Snow, Solstice, and Full Moon Eclipse

The last hours of fall are waning and what has become the "official" first day of winter is upon us. The Winter Solstice (sometimes called Mid-Winter or Yule) will arrive in just a few hours. In ancient times, this important day marked the half-way point of the winter and brought with it the promise of the lengthening of daylight hours and the time of planting. It is a celebration of surviving the harsh winter, letting go of the old, and welcoming the new.

I have plenty of snow on the ground again this year- perfect for the holiday season. Tonight the heavens will put on a rare show that will create unbelievable beauty on the white, fluffy drifts that are visible across my fields. I am speaking, of course, of the total eclipse of the full moon tonight. The moon will darken to a coppery red and cast its light across the snow in an unforgettable show of nature's brilliance. What an event on the Winter Solstice!

Here is the NASA timeline of the eclipse and all times given are for the Eastern Time Zone. It starts on December 21, 2010 at 1:33 am and totality is at 2:41 am. The best view will be at 3:17 am.

Enjoy!

Cool and Creepy: Big Dog Fits the Bill

I was just playing around on YouTube (actually looking for cool wild animal attacks- don't ask) and came across several videos of "Big Dog." Cujo you say? No, not exactly. Nothing supernatural or paranormal, but definitely futuristic in a cool and creepy way. The beauty of having your own blog is that you can write about pretty much whatever you want. While the blog is dedicated to the paranormal and the cryptozoological, I think this piece will more than fulfill the criteria for strange.

Even though Big Dog sort of creeped me out in a fascinating way, I could not help but watching the videos several times- sort of like watching a train wreck. You just cannot look away. This robot is unbelievable and if you did not know better, you would swear that it was an actual biologic- a living creature. Of course the implications of this machine are far-reaching for everything from military missions to maybe someday being used by hikers and campers. I know that I want one. Although I am sure that the actual price tag for something like this would be well beyond what the average person could ever afford- I shutter to think!

Anyway, take a look at the video. It speaks for itself. If anyone has some advanced knowledge of Big Dog and its technology, by all means, please post it.

Bigfoot Sighted....Everywhere?

I was watching a popular paranormal show a few weeks back and was amazed at the comment made by one of the folks on the show. This person was absolutely stunned and amazed that Bigfoot/Sasquatch has been sighted and encountered in places other than the Pacific Northwest. Really. This comment astonished me in that anyone who is in this business knows that these cryptids have been seen all over the world, not to mention all over the U.S.

Bi-pedal primates have been seen all over the U.S. and Canada for centuries. Relatives of the North American specimens have been seen all over the world. These creatures had been seen and encountered long before the famous Patterson/Gimlin film ever hit the public and our fascination with them turned into scientific research. Sightings and encounters from across the country date back to the earliest written records of European and colonial settlements. Stories and legends of the creatures from the native tribes go back even farther.

Contrary to popular beliefs, the East Coast is not so heavily populated outside of the urban/suburban areas. There are many areas within the Appalachians and their valleys that remain wild and secluded. There are also many swamps and marshes along the coast that could hide virtually any species. We receive steady numbers of reports here in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. These reports not only come from recent sightings and encounters, but from people who are recalling incidents from many years ago and are just now willing to come forward.

APCR and Sasquatch Watch of Virginia have year-round active research and investigations. We have specific areas that we have deemed hot-spots due to reports and/or our own experiences. We have different research techniques that are currently being employed in an effort to communicate with and collect evidence of these creatures and have experienced some successes. There are also individuals outside of the research field who have claimed to have habitualization scenarios taking place in which they say they have established contact and trust with and actively provide food for these North American primates.

In any event, there is no doubt that these creatures have habitat suitable to them all across North America. A simple search on the internet can provide a wealth of information, photos, and videos about our larger-than-life subjects (just be careful they are not hoaxes!). Just be sure to do your homework and get the facts straight before making presentations, especially in front of millions of people.