MOTHERLODE GHOSTBUSTER.

The setting was anything but ghostly and I’m a major skeptic, anyway. Calaveras County’s old courthouse and jail in San Andreas was a temporary home to wild and dangerous characters during the gold fevered 1800′s. Here, members of the historical society gathered sociably for wine and beer before dinner in what was once the jail yard.

The walled yard is made of native stone, mortarless, and is called dry wall; now over-grown with vines, and beautiful. I spent a lot of time here when I wrote historical features in the 1980′s. Black Bart, the  infamous poet bandit was kept in the jail.  And judge Gotttschalk committed suicide inside the courthouse. Tour guides point to blood spattered books in the law library from his suicide. The building has  been declared haunted by people who have worked here over the years.

Records indicate several inmates were buried “behind” the jail. No one knows whether there was a body under a broken headstone left from 1882. The top of the stone was missing and then rebuilt from pictures. The first court house was a tent. The second one, made of wood, burned. The fine old brick building is too small for a modern court and has been turned into a showplace museum by the Calaveras County Historical Society.

The Historical Society removed an unused public oven from the gold rush town of Calaveritas in 1994 and rebuilt it in the courtyard. Community ovens were made from native stone and held together with mud from heavy clay soil. Ovens like this one hold up well if covered over by a roof. The oven has drawn members to meet in warm months outdoors for pizza, home-baked bread with a salad pot luck, or chicken bargeques. It takes about three minutes to cook a pizza in this oven and they are delicious.

I sat with Sylvia and Cliff Edson, a local restaurant owner who just bought an old Victorian and is restoring it while living in it. They are dealing with ghosts, or several spirits in their house. Sylvia gets frightened by them. Cliff has had the house blessed several times, and is a believer. They don’t upset him. They were stunned to find out the subject of the meeting was The Paranormal. They hadn’t read the notice about who the speaker would be.

I have no idea how many pizzas Clyde Weddell made that night. He made three types, sausage, pepperoni and pesto with sun-dried tomato.  Absolutely delcious.

When Clyde makes pizza, he tosses it into the air. I was never quite able to catch the pizza in the air, but it was fascinating to watch him work. As it got dark, he donned a headlight.

After dinner, we listened to Rick Panzarina talk about debunking and validating ghosts, or paranormal presences in old buildings, businesses and private homes. He turns most of the seekers away, after determining they are only interested in sensationalizing their claims. He says, a good ghostbuster doesn’t  ask for money to investigate your ghost because then, they would always find a ghost.  He uses lasers, 11 cameras, video equipment, and high tech sound equipment. He gave results of having investigated the ghosts in the Court House and other places where he has found evidence of paranormal activity. The blood on the books, if it is blood, did not belong to Judge Gottschalk.  All he had to do was look at the date Gottschalk killed himself, and the date the books were published to know the “spatters” couldn’t have been from his death. He could find no para-normal activity in the Courthouse. He explained in detail how wooden floors make popping sounds that closely resemble footsteps. He and his team of seven people do not allow whispering. They address any presence in a loud voice and ask it to declare itself. They got one very clear “Hi!” Once, out of about 50 buildings. They do not play to sensationalism. Some people would rather have their “fun” reputation than have a ghostbuster disprove any paranormal activity. And, for tourism in the Motherlode, that is quite all right with the locals. Almost every old hotel in the area claims to have a ghost. It is soooo fun!  I’d love to have a ghost in my house. Wouldn’t you?

Seeing The Sights Near Revere, Massachusetts

Jim says:

Yesterday Mary and I took the Bronco to see some of the sights along the Atlantic Coast North of Revere. In addition to Revere we went through Lynn, Nahant, Swampscott, Marblehead and Salem.

Here are a few things we saw…
On Revere Beach we saw about one dozen sculptures remaining from the 75th Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Contest held last weekend.

In Nahant we saw kids diving off of these rocks into the water the same way my buddies and I did more than 50 years ago.

There were several hundred boats anchored in beautiful Marblehead Harbor.

In Salem, Mary the witch got boiled in oil.

Back in Revere in the late afternoon I enjoyed the world’s best pizza at DeMaino’s. They are a fifth generation restaurant in the same location for more than 75 years. As teenagers more than 50 years ago my friends and I enjoyed the pizza at Demaino’s. Yeah, Yeah…I know I had pizza yesterday and it was good, but I cannot come to Revere and not have a DeMaino’s Pizza! Mary enjoyed Chicken Parmigiana.

Te see the other 15 photos I took, click this link…
http://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver/072310#

Today we will drive the motorhome and Bronco to Southeastern New Hampshire.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2009
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.panamaorbust.com

A Trip Down Memory Lane With Old friends In Revere, Massachusetts

Jim says:

Yesterday Mary and I met up with some old friends of mine and wandered through neighborhoods where I lived from ages 10-18. During those years, Revere (named for Paul Revere) had a major beach (the first public beach in the United States), a major dog track and a major horse track.

Here’s a Google Earth view of this area…

The beach is still there, though vastly different from when I was a youngster. Back then it was a wonderful assortments of rides, amusements and arcades. Today it’s all condominiums. The Wonderland Park dog track ran its last race in September, 2009 after voters banned dog racing in the state. The Suffolk Downs horse track is still operational and celebrated its 75th anniversary a couple of weeks ago. The Liberty Elementary Grade School, Garfield Junior High School and the old Revere High School I attended were demolished years ago. Jobs I remember having back in those days were a paper route, walking horses before school in the morning at Suffolk Downs and in the receiving department of Raymond’s Department Store in Boston. All prior to my joining the Navy in 1958.

These three photos are from the below Wikipedia Revere Beach informational link…

Here’s a link to a four-minute video about the history of Revere Beach…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2eIxv30SYI&feature=player_embedded

As long as we’re going down memory lane, here are two photos, 1951 and 1961…

As far as yesterday is concerned, Bill and Loretta Gallagher met us at our motorhome in the VFW parking lot. We went in their vehicle to see some of the old neighborhoods…

Bill and Loretta Gallagher were married here at St. Anthony’s Church 48 years and one day ago.

I lived in Lee’s Trailer Park from age 10 to 13. It’s amazing but it still looks much like it did 55 years ago.

I lived at 70 Hichborn Street (lower right apartment) from age 14 to 18. It looked old even when I lived there 50+ years ago.

Revere Beach today.

Then to Dolly Giordano’s home where we watched Elvis Presley’s debut TV performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956. Loretta, Bill, myself, Arthur (Dolly’s partner of 37 years) & Dolly.

Then to the pizza place right next door to Dolly’s home. Mary said she had never tasted pizza this good in all of her life.

Here’s a Wikipedia informational link about Revere…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revere,_Massachusetts

Here’s a Wikipedia informational link about Revere Beach…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revere_Beach

We spent five very enjoyable hours re-living the good old days. A most enjoyable day indeed!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2009
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.panamaorbust.com

We Arrive In Wayne, New Jersey

Jim says:

Yesterday we drove about 100 miles and arrived at my friend’s Jim & Ginny home in Wayne, New Jersey. In 173 days I’ve driven about 7,000 miles.

My travel route since November 30, 2009.

In the late afternoon we went out and had some delicious New Jersey Pizza.

I last visited Jim & Ginny in September, 2007.

Finally, some good pizza!

The restaurant does not have a liquor license, so you can bring your own beer. They put it in this iced bucket for us.

As much as I enjoy being on the West Coast…you just cannot get good pizza or seafood. The good seafood awaits us in New England a few days away!

We’ll be here for four days.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2010
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.panamaorbust.com

Two days before Fat Tuesday in New Orleans, Louisiana!

Jim says: Yesterday Mary and I took the free ferry for the 5 minute ride across the Mississippi River to downtown New Orleans and took in another Mardi Gras parade on Canal Street. This parade was very different than the day before local parade. This parade had metal police fences for crowd control which the local parade did not and there were lots more people. There were many more and larger floats and each float appeared to try to outdo all the other floats in the amount of trinkets (beads, cups, doubloons, stuffed animals, etc…) they threw into the crowds. Mary and I gave away a lot of beads but still manged to bring home an amazing 18 pounds of beads which we will distribute among our nine grandchildren.

Just one of the many colorful floats in today’s parade.

As a matter of fact, I found out Mary is a Mardi Gras wimpette! The beads she was wearing got so heavy around her neck, she took the off and carried them in a large plastic bag.

Mary the Mardi Gras wimpette with no beads around her neck because they got to heavy.

Mary took this photo of me with my beads. I actually had more by time the parade had ended. I had to take mine off in order to drive the Bronco back to our campground.

Me and my beads about halfway through the parade.

Our 18 pounds of beads.

To see the other 48 photos I took, click this link…
http://picasaweb.google.com/jimjrver/20100214MardiGrasDay2LA2010#

The only downside of Mardi Gras are the prices charged by vendors. We paid $3 for a 12 ounce bottle of water. For lunch of two small personal pizzas (worst of my entire life!)… Mary’s Gin & Tonic and my two Miller Lite Beers…$35.00! Other than that, another fun day!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2010
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.panamaorbust.co

A Pizza For Life Contract

Mary and I arrived safely in Deming, New Mexico yesterday afternoon about 3:00 PM. Shortly thereafter we were joined by my good friend and Spanish teacher Barbara De LaFuente. We hopped into her van and promptly drove to a nearby pizza place where I could honor my Pizza For Life contract with her.

Here’s how the Pizza For Life Contract came about. I met Barbara back in the mid-1990′s when we were both members of an RV singles group. Barbara teaches a 3 day course which she calls Speedy Spanish. Just prior to my departure to spend the Winter of 1998-99 in Baja California Sur, Mexico, I took her course in which she teaches everything you ever will need regarding language while traveling in a Spanish-speaking environment.

Upon returning from my 2004, 343 day, 16,000+ mile RV trip through Mexico and Central America and at the urgings of a number of friends, including Barbara, I decided to write a book about my adventure. Barbara offered to edit the manuscript for me, but wouldn’t let me pay her. So, what to do about that?

I knew she was a pizza-aficionado so, we negotiated a Pizza For Life Contract. That is…every time we cross paths during our RV travels, I would buy her a pizza! She felt that would work and we had a deal!

So good to my word…that’s what we did yesterday afternoon.

Barbara did a great job of “polishing” my book…Panama or Bust – A 343 Day Adventure in A Motorhome! You can see more info about this book and lots of photos from the trip by clicking the link at the bottom of this posting.

Mary and I spent the night in a quiet corner of the local K-Mart parking lot. Today we will move only a few miles to a local RV singles group parking area. After several busy days, today will be a “kick back and take life easy” day. Read, walk, clean the interior of the motorhome, etc…

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2010
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.panamaorbust.com