Orbs, Oubliettes and Irish Legends

by Matt Neal

Location:  County Offaly, Ireland

Just in time for Halloween!!  Here's a repost from my old website!!

[By posting this I'm not saying I believe in ghosts, it's just all in good fun.  So please keep the comments civil.  Comments are moderated.]

A ghost is a ghost is a...dust?

Well, here's the story.

My wife and I, on our last real vacation before getting in the "family way" went to Ireland, birthplace of our ancestors. While there I insisted (begged) that we go to Leap Castle, pronounced "Lep". Leap Castle is reputed to be the most haunted castle in Ireland. A quick google will give you the rundown. The current owner was gracious enough to give tourists an extensive tour, replete with a history lecture, tales of legends, and an enjoyable musical performance on some sort of Irish woodwind instrument (the name for which escapes me), all for 10 Euros a head.

Enon Cemetery

by Matt Neal

Location: Woodstock, Georgia

I admit this one isn’t exactly unknown, but Enon Cemetery on Main Street in Woodstock, GA is brimming with history.  One sunny October afternoon I made a visit.  Getting there is not too difficult, but our ever-expanding town is encroaching closer and closer to this little piece of history.  Back in 1837, it began as just the local Baptist Church with a cemetery out back.  But after the church moved, the cemetery remained.

Adventures in Cozumel

by Matt Neal

Location: Cozumel, Mexico

Years ago while visiting Cozumel with some friends, we stumbled across some interesting old ruins buried deep in the jungle.  Cozumel is a tiny island off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and its landscape is just like the mainland – dense, low lying jungle on a flat terrain.  Looking from the window of my hotel, the few houses there on the coast butted up to that jungle.  Its hard to imagine that sort of terrain right in their own backyard.  And somewhere in that jungle, in those peoples’ backyard, were over a dozen archaeological sites of old Mayan ruins.

Ye Olde Rope Mille Parke

by Matt Neal

[Originally posted at The Patch as The Lost Towne Laker]

Location: Woodstock, Georgia

“Daddy? What did they make at the rope mill?”

“Well, I don’t know, sweetie. That was in the olden days. It’s a mystery we may never know.”

She gave me a puzzled look, then turned to our faithful guide, Bwana.

“They made rope, honey,” Bwana told her. “That’s why they called it the Rope Mill.”

We were standing at the Olde Rope Mille Parke on the banks of the Little River.  Hikers and bikers are familiar with this place. And to my eye, fly-fishermen should be also, though I didn’t see any.

A Descent into the Mines–Part One

by Matt Neal

[Originally posted in The Patch as The Lost Towne Laker]

Location: Woodstock, Georgia

“In today’s economy,” I told her, “we can’t afford not to dig for gold!”

She gave me the sort of look you would expect after a statement like that.

So come with me, good readers, as we explore some deep and mysterious gold mines and track down the history of gold in this region. And when I say gold is literally in your own backyard, get ready to be surprised.

A Descent Into the Mines–Part Two

by Matt Neal

[Originally posted in The Patch as The Lost Towne Laker]

Location: Woodstock, Georgia

Next, we grabbed vines and tree branches to pull ourselves up a near vertical cliff-side. What I was looking for, Rob told me, was just ahead.

Then, we found it!

I narrowed my eyes and gave a grim smile.

"Yes," I muttered. "There it is."