Dog and Porch

7/2/11

After a particularly stressful week, I could think of nothing else that I would rather do than get back out under the stars and allow Mother Earth and Father Sky to renew my soul. My job was going through a transitional period that involved lay offs and downsizing. My friend Cyril was caught up in all of that and my thinking was that there is no better way to shake off the drama than to go where the ground is sacred and the wind speaks to you. Our plan was to visit two new areas, the trestle bridge and then the rock wall.  The finale to the evening was a trip to the lake at the ranch to star gaze.  

I was anxious to see what the area around Dead Mans Cut held for us.  There is a belief that with a sudden and violent death, the spirits are sometimes confused or even unaware they have passed.  Their unresolved issues are a burden they carry until the end of time. I wondered if there would be any trace of that fateful event still lingering in the wind.  As Cyril and his girlfriend marveled at the sheer size and scale of the bridge, Lance gave them a brief history of the legend of Dead Man’s Cut. We did a short EVP session as they wandered around the area. Just as we were preparing to move on, we heard the faint whistle of an approaching train.  I had often wondered what it was like to be at that spot when a train traveled over the bridge and now was my chance. I can tell you that the visual and auditory experience of a fast moving cargo train flying hundreds of feet over your head is like nothing I have ever experienced.  

Our next spot was of particular interest to my husband and I as it is the other structure believed to be a remnant of the Spanish. It is a rock wall built in exactly the same manner as the rock house.  It is constructed entirely from native stones that are stacked in a manner that did not require mortar but has remained largely intact.  Many areas of it lay undiscovered for decades as the land had reclaimed it as it’s own.  There is speculation that many sections of it are still to be found as satellite imagery shows some probable locations.  It’s purpose can only be guessed at, but considering it goes on for miles, it had to be of great consequence to them.  The sheer amount of labor involved is unimaginable. I doubt that you would expend that much effort on something for what was surely years unless you were protecting something or someone of great importance to you and intended to be there a while.  Although this session did not yield any EVPs,  it is somewhat humorous to listen to. There were cattle in the immediate area and they were none too pleased at our presence.  They can be heard making all kinds of racket and at one point giving us what we interrupted as the stink eye.  Plus I think they were freaking Cyril out a little.

After arriving at the lake and setting up our chairs, a quiet fell over us as we all gazed skyward.  We were all enthralled with the peaceful sounds of fish jumping in the water, birds calling to one another and the comfort of having good friends around you.  Brother wind provided us with a slight breeze that kept us cool.  It was perfect!

The following day, Lance was reviewing the recordings in our bedroom and all of the sudden I heard him say “Oh my gosh!” all the way in the kitchen.  In short order he appeared with an excited look on his face. “You gotta come hear this, we got something!” I knew it had to be something amazing to get him this worked up.  As he played the recording back, I was shocked to hear “Joe White” as plain as day. That was quickly followed by what we believe is “dog and porch”.  Is Joe sharing with us what he misses most about his time on this side?  Was he one of the men killed in the explosion?  We were quickly discovering that with every clue comes more questions.  It can make your brain hurt!

As with a lot of what we and others discover while speaking with the dead, what and how they choose to communicate with us can at times exhilarate us, confuse us or leave us speechless. But it can also be a stark reminder that there are people and things we too will one day miss.