Life Derailed

Everything has been out of whack. Our city is almost back to being fully operational, which is a good thing. The only real restrictions are for large gatherings. But that doesn’t mean things are back to normal. Of course, there are the usual “new normal” things, like wearing masks and such, but even those things are more or less “recommendations” here and not actual requirements. We’ve never really had a huge volume of COVID cases in our county to start with, so everyone is just being cautious but going about their business. No real fanatics here.

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Who Would Play You In the Movie (Part Deux)

A few weeks ago I blogged about what actor I thought should play me in a movie about my life. I also went on to talk about who I thought should play the leads in the movie if my first book On Common Ground were made into one. Well, this week I’m going to show you who I see the lead characters in my second book On Hallowed Ground and who I think should play them in the blockbuster movie.

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Who Would Play You In the Movie? (Part Un)

I think it’s fairly safe to say that every writer at one point or another has imagined one of their books becoming a movie. I know lots of authors already have experienced this on small “made-for-TV” stations, like the Hallmark Channel, etc. and those are always fantastic. In fact, Harlequin has created their own television network specifically for producing movies based on the millions of Harlequin books already in existence. They are also looking for new script writers I hear.

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Reaping The Rewards of Quarantine

I don’t know how long it’s been for you folks, but here at Casa Baer we’ve going into our seventh week of self-isolation. According to our Governor and our Mayor, it looks like we’ve got at least two more to go before “we re-evaluate.” I’m hoping that by the second week of May we’ll be able to enter Phase I and start to see some movement toward “normal,” around here. What that means for my business remains to be seen, but I’m hopeful I’ll be able to welcome guests again in the near future. I’m hoping for June, but only time will tell. Right now I’m an innkeeper with nothing to keep.

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Silver Linings

My husband and I are going into week 3 of semi-isolation. My husband’s employer mandated that the casino and hotel where he works shut completely down on March 16^th.  Since then he’s been back twice to finish up a couple of unfinished tasks, but the place is basically abandoned. Only the security crew has to stay on property during the shut down. The Baer House, too has been pretty darn quiet. We’re not on lock down, but nobody’s traveling. We have been getting daily cancellations since the second week of March. We currently have no reservations at the inn until the very first part of June.

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Did They Think No One Would Notice?

Are you observant when you watch TV? I think most writers probably pay closer attention to things than the average person. Like a lawyer notices things about courtroom shows and cops notice things about police procedure and nurses notice things about medical shows, writers notice discrepancies in storylines, characterization, etc.

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The First Thanksgiving

Well, here we are again people. Thanksgiving and the cusp of the holiday gift-giving, shopping, binge eating season. It’s true what my parents always used to say, time goes by too quickly. Slow down and enjoy life.

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Here’s What They Don’t Tell You

I know it’s April Fools Day and some of you are either giving or getting pranked today, but this post is certainly not about that. This is a very serious post and one that is near and dear to my heart. I hope you’ll bear with me and know that I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer on this fabulous Monday. Such is not the case. Today is actually a day of celebration.

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Keeping It Creepy

I love to explore creepy places. Haunted houses are always cool, old dilapidated buildings at night, attics, basements, cemeteries in the fog, those kinds of places. I like to check out all the little nooks and crannies to see if there’s any hidden switches that open doorways to secret rooms. You know, the kinds of stuff you see on TV.

Photo courtesy Google Images

Here are some photos of some mysterious and supposedly haunted places I’ve had the privilege of exploring:

We’ll start with a local one. These pictures were taken on one of the nights I took the haunted tour over at the McRaven Tour Home here in Vicksburg

McRaven House Photo by P. Rickrode

McRaven House Photo by P. Rickrode

MsRaven House Photo by P. Rickrode

McRaven House Photo by P. Rickrode

McRaven House Photo by P. Rickrode

McRaven House Photo by P. Rickrode

McRaven House Photo by P. Rickrode

If you are interested in touring this fabulous house, and you should if you’re in Vicksburg, here is the link for more information https://www.mcraventourhome.com/

Next we’ll go to California, to a VERY small town called Ione in Amador County. One of the last places I visited before leaving California for Mississippi was Preston Castle. Here is a brief bit of information about Preston Castle:

In 1890, the California State Legislature purchased 230 acres from the Ione Coal & Iron Company for construction of the Preston School of Industry, a place where troubled boys could learn a trade instead of being incarcerated in juvenile prisons.

The complex was highly self-sufficient; the large acreage of the purchase allowed the boys to grow their own food, raise livestock and learn farming trades. Additionally, there was a print shop, bakery and cobbler shop where the young delinquents and otherwise homeless boys could learn skills for self-preservation in the real world.

The school officially opened on June 13, 1894, and the first wards moved in only two weeks later. The superintendent controlled life inside the Preston School of Industry, where discipline was extreme. Loss of privileges seemed minor in comparison to starvation, isolation, and public paddling and lashings, severe strategies that were common at Preston.

Here are some of the photos from my tour:

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Preston Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

For a brief time in 1954 country music legend Merle Haggard did time at Preston Castle for auto theft. For more information about Preston Castle click here: http://www.prestoncastle.com/

Next we’ll head up north to Victoria, British Columbia and take a peek at Craigdarroch Castle. The castle is a historic, Victorian-era Scottish Baronial mansion. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada due to its landmark status in Victoria

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by C. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

Craigdarroch Castle Photo by P. Rickrode

All of these places are reportedly quite haunted although I never experienced anything supernatural while I was there. Quite a few of my photographs from Craigdarroch Castle have what appear to be orbs in them, but it might just be dust motes in the air. This one in particular is of interest.

Me and Corey on the grand staircase at Craigdarroch Castle.

I don’t know what that big cloudy bubble thing is near my hand but it darn near touched me. And, there are at least 3 more smaller orbs in this photo. Do you see them?

Anyway, if you’d like more information about this creepy cool place, here’s where you need to start: https://thecastle.ca/

So there you have it my friends, my nod to keeping it creepy in February. What creepy places have you explored? Do you like visiting haunted houses?

Word of the day: Zloty

Fun fact about me: I guess I live in a haunted house, at least that’s what people tell me.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, January 2019. Photos by P. Rickrode and Google Images.

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Blonds Are Disappearing From TV Land

I’ve noticed lately a strange phenomenon when I watch TV. There are very few blondes in any of the shows I watch on a regular basis. This led to a more extensive investigation on my part. I started randomly watching shows I’ve never watched before just to see what the main characters look like. The phenomenon continued. Hardly any blondes.

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