the baldwin witch project

we were on vacation this past week. we rented a home on an inland lake with my immediate family. it was a rather remote location...the roads looked like this to get there:

the house we rented was very nice. newly remodeled and right on the lake. we had the full use of a pontoon boat and four kayaks. however, some of the homes in the area did not look so great. the one right next door was one of them.

with the exception of a few nights, we were outside by dusk, sitting around the fire. we roasted marshmallows and played a game called 'I'm going camping'....thanks, K, for introducing me to the game! we looked sorta like this:

now, when you get a group of people, some of them with vivid and wild imaginations, stories can brew. this is one of them: the baldwin witch project. we were told by the owner of our home that the one next door had not been lived in for about ten years. no one was there so he suggested we even use the canoe that rested on their part of the beach. one afternoon, we decided to go and check out the home next door. we were first greeted by this:

then this:

then one of these: we came across to what we affectionately call 'the guest house' first:

then we made it to the actual home. and here it is...

the large barrels you see were full of what looked like oil and the weeds were overgrown. bugs were enjoying feasting on all of us who ventured over. being the nosey people we are, we looked into the windows. the house looked like someone just up and left. which is strange because the owner of our home told us the older man had died after falling down the stairs. and that was ten years ago. the reason we were most curious is because one night after eating smores & doing this:

my brother discovered a light came on at 1:42 AM. it stayed on for about 45 minutes and then it was off. he was outside alone the first time he saw it. of course, the tale festered and became one that we soon won't forget. so this is how it goes...the man fell down the stairs about ten years ago and died. each night, his ghost returns to the house, turning on the light at 1:42 AM. he then walks around the house and after a while, he turns it off. my Dad and nephew even ventured out one night to take video of the experience. I have asked them to send it to me so I can post it here, for all of you. back to the inside....there was a box of tissues, slippers, shoes, things you would see in a normal house...maybe they left and ran into town for some milk? or are out on their own boat and will be back later? nope...we never saw anyone and we were there for a week. so here is the inside...I hope you can see some of things I mentioned:

now remember, this house is to have been empty for TEN YEARS. it did not look like that to us.

the last night there, we were up playing singstar (another post entirely) until almost 12:30 AM. by the time we got our son into bed after a meltdown because he was so tired, it was after 1 AM. yeah, let's stay up to see if the light really comes on. so I put on my jeans so the bugs wouldn't eat me alive and donned a sweatshirt, too. I had my camera ready but was only brave enough to venture out onto our deck. everyone was in bed or almost in bed (Dad and S). I was standing in the kitchen, looking out in the direction of the house....the clock said 1:35 AM. the light! wait! it wasn't in the house, it was in front of the guest house...something, or SOMEONE, tripped the motion lights...I tiptoed back in and said, Dad! Dad! the light is on but it isn't in the house..it is by the guest house! of course, he came and looked and then my brother was up. then they both got on some shoes and the three of us were out on the deck. this is the photograph I took. remember, the guest house faces away from me:

the photo doesn't really do justice to what it looked like in person. after a few minutes, it went off. the other two wanted to walk out front and take a better look.

WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY?

thanks, but I am staying right here. within a few minutes, the light DID come on inside the house. the photo below doesn't do anything compared to what it looked like in person but here it is nonetheless...

the lights were orange, iridescent in color..I did not see any shape, man or otherwise, pacing in the house, like my Dad and nephew said they saw the night they were taking their video. once I receive it, I promise to post it. then you can be the judge.

all in all, it was a great vacation. oh, and if anyone was wondering, the stickers you find on bananas will stay on you for days, like a tattoo. just look at my Dad's leg. it was there for almost the whole week.