching the parade of people come past my booth. Some of them even stopped in to chat. That’s always my favorite part of the festival.

I’ll keep writing books as long as people want to keep reading them, of course. But every so often, I’m reminded of why I do what I do. Having someone come up to me and say, “Okay, I’ve read this one, this one, and … yeah, this one too. What have you got that’s new?” That’s a really powerful incentive to keep coming up with new books — and new ideas.

One woman came by with her young son. The kid was a bit distracted, running his fingers along the table and not making much eye contact. The mom bought the new book for the kid, and I happily signed it for him. She said, “Your books are the only ones he’ll read cover to cover.” Way cool!

Later in the weekend, another woman came up to the booth, and bought a book — this wasn’t her first experience with my books either. She confided to me that she has fibromyalgia. “Your stories just flow so beautifully; they really carry me along as I’m reading. Your book was the first one in years I’ve been able to sit with and read.” (I believe she was talking abut 44 Years in Darkness, if you’re interested in what title captivated her attention like that.)

It is such an honor to be able to touch people’s lives, and it’s a joy when they come up to me and tell me! Thanks for letting me share my tales with you all.

Today I Learned …

Paleontologists have long known about coprolites, or fossilized poop. But some sharp-eyed scientists have also discovered fossilized farts. We’ve all seen Jurassic Park — insects become trapped in tree sap, which hardens into amber. In their efforts to escape, the bugs would break wind. (Ever done situps? Tell me you haven’t farted once or twice with the exertion.) The amber preserved both the insect and the tiny bubbles it let loose during its unfortunate struggle.

Today I Learned …

Napoleon was attacked — and had his butt kicked — by a roving gang of rabbits.

The rabbits were used to being fed by humans, so they swarmed the unsuspecting general. Napoleon had to retreat to his carriage to escape.

Today I Learned …

Alone on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity rover sang “Happy Birthday” to itself on August 5, the anniversary of the date it landed on the Red Planet.

My Garden Kicks Ass!

This spring, my wonderful husband put up a trellis — sort of a PVC pipe arch over the garden path covered with chicken wire — and boy oh boy, the butternut squash and the pole beans have been loving the extra leg room.

Here’s a picture of the biggest squash so far. I had to take it at a weird angle, so I look like I have Popeye arms, but you can see this bad boy is as long as my forearm.

I’m totally going to weigh it when I pick it.[image error]