Haunted Trails #1 - Bloody Lane Trail, Maryland

The Travel channel did a feature about Haunted Trails, and this is the first installment. The Bloody Lane Trail in Maryland.

Bloody Lane Trail, Maryland

This 1.5-mile trail in Antietam National Battlefield was the site of one of the deadliest Civil War battles in 1862. As a result, visitors report seeing ghostly soldiers both day and night. Many soldiers are buried around Burnside’s Bridge, and phenomena include witnessing balls of blue light, hearing drumming, gunfire and battlefield songs and smelling gunpowder.

ABOUT THE BATTLEFIELD (Now a National Park): The Bloodiest Day in American History--Hope for Freedom 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's first invasion into the North and led Abraham Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.  More information: https://www.nps.gov/anti/index.htm

For Rob Gutro's books about the ghosts he encountered, visit: www.robgutro.com

Max and Shelby Lead a Mom to her Next Dog Adoption

 In January, 2021, the story of a beautiful Doberman pincher name Max was published in my  book Pets and the Afterlife 3: Messages from Spirit Dogs. Two months later, Max’s mom, Dani, wrote me to tell me about how Max and her other dog, Shelby, also in spirit, led her to the next dog she would adopt.

 That’s one of the ways that pets let us know they are still very much around. They pick out the best dog, cat, horse or bird for us to adopt. They also come back and help train the new pet to be good for their parent, and they train them to do some of the things they used to do when they were in the physical. So, you’ll likely see your new dog or cat doing one of the things your dog or cat in spirit used to do. That’s just proof that your pet in spirit is training them and is still very much around.

 Dani is a portrait artist at Dani Renee Portrait Art (danireneeportraits.com) and has been a Doberman mom for many years.

On Wed, Mar 3, 2021 at 3:38 PM Dani wrote me and said, “I just received the new book to see my special boy and so many others.” 

“They say your last one will bring you your next one . . . on Oct. 9th 2020 I brought home my new baby girl who is Max and Shelby's great niece.” 

 “I kept having a recurring dream, beginning before Shelby passed in Oct. of 2019, where I was holding a puppy and asking who she was and in my dream Shelby and Max kept saying, ‘She's yours mom, and her name is Vera.’”

(Photo: Vera. Credit: Dani Renee Portrait Art,  www.danireneeportraits.com)

 “After having this dream multiple times over the course of a year I looked it up and Vera means true faith.  Baby Vera was born on 8/12/20, Shelby and Max were born 12/2/08 . . . same numbers different order.  She came home exactly a year after losing Shelby.  I believe in furry angels.”

 There are so many things going on here. First, the dream was a wonderful sign. Second, Vera's name is unmistakably a gift. Third, the same numbers in the birthdates (in a different order) is another remarkable sign, and fourth, bringing Vera home 1 year to the day of losing Shelby is another amazing sign.

 Shelby and Max were working overtime to let Dani know they're around and helped pick Vera out, too. So, keep this in mind if you have a furkid on the other side and are considering adopting. Spirit will have a hand in bringing the pet to you that they want you to adopt!

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Dani is an incredibly talented portrait artist, and here is her information:

Dani Renee Portrait Art dani@danireneeportraits.com

www.danireneeportraits.com 978-855-2587 

Danielle StJean Portrait Sittings By Appointment

Washington Metro Dachtoberfest Announces Ending- I Have wonderful memories there

 The Washington Metro Dachtoberfest announced they won't be holding their annual event anymore. This was such an incredible, wonderful experience that I've enjoyed for years. It leaves an emptiness. I want to thank everyone for making this happen for years. It holds many wonderful memories for me and I was fortunate enough to give several lectures about pets and the afterlife, and I've made some wonderful friends there. I'm going to squeeze my doxies tightly today.

- Rob

WMDF SAYS FAREWELL

It is with deep sadness that we must inform our loyal supporters, vendors, sponsors and friends near and far that WMDF is coming to an end. This decision was not made lightly but with the changes in the world, our ability to continue is no longer possible. Saying goodbye is never easy, so we will say farewell, and hope that each of you will remember with fondness all the wonderful times we had together.  As one of our early Fest themes said "Dachshunds make me Happy."  Hold tight to those words and keep loving those long and lovely dogs! Dachshunds will always own our hearts,  Washington Metro DachtoberFest Foundation Visit the WMDF facebook page for further announcements and updates.

You Were Led to Adopt Your New Pet from Spirit - Read Pets and the Afterlife

Our dogs and cats DO lead us to the dog or cat they want us to adopt after they pass. You'll learn that when the time is right. It will be either the new pet's name, or an odd circumstance that brings you to the right pet. And our pets in spirit don't stop there either. They will be around to help train them, too! Read more about Pets and the Afterlife by Rob Gutro. 
Are you grieving after the loss of your dog or cat?  These books can help you work through your grief by showing you how their spirits are still very much around. 

The love we share with our pets never dies, and there's proof that our pets do communicate with us from the other side, just as people do who pass. I'm a scientist, medium, author and paranormal investigator who has had many experiences with ghosts and spirits, both pets and people, who have communicated messages that helped prove their identity. I've written Pets and the Afterlife and Pets and the Afterlife 2 to teach people how to recognize the signs from their pets in spirit. 

Pet parents like me think about and mourn the loss of their pets often. Sometimes the grief feels inconsolable. One way to work through that grief is to understand that our pets are around us in spirit from time to time and visit us. You just need to be able to recognize those signs. In my two books I explain many of the ways that pets communicate with the living, to convey their presence. 
   
I've received emails from people around the world who have confirmed signs from their pets and have received comfort knowing their pets are very much around in spirit from time to time. 

Both are available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.: https://tinyurl.com/y8l6alq4 

Paranormal Q&A: Has Inspired Ghost Tracking Ever Said "Can't Help This Situation"?

QUESTION: . Has the Inspired Ghost Tracking paranormal group ever gotten to a location and said "Nope-can't help this situation" either the people tied to location, owners, residents, etc. are generally unwilling to any terms or conditions of your group; or "Nope-this energy is just too weird to deal with" and you guys admit to the requestor that what is going on is beyond your capacities.

ANSWER  The IGT group screens potential investigations thoroughly before we go to a private residence to ensure we can assist. If we can't and a specialist is needed, Margaret Ehrlich, the manager of IGT refers the client to someone who can help them. 

 

 Each homeowner fills out paperwork that explains their experiences, the types of events that happen, the dates and times and parts of the house. After they email the report to IGT, Margaret conducts a thorough phone interview with them to determine their needs and assess whether the team can help them. 

  There have been a couple of instances where the earth bound ghost was stubborn and powerful and we had to return. Clearing a home of an Earthbound ghost isn't as easy as asking them to leave. Ghosts have their own personalities and can be stubborn (and even hateful) and decide to stay. If that happens, we usually open a portal to the other side and call upon their relatives to convince them to cross over. 

Haunted Hotels in Wales: Ruthin Castle Hotel

The Travel Channel put together a list of the top 10 haunted hotels in Wales. The Travel channel has put together the most haunted hotels in Wales. I also had the pleasure of visiting the UK and you can read about my encounters with the ghosts there in my book "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation," available on Amazon.   Here's this week's haunting: 

Ruthin Castle 

Hotel Ruthin Castle Hotel is a luxurious hotel with a spa located next to the castle’s former moat. (The original castle dates back to the 1200s; the current iteration went up in 1826.) Another grey ghost occupies Ruthin, known here as Lady Grey. She’s been tied to the property ever since she was put to death for killing her husband’s mistress. For reasons only known to her, Lady Grey prefers frequenting the banquet hall and battlements. Through the years the castle also served as a private hospital, perhaps the source for other spectral activity that includes a soldier wearing one glove and a ghostly little girl.

Record-breaking! My "Pet Spirits" Episode of Bob Heske's Afraid of Nothing podcast

 Wow! The episode of Bob Heske's Afraid of Nothing podcast about pet spirits where I was the guest is the most popular in the series so far. I hope it is bringing people a lot of comfort and understanding. You should listen to all of Bob's podcasts. They are all fascinating!

Franklin the Dachshund's Spirit Drops in for a Birthday Week Appearance

Our red, short-haired Dachshund Franklin passed on May 8, 2020 at the age of 16 years old. This week, On March 15, just three days before what would have been his 17th birthday he made a pretty surprising visual appearance. Here's what happened, and why it's not uncommon with dogs in spirit.>>

There are 2 dog beds in our kitchen. One is a large bed next to sliding glass doors. The other is a small rounded bed that is at the end of cabinet run.  The little bed sits in front of 2 feet of wall before the wall opens into our living room. So if you walk into the kitchen from the living room and look down to your right, you'll see the small rounded dog bed there. 

(Photo Memory: Franklin loved sitting in that small kitchen bed) 

That was one of Franklin's favorite spots to sit. 

On Monday, March 15, I finished work in my upstairs office and had just come downstairs to go into the kitchen to make dinner. As I turned the corner, I saw Franklin's shadow in the bed!  

Our other dogs, Tyler and Dash were behind me, so I instantly KNEW it was Franklin!  

SO, WHY DID HE APPEAR? He made an appearance because this week is his birthday (actually, it's March 18th, the day I am publishing this).  Spirits of our loved ones, whether pets or people, will appear around birthdays, anniversaries (with pets, it's adoption or passing dates) or holidays. They make these quick appearances to let us know they are still very much around us from the other side.

WHY DID HE APPEAR AS A SHADOW?  As I've written in my Pets and the Afterlife series of books, spirits are energy. When they don't have quite enough energy to appear in full color, they appear as a shadow. Further, they can't maintain that appearance long, so his little shadow quickly disappeared, but not before I saw it and was able to identify him. 

READ MORE SIGNS - You can read more signs in my series of books called "Pets and the Afterlife" - and there are three different volumes. All are available on Amazon and all have been Amazon best-sellers. In fact, Franklin's passing and first amazing signs are in my latest book "Pets and the Afterlife 3: Messages from Spirit Dogs" that debuted at Number 1 on Amazon under "Pet Loss/Grief" on January 7, 2021. 

ABOUT  : Pets and the Afterlife 3: Messages from Spirit Dogs

This third volume in a series of books authored by Rob Gutro on pet communications from the afterlife focuses solely on how dogs and how they communicate from spirit. In addition, there is a special chapter by a licensed professional on how to cope with grief.

Through personal stories, pet parents relate how their dogs in spirit gave them signs and messages either directly or through a reading with Rob. This book will teach you how to recognize signs and receive messages on your own, and how to work through your grief. You'll learn when it comes to spirit there is no such thing as a coincidence.

"Your books made me understand a sign that our dog sent me, when she had died. It is true that, without the guidance you give, such signs would remain odd little events with no explanation." - Grazia Piombo 

Paranormal Q and A: What was your first case? A Haunted Book Store!

Each week, I answer a question about the paranormal, whether a general question, or one  about human or animal ghosts (Earthbound) or spirits (crossed over). and this week's QUESTION IS:  What was your first case? 

ANSWER:  A Haunted Book store! Research into the property also helped uncover the identity of the ghost and it was surprising.   

Although I encountered many ghosts on my own, my first "case" with the Inspired Ghost Tracking Group of Maryland was at a haunted book store in Baltimore called the "Book Escape." The Book Escape moved to a new location in 2020, but is still in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. 

 I wrote about that investigation in my book "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead." 

 The bookstore reported that often the book they were looking for would be placed on the floor of the room in which it was filed. They also told of a glass sliding across a counter. I went into the investigation with another medium and the manager of the group, and we were able to figure out the identity of the ghost, and I even got a photo of him that I put in the book! 

Inside the Book Escape

The Washington Post sent a reporter and videographer to cover the investigation and published as story about it, too.    

For Rob Gutro's 8 books on the paranormal, visit: www.amazon.com. All of Rob's books were written to help explain the paranormal, and teach readers how to find signs from spirit.

Haunted Hotels In Wales: Nanteos

The Travel Channel put together a list of the top 10 haunted hotels in Wales. I also had the pleasure of visiting the UK and you can read about my encounters with the ghosts there in my book "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation," available on Amazon.   Here's this week's haunting: 

Nanteos 

 Nanteos is one of the most luxurious options on this list, so its rooms don't look creepy. But don’t let that fool you: The hotel doesn’t try to hide its haunted associations. In fact, Nanteos devotes an entire page to its extensive hauntings, many of which involve strange noises, sightings and objects moving around. Due to space limitations we’ve narrowed down the stories, but rest assured everything from the woods to the stables are quite haunted. (Though built in 1739, the grounds have been occupied since at least the 1500s.) For example, former groom William Griffiths, killed by the head gardener with a rake in 1782, still lurks among the shrubbery. Inside, previous lady of the house Elizabeth Owen, dubbed the Grey Lady, regularly roams the property at night searching for the jewels that she hid shortly before her death. In other hauntings, a group of ghostly visitors have been heard in the entrance hall in the middle of the night by different guests. Perhaps the most unusual occurrence? Guests who heard an argument coming from a former (and empty) laundry room one night. The next morning they found a stack of towels on the floor with a bar of soap on top; of course the staff knew nothing about this.