by Robin

photo by Robin Anderson

Ariel Meets the Ghost of Rippers Cross

Get ready, horror lovers  Turn off the lights and gather your brave Labradogs to your chests......

Our first home in the UK was a 500 year old farmhouse at the crossing of three haunted lanes in Hothfield, Ashford, Kent.  The next village down the lanes was the most Haunted Village in Kent - Pluckley - Pluckley was closed by the local police on Halloween Night because so many ghost hunters descended upon the village that the roads became too crowded to drive on.....

It was said by the locals and the history books of the region that many a rapist was hung at the crossing where our house was built.  Jack Cade was the famous local villain - he was a highwayman in the 1100's who robbed from the rich and enjoyed his takings.  One foggy black night he met his maker at the end of a sword - RUN THROUGH and bled to death.

Well, we moved in and almost immediately 'met' the resident spirit - maybe even Jack himself!  He knocked things off tables, flipped pictures off walls, and made all kinds off sounds in the darkness of the English country winter.  Windchimes......cats yowling.......ARGUMENTS in the corners of empty rooms.......

Ariel came out of 'Q' in November and BOY was I excited to be giving her the GRAND TOUR of the Haunted Rippers Cross Farm.....

We happily drove home from Dover (yes, the cliffs are white).  Me chattering all the 30 minutes home, Ariel smiling her Labradog smile from the back seat of the car......

The kitchen was warm when we got home - the Rayburn was busily making the room cozy....Ariel sniffed all over for her crumbs before I encouraged her to follow me into the rest of the house.  It was chilled due to the late autumn winds whistling through the window panes.  Ariel saw the converted goat room (now a full bathroom), the pantry, the dining room with the back staircase up to the servants room.  We looked in the 'lounge' and sniffed around the inglenook.  We searched for more new odors in the downstairs bedroom - then up the stairs to the bedrooms we used.  Ariel was happy to find all her 'brother' Scott's belongings - complete with dirty boxers on the floor - Bob's dirty socks were beside the bed - right where Ariel expected them to be.  The guest room was a bit more chilled than Ariel liked, but we continued our explore to the back hall and servant's room. 

Going into the servant's room was fine - it was the coming out that Ariel found distressing.  She flattened her body on the floor, eyes wild, and she looked over my shoulder into the back hall.  She barked and yowled.  She whined and looked back at me.  I called her, I encouraged her, I asked her what was wrong.  After creeping out of the room she followed me as fast as her black legs would let her down the back stairs into the dining room, almost knocking me down in her hurry to get out of the upstairs hall - and no amount of encouragement would EVER AGAIN get her up those stairs or into the back servant's area.

A GHOST?????  You decide.......

A Sea Dog Song

Now sit right back and you'll hear a tail

The tail of a sailing trip

It left from a New England port

The Sea Dogs did a flip

Alpha was the Captain's Mate

There's Dory brave and sure

Nestlee came to lend a hand

On the sun filled sailing tour  

The mooring dropped and sails were raised

The Captain called for drinks

Alpha snored and Dory basked

And Nestlee pulled the dink  

An hour out the clouds filled in

The sky turned black as ink

The Captain called "all hands on deck"

"The Dinghy's about to sink!"

Dory whined and Nestlee spun

Alpha sat up straight

"TAKE THE HELM" the Captain yelled

"Pull in that fishing bait!"

The Sea Dogs wore their safety gear  

The Humans had theirs too

The sails got reefed, the sheets were pulled

Ariel sailed strong and true

Sea Dogs of Summer

a Sea Dog Haiku

Sniff, Sniiiffffff! LIFE JACKETS!
we're going sailing today!
QUICK! Jump in the boat!