I am alive! I am! I've been dealing with some personal matters the past few days hence my lack of posting. I do apologize! Especially to those who were waiting on my ghost story...
I posted a photo on Sunday night on my instagram saying that I would be posting here on Monday (oops!) butttt some things came up and I had to put the post on hold. I'm sorry! :( BUT, guess what!? I'm here today ready to tell you alllll about my weekend, my ghost encounter, and I have a hilarious video I saw on my facebook feed this morning that I wanted to share with you to lighten the mood. Sabrina...you will get a kick out of this I am sure! ;)
OKAY, so here is my weekend recap: Last Friday, I drove to my hometown of Jewett to drop my Mom off at her house. She has been here in Austin for the last two weeks helping me paint doors, trim, stairways, bathrooms, youuuu name it. When we arrived at home, we were informed that my Mamaw and Papaw's dog, Tiki, had given birth to ... SEVEN puppies. SEVEN.
Apparently, when Piper and Furlee were staying with my Mom for two months (I don't know how I managed, I know!)...she decided to "Pimp" out Piper because my Mamaw wanted puppies. I didn't get permission either...what the heck man!? Piper is now the proud Dad to seven little babies. And they are cute now...but not sure how cute they will be when they are grown. (Note to self: Get Piper fixed. #badfurmomiknow) (Fun fact: Piper was a Dad before he even turned one. Furlee is his son and he has a daughter out there somewhere with a lady that he doesn't pay child support for either... ;) haha! Mr. Pipes is a PIMP!)
The puppies are all different colors too! Can you imagine this mix? Tiki (Rat Terrior) + Piper (Pomeranian) = Rat Poms.
Haha. Such diddle muffins.
Anyway, we woke up bright and early Saturday and drove down to Galveston to photograph a wedding at the Hotel Galvez.
We had so much fun as always and the wedding party was a blast to work with! :)
Now here is where the ghost story comes into play. (GET ON WITH IT SHAY! OKAY! OKAY!)
For those of you who don't follow me on Instagram or on Facebook...I just want to warn you, this is really friggin' creepy. I've received a ton of phone calls, facebook messages, comments, text messages, e-mails...all in regards to this photo I am about to show you. Some people can't believe it, some people are in awe, and some people refussssse to think this is real.
Here is our story. I promise, on my heart, and on my life that this is all real. I am not some sort of freak that wants to make up some random story about a ghost. Trust me, I have wayyy toooo much on my plate to be messing with people's heads. I assure you, and I promise you that what you are about to read is the real deal people. I don't know what I believe in when it comes to ghosts. I do believe in guardian angels...and I will say that I have had some weird things happen to me in the past in the old Victorian home I grew up in. My Mom and I would joke about our "friendly ghost", Henry whenever anything weird would happen. However, this is something I can't explain. All I can tell you are the facts...so take it as you will! :)
On Saturday, May 18th, 2013...Oh sorry, I have to set you up here...)
It's appropriate mk? ;) (Totally need the dramatics!)
Interesting facts: Galveston is the third most haunted city in the U.S. and the hotel we photographed at is also supposedly haunted as well. Don't believe me? Check this link out here and here.
Okay, now were we? Oh yes...
We were done photographing the wedding at about 10:45 PM. After the wedding, Drew and I walked back to his truck and I hinted, "Babe...Let's go take a walk on the beach! It's RIGHT there and we hardly ever get to be here..." He took my not so obvious hint, and we found ourselves parking along the strand, ready to take our tired feet and sweaty selves on a romantic "midnight" stroll. We walk down the stairs and pass TWO people walking up the stairs (two people in shorts and sandals) and realize that the beach is empty. These are the ONLY people we saw on the beach. There were some lights and people about 200 yards down near the pier but that was it. Not a single person was anywhereeee around us. It's 11 PMish at night people! We walk along the beach, talking, and mind you, we can see everything. We can see the waves, we can our feet in front of us, we can see for quite a ways. This part of the beach is lit up somewhat due to the buildings across the street, and the lights on the sidewalk that borders the beach. It's dark, of course, but we can see very well. Drew and I snap a couple of pictures...
And we walk some more. Finally, Drew said, "Okay, babe. Put the phone away. Relaxxxx and just be here with me." For some reason I was walking really fast, and Drew was quick to point out that I never ever slow down and just be. I always feel like I have to do something really fast and don't necessarily enjoy the moment. I slowed down and said this:
"Okayyyy okay let me just take a few more and I'll put it away! Promise! :) "
We stop, I take my phone and I take the photo with us and the beach.
No flash.
"Oops, let me turn on the flash! That one is way too dark."
I take two-three more photos with the flash. We went and sat down right after we took the photos and I snapped a few more. Right after I was finished, Drew took my phone from me and said I could instagram later haha. So, we enjoyed some quiet time for about 20-30 minutes and had ourselves a good ol' fashioned talk on the beach. (Loved this so much!) We then decide to walk our wet bums back to the truck (still didn't see anyone).
Y'all...there was not a person on the beach. Not one. The only people we saw were the people going up the stairs when we were going down. Drew even made the comment when we sat down, "It's nice being the only people here right now!"
It was warm, muggy, humid, and windy. I repeat...JUST Drew and me.
When we get back in the truck, I naturally ask for my phone back and go to my photos to decide which one I wanted to instagram.
Drew gets on the phone with his Dad and I start scrolling through the photos.
Scroll...scroll...and then I saw it. I did a quadruple look. I zoomed in. I zoomed out. I did this about 10 times. Y'all...goosebumps covered my entire body. I could not believe my eyes when I saw this.
Que the goosebumps! :)
Drew was on the phone with his Dad so I kept looking at him and said, "Babe...Babe! Babe...hurry up and get off the phone...something really weird just happened...(Drew continues to talk to his Dad)..."DREW!...I'm freaking serious...please look at this photo! Tell me something or someone is NOT behind us...PLEASE tell me I am seeing things!"
Drew continues to ignore me and talk to his Dad while giving me the "Wait a minute finger." AND so I waited. I decided to instagram a photo while I waited...not wanting to believe what I was seeing.
When Drew got off the phone, he pulled into a gas station to get gas. I showed him the photo and he couldn't believe it either. We kept asking ourselves, ARE WE SURE THERE WAS NOBODY ON THE BEACH WITH US!? ARE WE SURE!? And as much as we wanted to convince ourselves that we weren't the only ones on the beach that night...we both KNEW that we were.
Ready for this?
Here is the original photo...and the original photo brightened up (for a better look).
Do you NOT see the figure behind us? It looks like an old lady...with a red/pink shirt...white hair...black pants, and white tennis shoes.
Now, before you start to think, "Shay, did you photoshop this!?" I want to make you really ask yourself this.
DO YOU REALLY THINK I PHOTOSHOPPED THIS!? COME ON...
It was really warm out that night. Why on earth would someone be wearing long sleeves and long pants?
Also, WHY on earth would a person THIS old be on the beach at 11:30PM at night?
Also, HOW in the WORLD would I have time to photoshop a "figure" into this photo when we had been working ALL day long and literally went to the beach immediately afterwards?
Also, I don't have photoshop just handy...my computer was home, and there is NO way on earth I could EVER photoshop this into my photo. I'm not that good y'all...
In my defense as well, I swear there was NOBODY behind us. The point of this photo was to take a photo of Drew, Me, and the "beach" behind us. Why would we stop there if someone else was in our shot?
ALSO... we sat down two to three steps away from this very spot to sit down. NOT A SINGLE PERSON was there. Just us.
ANDDDD because I really want to defend myself... Here is the camera roll from my phone.
First Photo: Original Roll of photos. The second photo is the exact same photo, but I circled the non-flash photo to show you the sequence. See. No flash. The next three photos are with flash. The other photos were of us right before we sat down three steps away from the standing photos.
Now look:
First Photo (NON-FLASH) in this spot: Original non-flash (again) and original non-flash photo brightened.
Second Photo in this spot taken like 2-3 seconds (if that): Original vs. Original brightened up to show you there is not a single person behind us. Same exact spot. We didn't move.
Fourth Photo in this spot taken immediately after the second: Original vs. Original brightened up to show you again that there is not a single person behind us. Same exact spot. We didn't move.
Do you see anyone in our flash shots? No.All pictures were taken one after the next...just milli-seconds within each other. If that. It was one of those, "Smillleeee, oh wait, no flash, turn on the flash, Smile, flash,snap, smile, flash, snap, smile, flash, snap."
If you look closely you can almost see a face in the non-flash photo. And you can totally see through the head. There are waves through the head. It's see-through for the most part.
I sent this to my cousin who is a BIG believer in ghosts and she had me rolling. LOL... She would text me...go silent for awhile and then come back after more investigating. Haha!
What do YOU think? Do you believe me? Regardless...I promise that this photo is real, and I have NO idea what this means. Some people (my family) say it looks a lot like my Granny who passed last year (and weirdly, it really does resemble her a lot). Some say it's my guardian angel (my Granny?), some say it's a ghost that passed away here, and...some are making up stories trying to make sense of it all, and some just think that my phone messed up and double exposed itself from an image in my phone. Funny thing is though is that there is NOBODY in my phone that looks like this, or is wearing this...nobody. I promise. But all in all...this is just downright creepy.
AHHHH. Where are the Ghostbusters when you need em right?
Anyway, thanks for reading my ghost story. I still don't know how I slept that night...My mind was racing a million miles a minute and Drew and I both woke up saying we slept like crap. So weird my friends...so weird.
NOW...Let's end this story on a happy-non-creepy note. My friend posted this on her facebook page this morning and I could NOT stop laughing.
TOO GOOD! I love Jimmy Kimmel!
Speaking of The Bachelor...
Or just watch it here:
She is trying to be on the Bachelor and I think she has a good shot! I mean...how could she not!?!?!?! She's the perfect candidate! Beautiful, charming, sweet, and funny. COME ON THE BACHELOR! Help my friend find love! I can't think of anyone more deserving!! :)
