Something's Happening Here/What It Is Ain't Exactly Clear

[Christiern]

My inclination is to think of this all as boulderdash sparked by active imaginations, but that is how I felt about crystal ball gazers until I experienced Noreena Tidman-Pink. She was very real and she quickly turned my skepticism into realization. Thinking back to that, I would not rule out some sort of paranormal occurrence having taken place in the Gould household. An interesting account, Dan.

[papsrus]

I guess one thing I might consider, if it were me, is seeing a doctor to just get checked out. I'd tell him/her that you've been having some unexplained things happening around you and that you just want to make sure that there is nothing physical going on that could affect your perception of things. Just as a precaution, however unlikely that might seem.

My first reaction to your description of the dogs' behaviors was to consider that Coltrane may have been sensing Gracie's looming seizure. Some animal experts say that animals can sense when there's something wrong with another animal -- something we might not pick up on. It's possible Coltrane freaked out because he sensed Gracia was soon going to be in a seizure.

As for all of these events you've described taken together, you may be at the point where you are predisposed to attribute certain otherwise inexplicable events to these kinds of paranormal sources. And so, I would look for details in these events that contradict a paranormal explanation. Sometimes you may overemphasize or elevate details that seem to confirm one thing, while overlooking details that would contradict it.

Noises in houses might be explained away as ... noises in houses. Furnaces or air conditioning units belching. Pipes creaking. The sound of an ice maker shooting through a vent.

Items disappearing and reappearing in places you've just looked are harder to explain, but it's certainly not unheard of for people to say they couldn't find something that was right under their nose.

The tugging of the pants -- you could have snagged your belt loop or gotten something in your pocket caught on the back of the chair. You could have had an involuntary muscle contraction. Not impossible, right?

I'm sure you've considered these kinds of explanations.

I'd be skeptical of turning to so-called experts on the paranormal. As someone mentioned above, they're likely to only see things that confirm their already held beliefs about these sorts of things.

Beyond that, I'd be thankful the mischievous fairies have taken up residence. Sounds like they are a lot less of a pain in the ass than some deceased relative who has waaaaay overstayed their welcome and is freaking out your dogs to the point where they'd run through a door.

Keep us posted Dan.

[Big Wheel]

Symptoms of toad poisoning in dogs can include heavy drooling, head-shaking, vomiting, diarrhea, bright red gums, weakness, loss of coordination, fever, irregular heartbeat, difficult breathing, tightly clamped jaws, convulsions, and even death.

My guess: the one dog smelled an amphibian he'd had a previously nasty encounter with, the other didn't and was naive to that experience and so went after the toad. The rest can be fixed with a nice hit of Xanax.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I got my wife to read this, Dan. She says it's just the normal sort of thing that happens to (some) people - then listed a load of things that have happened to her of a similar nature.

Just life, I guess.

MG

[Dan Gould]

Paps,

Would a dog anticipate a seizure that took place almost five hours later? That seems to be a very long time frame. It also doesn't make sense to me that his reaction would be to run away from Gracie, and into the house, or have such a strong fear/submission response - to nothing at all - when Gracie was in the back of the property all the while. On top of that, he is very mothering toward her, very protective. I find your theory at least as unlikely as the one about the animal scent being left behind (he pisses on unexpected scents).

The noise in the house - the two knocks after I made my challenge to fuck with me not the dogs - came in the living room and away from all internal structural things that make noises (the only vent in the room was behind me and opposite to where the noise came from). There are no vents, A/C units or refrigerators anywhere near where the noise came from.

The noise at my parent's house - the noise while I was sleeping was directly over the bed, in the middle of the room. I wondered if the floor lamp could have hit something but there was nothing for it to hit. The noise when I was getting ready for bed Christmas night did happen alongside the furnace in that end of the house. The books I mentioned are lined up in a book case that is built into the wall, and there is also a ladder that fits snug against the wall and allows access to the loft above the bedrooms. I stood in the bathroom the next morning and waited for the furnace to kick on because it did occur to me that some sort of vibration could have caused what I heard. Nothing happened when the furnace turned on. The noise might have been a shifting of the ladder so I tested that also but when I tipped it sideways, it took longer to settle back into the lip that secures it at the top than the noise lasted the night before. And it takes a substantial physical force to move that ladder. I wondered if my mom had come downstairs to check the thermostat simultaneous to my closing the door. She had not.

Finally, on the pant-tugging, I thought I was clear but maybe I wasn't. I was not sitting in the chair. I was standing behind it. There was nothing behind me but air, and nothing could have gotten caught or snagged. A muscle contraction might make sense if I was George Costanza and had to explain my arm moving backwards. Aside from that, I'm doubtful.

BW, believe me, we are intensely aware of the danger of toads in this area. Gracie has scared us too many times because her hunter's instinct gives her the overwhelming urge to grab any toad she finds (one of the reasons why I love this part of the year - cold weather=hardly any toads). Only briefly has Coltrane ever had an interest in the toads he sees, and we feel that our extreme reaction when he has gone near a toad has taught him well to stay away from them. So Coltrane has had no bad experiences with toads so he could hardly be reacting - and moving away from - something that has never harmed him.

Gracie has never learned and in the warm weather months, at least once a week we will use a wash cloth to wipe out her mouth. Furthermore, she has on two occasions grabbed a toad and kept it in her mouth such that the toxin was ingested for too long for the mouth-washing to protect her. We've seen her after being toad-poisoned, and aside from the superficial similarity of drooling, this was nothing like that. And only immediate medical attention saved her. Had this been a toad and I had not realized it, she'd be dead.

[AllenLowe]

I, like Chris, have had my skepticim held in check by some weird personal experiences - the night my father died I woke up in the middle of the night with what was like a stabbing pain in my back - like a deep spasm, and I woke up my wife, who rubbed it to no avail until it went away by itself a few minutes later - and then about three hours later I got a call and, as near as I could figure it, the pain occured at the exact moment that my father had died.

so stuff happens, I think, and maybe we should not go crazy trying to explain it. On the other hand, Dan's experiences are a little more fundamentally disturbing than mine was.

on the other hand, Dan, it might be Lester Perkins getting his revenge -

Edited February 25, 2010 by AllenLowe

[.:.impossible]

I know you said your wife and her sister were advised not to use Ouija, but have you considered asking them to attempt contact at the house?

[Dan Gould]

No. I wouldn't suggest it and I don't think they'd consider it.

[.:.impossible]

How about you? Would you consider it?

[Dan Gould]

No, because I am coming around to the idea that what my wife and her friend did has made a difference and I don't want to change the status quo (I'd be happy though if fewer things disappear).

[Big Wheel]

BW, believe me, we are intensely aware of the danger of toads in this area. Gracie has scared us too many times because her hunter's instinct gives her the overwhelming urge to grab any toad she finds (one of the reasons why I love this part of the year - cold weather=hardly any toads). Only briefly has Coltrane ever had an interest in the toads he sees, and we feel that our extreme reaction when he has gone near a toad has taught him well to stay away from them. So Coltrane has had no bad experiences with toads so he could hardly be reacting - and moving away from - something that has never harmed him.

Gracie has never learned and in the warm weather months, at least once a week we will use a wash cloth to wipe out her mouth. Furthermore, she has on two occasions grabbed a toad and kept it in her mouth such that the toxin was ingested for too long for the mouth-washing to protect her. We've seen her after being toad-poisoned, and aside from the superficial similarity of drooling, this was nothing like that. And only immediate medical attention saved her. Had this been a toad and I had not realized it, she'd be dead.

I still think this is by far the best explanation for what happened. You have two dogs, one of whom has been conditioned (by either you or by experience) to stay away from toads. The other one has "never learned" and that's the one that displayed several classic symptoms of toad poisoning (including seizure). It looks like some dogs acquire a tolerance for toad poisoning over time, so it's possible that what in the past would have made the dog listless this time simply induced erratic behavior and a couple of minutes of convulsions.

[Dan Gould]

You do not understand what toad toxin does to a dog, which is surprising considering that you lived in south Florida:

If exposed to toad toxin sufficiently to create a physical reaction, it is fatal without medical attention.

You don't pick and choose the symptoms, getting one or the other at different times of exposure. And nowhere have I found any statement that any dog develops a "tolerance" for it.

It starts with copious drooling and extremely red gums - that's the immediate reaction to the poison in the mouth. When the poison gets swallowed, it effects the entire body, starting with the appearance of the dog being drunk as it cannot walk normally or not even stand.

Then it convulses or seizes, and then it dies.

That's what happens when a dog swallows toad toxin.

Small dogs are more likely to succumb to toad toxin because the toxin overwhelms their smaller system. Gracie's survival when she has swallowed enough toxin has has always come through medical intervention and is probably also a function of her size.

Your theory is completely wrong.

A common threat to south Florida dogs is poisoning from Bufo marinus,

the giant or cane toad. This species of toad produces a pasty yellow-

white toxin in the parotid glands, which extend from the head backward

over the shoulder region and is released through pinhole openings in the

skin. When a dog mouths or bites a Bufo toad the toxin is released and

rapidly absorbed across the mucus membranes of the mouth.

Symptoms of Bufo poisoning occur suddenly and may include profuse

salivation, vocalizing and pawing at the mouth, brick-red gums,

incoordination or a stiff gait, difficulty breathing and the intoxication can

rapidly progress to seizures and death.

The severity of the poisoning depends on the size of the dog and the

amount of toxin absorbed into the blood stream. Puppies and small

breed dogs such as Dachshunds, Mini-Pins, Jack Russell Terriers and

miniature Schnauzers are more seriously affected because they get "more

poison per pound" than a large breed dog.

Bufo toads are most active in the spring and summer months when it is

warm and moist outside. They are also nocturnal, therefore most

poisonings occur in the evening, late-night or early-morning hours.

Poisonings can happen very quickly and even dogs being leash-walked

have been known to grab a toad and be poisoned.

http://www.healthyhomesforkidsandpets.com/articles/bufo.html

This event occurred at 4:30 in the afternoon. And you completely ignore the fact that I was outside, watching the dogs. When Gracie has gotten into trouble with toads, she has grabbed one and run around with it. There was never a toad in her mouth on this day. We are on the lookout for toads at all times.

And on top of this, your theory is utterly ridiculous when it comes to Coltrane. He is not afraid of toads. You seriously know not of what you speak.

[Big Wheel]

You do not understand what toad toxin does to a dog, which is surprising considering that you lived in south Florida:

If exposed to toad toxin sufficiently to create a physical reaction, it is fatal without medical attention.

False. That's usually true, but not in 100% of cases. The dog might have gotten a smaller-than-usual dose of toxin (for example, if a toad had been hanging out in a water bowl or something hours before).

[Dan Gould]

Number one, there are no water dishes in our backyard. But more importantly, water doesn't have any effect on the toxin, due to the fact that the toxin isn't ever-present on the skin of a bufo toad, but secreted through the skin when they are attacked, as detailed in the link I posted.

The reality is that Bufo toxin is so effective that ever since they were introduced into Florida - unintentionally - there are no predators to control their population growth. And as to your claim about the fatality rate of ingesting the toxin, how about this:

Predators

Giant Toads produce poison from glands behind the head. The poison is highly toxic to most animals and produces pain and local inflammation if it contacts the eyes. Most predators are quickly killed after ingesting this substance.

Dogs and cats which bite Giant Toads die within a few hours. Native species of reptiles and mammals are also vulnerable. The eggs and tadpoles of Giant Toads are also poisonous.

http://floridagardener.com/critters/BufoMarinus.htm

[Aggie87]

You might consider setting up a video camera and pointing it at the location where you keep the things that have disappeared. If your wife still keeps a wand in her dresser drawer or wherever, keep the camera pointed on that overnight (with a wand in there), and record all night long. If the wand is missing in the morning, check out the tape to see if you notice anything. If it's still there, just repeat the videotaping for a while to see if you pick up anything interesting. Or the same thing for the wallet, etc.

Just a thought, anyway.

[Dan Gould]

You might consider setting up a video camera and pointing it at the location where you keep the things that have disappeared. If your wife still keeps a wand in her dresser drawer or wherever, keep the camera pointed on that overnight (with a wand in there), and record all night long. If the wand is missing in the morning, check out the tape to see if you notice anything. If it's still there, just repeat the videotaping for a while to see if you pick up anything interesting. Or the same thing for the wallet, etc.

Just a thought, anyway.

Well we don't have a video camera but since I do have a home studio for recording voice-overs I've actually thought about setting up the microphone and seeing if I pick up any EVPs like Jason & Grant of Ghost Hunters fame.

Which reminds me - the best part of that show is, hands down, the lovely and curvacious Kris Williams. Check out this video "investigation".

[.:.impossible]

So we've ruled out toads, which leaves fairies, ghosts, and witches as our most sensible explanation.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Which reminds me - the best part of that show is, hands down, the lovely and curvacious Kris Williams. Check out this video "investigation".

now I'm not quite sure if that pairarenormal?

[Dan Gould]

I'm going with "real and spectacular".

[Dave James]

Kris Williams is a stone fox. The Ghost Hunters camera crew appear to be well aware of her assets. Here's a brief clip of her discussing "crotch shots":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiwVzmxLEGk

Also, she has been in several movies. Here's the trailer from one called Diabolical Tales Part II that makes Plan 9 From Outer Space look like an Oscar contender.

http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi2979398425/

[TedR]

Well this is just a little bit weird. My wife and I have two puppies. A few days ago Cleo's favorite toy, a medium size stuffed hedgehog squeak toy, went missing. It happens.....so I kept looking under beds, couches, out in the open (sometimes you look at something and don't see it and then you do)..... Then, yesterday, I read Dan's experiences. Okay it wouldn't hurt to try (as long as no one hears me) so I asked the fairies to return Cleo's favorite toy. I looked around....no toy until I saw it in the middle of an open shelf on the living room hutch. Could I have absent mindedly put it there hidden in plain sight? My wife says no because she dusted those shelves yesterday morning and, if there was a dog toy there, it would have gone into the toy basket or thrown to the dogs to play with. Probably a logical explanation but still.......

[Dan Gould]

Any other weird things happening? By any chance does anyone in the house practice the Wiccan faith? I ask because I don't know if playful Fairies would be naturally hanging out at your house, but my wife says that they do tend to appear where witches live.

[TedR]

No other odd happenings here. It's a newer house built in 2005 in a newer housing development started in 2002 on what was a currant vineyard. Neither of us knows anything about the Wiccan faith or practice of witchcraft. My wife is a painter with a folk art style so I do buy her art books periodically one of which was called Fairy Art, a beautifully illustrated book of 19th and 20th century fairy painting (which, btw, we keep on the same hutch that the toy was found on ).

[Jim Alfredson]

Lots of weird shit used to happen on the 100-year old non-working farm I grew up on in Mason, MI. Scary shit. Then again... my parents smoked a TON OF WEED when I was kid. I'm sure my siblings and I had a serious contact high going on at times. So although it's fun to reminisce when we get together and talk ghost stories, I don't take any of it very seriously.

Human perceptions are prone to change or react due to our own expectations. Hearing noises while sleeping or falling asleep is not uncommon. I hear shit all the time while falling asleep. Voices, loud bangs, etc. Sometimes I get out of bed and make sure someone isn't trying to break into my house, which is a constant fear of mine (and so perhaps that fear is manifesting itself through my own senses as I make the transition from waking to dreaming). So far the sounds have never been anything real. My wife wakes up out of a dead sleep sometimes, sits straight up, and says "WHAT WAS THAT?" and it's nothing. Our brains are amazingly complex machines that sometimes do wacky things.

Concerning the dogs, any changes in diet lately? It is true that they can sense when things aren't right. The seizure theory seems the most plausible to me. More plausible than "I've got evil spirits that suddenly decided to attack me and my family after several years of next to nothing happening." I mean, it's known now that even plants emit chemical signals to other plants when shit goes down. Dogs are tuned in to each other.

Then again, what do I know?

[Free For All]

Dan's Ghouled.