Are Pterodactyls still in existence?

Paul Nation wants to answer that question. Since 1994, Paul has been intrigued by reports of an unusual flying creature that lives in remote jungles of Papua New Guinea. Four trips into the jungle finally led him to see and videotape the bioluminescence that is credited to these creatures. Now, he is mounting an expedition to go where he has never gone before and attempt to solve this mystery once and for all.

Papua New Guinea is the 2nd largest island on earth and has appropriately been called "The Lost World" where previously unknown species of birds and other animals are sometimes discovered. Monsterquest Season Three in June, 2009, featured this creature which is called "Ropen" by the local people. Paul prefers to call it the Indava Bird after the native word for light.

First documented reports of this creature came in 1875 when a Mr. Smithurst, who was the engineer of a steamer voyaging up the Baxter River in New Guinea, spoke about a bird of seemingly unknown origin. He claimed it could pick up a kangaroo or a large turtle and fly off. The noise of its flapping wings sounded to him like a steam engine slowly pulling a long train. Mr. Smithurst also said that the wing span was anywhere from 16-18 ft. It had a dark brown body, white breast, long neck and long, straight beak.

Recent testimony about this creature reveals that what is being seen now are 30 ft. wing spans. These bizarre creatures live in the mountains and come down at night to feed. They have sharp teeth, and their bioluminescent body is said to sometimes glow red and other times, white. In times past, the creature was said to rob graves and feast upon human flesh. Natives would run waving their hands and screaming in order to scare them away and prevent children from being attacked.

Paul has videotaped lights which he feels are the Indava Bird's biolumenescence. Scientific tests of this video ruled out vehicles and camp fires as the source.

Here is your chance to participate in this project with this modern-day Indiana Jones and be the armchair discoverer that you always wanted to be. Paul's Indiegogo Fundraising Campaign is in full swing to raise $12,000 for this expedition. Click the link, contribute, and send him packing later this year for parts unknown. He will really appreciate that.

Read about Paul's exploits at his blog. Follow him on Facebook here.

Souls of the Asylum is available for advanced ordering

My friends, Doug and Berta Lockhart, have completed a book entitled "Souls of the Asylum." This is a compilation of channeled stories received from patients buried in the cemeteries of the old Athens Lunatic Asylum in Athens, Ohio. I was honored to be asked to write the Foreword of this book.

Whatever you might think about channeling, these stories are compelling. What is amazing about the writings is that Doug normally does not write in cursive. Yet his handwriting would change styles as he wrote these messages from beyond the grave. One spirit even moved his hand in an elaborate signature which is shown in the book.

Some of the stories have been verified by information stored in the archives of the Alden Library of Ohio University. The archivist was stunned that anyone could have known this information without looking at the records.

The graves in the cemeteries of this institution are mostly marked with only numbered stones. I am a member of the Friends of Athens Asylum Cemeteries which is a group of private citizens who are installing proper memorial markers with the names, birth dates, and death dates engraved upon them. These cemeteries are some of the most forlorn, loneliest burial grounds that you might encounter. No wonder those buried there seek to have their identities restored through the relating of their personal stories.

You can learn of the history of this institution and how you might help us identify the graves at this website.

Advance ordering of the book may be found here. Amazon and other websites will soon follow to sell the book.

My article in Un-X News Magazine

A blog post that I originally posted for this blog has been modified into an article and published in the Un-X News Magazine. Margie Kay is the editor of this magazine and you can view her website at this link. The spring issue's theme is fairies and elemental spirits. My article is entitled "Grottoes, Fairies and Roses. You can get a copy of the magazine here.

You've never heard of Mt. Nebo but it really is bizarre and mysterious

My latest article at the Haunted Places topic on examiner.com is entitled "Spirits spoke on Mt. Nebo in 1853." Mt. Nebo has traditionally been known as the highest hill in elevation in Athens County, Ohio; however, geologists now know it is a few feet shorter than another hill in the county. But who quibbles about that? Mt. Nebo stands head and shoulders above a lot of high places in a paranormal reputation that you probably have never heard of. I certainly had not, but from the moment I did, I was intrigued. I just had to look into it and write an article.

I visited Ohio University's Robert E. and Jean R. Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections in Athens and perused their "spook file" which contains archived articles, etc., of the paranormal in Athens County. Their copy of Dr. J. Everett's 1853 book on this subject was a copy which was very hard to read. A search of the Internet turned up a readable copy in the online archives of the State Library of Ohio Rare Books.

I found it quite curious that in Everett's book, spirits are attributed with talking about electromagnetic energy as their means of manifesting as well as pulling matter together to materialize. I wonder if people in 1853 would have known about or even thought about such concepts in order to give credence in possibly defrauding the public in these events. Personally, I think something really bizarre did happen there. Dr. Everett put his reputation on the line in publishing his book. I always add the risk factor in on deciding whether someone is telling the truth or not. Skeptics risk nothing in merely saying something isn't so, but a person with a report is risking everything.

If you are not as intrigued now as I am, you really should be. You'll find my article here.