Treasure Wiki

Stacy Neir asked:


If you are buying an older property you may be pleasantly surprised by what’s hiding beneath the scraggly carpet or worn out linoleum. In the 60s and 70s when wall to wall carpeting really took off many original hardwood floors were covered up. The floors of yesteryear often used high quality hardwoods from older growth trees, with tighter grain structures. You may have a treasure under that coral shag.

How will you know if you’ve got a hidden hardwood floor? Well, you can play detective by pulling out any vent covers in the room, but failing that you’ll have to pull the carpet back. The only way to truly assess what shape the floors are in however is to remove the carpet, linoleum or whatever material has been installed. You should be prepared for what’s underneath – if you choose to take on this project it will definitely take some time, and the uncovered floor will probably require sanding and finishing at the very least.

Though linoleum, tiling and other materials can also hide wooden treasures beneath them, these may be more complicated to get to, as you may have to remove adhesive or grout. Linoleum floors were often installed over a sub floor that went over the hardwood. This extra step was added to prevent rippling in the linoleum, and means you will have to first remove the lino. Next, use a magnet to locate the screws that attach the sub floor to the original floor and remove them (using a drill, so as not to rip the floor beneath).

Carpeted floors may be easier to unveil. Carefully cut the carpet into sections that you can easily remove. In some cases you may encounter padding that’s been attached with a ton of nails, staples or adhesive. All of these will make your job more difficult and may have damaged the original floors. Using care when removing them will help minimize further damage, although to avoid more harm you might consider leaving the nails. This can add to a distressed or antique look. Use a pry bar and a hammer to remove the tack strip.

When you’ve finished uncovering your floor you’ll have a better idea of how much work you have ahead of you. The floor may have staining and other damage, which might be best dealt with by a professional. Depending on the condition of the wood you may get away with a light sanding and some stain, but some floors will require repairs, patching (take wood to match from hidden areas like closets), compete refinishing or, if they’re too far gone, a complete paint job. Your other option is to install new flooring or new carpets. Don’t be too frustrated – no matter what you discover, this project is an investment in your home (and will look so much better that the ragged old carpet).

Olga Marie asked:

 

The purgatorial train shrieks and rumbles down the tracks by night, rocking side to side, whistle screaming on its journey through the dark abyss of eternity. Packed inside are souls whose trip with this train has no end in sight . . . souls of those who died tragically on the tracks of the Florida East Coast Railroad. Its endless journey through endless time is their punishment for stupidity . . . or was it suicide?

So goes the introduction to the Ghost Train along Fort Lauderdale’s original railroad line, and its tie to its dark past. The tale of this train has been told several times on the History Channel. It is but one of many tales related by the Ghost Tour Guides of the Ghosts, Mysteries & Legends tour of Old Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale’s premier ghost tour.

Ghosts, Mysteries and Legends of Fort Lauderdale meets at the northeast corner of Las Olas and Andrews under the sign of the very modern Museum of Art, in the heart of the city’s restaurant and entertainment district, minutes away from the beach and the downtown and airport business hotels.

With cape, gaucho hat and lamp in hand, Ghost Guides wander off into the night and introduce visitors and locals to Fort Lauderdale’s “other night life” as they walk along the banks of the New River in the city’s historic district.

But Ghosts, Mysteries and Legends is more than just a ghost tour, as Christian Rieger, its managing director tells, “There are more than just ghosts of the dead out there. We introduce our clients to the ‘world of spirits.” Some are spirits locked in time, some are visitors from other time zones, other times, other dimensions and other places on our physical plane. Then there are the nature spirits, the angelic host and guardian angels — all figure into the civilization and culture of the “other side of the veil.” And all watching us. There is no privacy. So get over it. We talk pretty much about the whole pack.”

Fort Lauderdale has two para-normal power aspects which makes it important in its revelations of what is going on in the non-material world. One is the energy that runs down the New River from the Everglades (hoary with antiquity, perhaps three ice ages old). The other is Fort Lauderdale is at the western point of the Bermuda Triangle. The lowest gravitational point on the planet is over its southern point at the Puerto Rican Trench, the deepest hole in the Atlantic Ocean.

A group of Danish scientists who have made it their life’s study, have discovered that the magnetic field of the planet has declined 1 3/4 % in the last twenty years, while in the Bermuda Triangle it has declined by 20%. Mr. Rieger postulates, “We believe that these two important energy aspects contribute significantly to some of the paranormal events that have happened, and people have gotten digital photos of, on our tours.”

Orbs indicate the presence of, or are supposed to be, ghosts. People using their digital cameras on ghost tours everywhere else when they photograph orbs, are content to get what looks like large or small, shiny, bright, translucent ping-pong balls. But here in Fort Lauderdale the guides and the patrons frequently get faces in orbs. One night a man looked at one such very evil-looking wol- face from the depths of hell, and said, “I wished I never saw that.”

“One photograph” adds Rieger, “is of an orb perhaps 10 or 12 feet over the roof of an old hotel. When magnified three times, it show an image of a phantom flying through the air within it. If orbs are supposed to be ghosts, this was proof. As far as Ghosts, Mysteries and Legends knows, no one has taken such a photo elsewhere. We also have a photo of an orb with a square-rigged ship in it, and another of a one-room school house. Both images are connected to the history of Fort Lauderdale and have apparently shown up in the “memory of nature” as recorded by the cameras.”

“We have also photographed the activity of nature spirits,” says Rieger. “Nature spirits are the entities that mystical tradition tells us causes the grass to grow, the flowers to be aromatic and the winds to blow. Frequently, at the beginning of rain storms, photographs will show hundreds of orbs. These will not be seen several minutes later.”

Classic ghost tails include the strange carrying-ons of the Women in the White Wedding Dress, the Mystery of the Wandering Left Hand, Shirttail Charlie, and the Drunk at the Bar.

“It is great family entertainment,” says Rieger, “something for the family besides watch television in the hotel room. It also works great for local families, because ghost tours are a clever way to introduce local history to children – a way of making history interesting and easy to listen to. And be sure to bring your digital camera.” Photographs taken by guests along the tour are at their website, Their MySpace website includes excerpts from a video recorded by PBS Channel 2 in Miami, Florida

Paranormal Videos

David Cowley asked:


Amethysts Ring

The Amethyst gemstones range in color from pale lilac to deep purple.  Gemstones with the deepest colors are the most valuable and some of these fine gemstones are featured in the British Crown Jewels.  Amethyst is a transparent quartz crystal and is used in many pieces of striking jewelry today.

Amethysts, Gold and other Gemstones can be mined by the public at the Gold’n Gem Grubbing mine in Georgia.  For a fee of $15 for a half day or $25 for the full day the treasure hunter can mine just like the ole timers did.  All tools needed for treasure hunting is provided by the mine operators.  You can dig the ore from the commercial mining pit which has been piled at the edge of the creek by dump trucks.  Fill up a couple of buckets and take your finds to the creek for panning and screening. 

Amethysts Rough

Amethyst, Emeralds, Sapphires, Topaz and Gold have been found by rock hounds at the Gold’n Gem Grubbing mine.  You never know what you may find so having a good gemology reference book handy can pay for itself very quickly.  Especially one that will show you what the rough gemstones look like right out of the ground.  I recommend bring a hat, gloves, sun screen, proper clothing, wading boots and a fold up stool.  Kneeling in a stream panning all day can be a killer on the knees.

Kneeling in a stream all day is not your idea of a fun time?  You can purchase buckets of ore and screen them at the convenient sluices.  Trained staff is always nearby to help you identify your treasures.  Buckets of ore can be purchased for $10.00 for a 1 gallon, $30.00 for a 2.5 gallon, $60.00 for a 5 gallon, and $100.00 for the Mother lode 5 gallon bucket.  Buckets of ore come with a $15.00, $30.00, and $50.00 credit towards having jewelry made with the gemstones you find.  The mine operators even have a Master Jeweler on hand to turn your treasure into a striking piece of jewelry.

Amethysts Rough Clusters

Myth And February

If you were born in February, then you will have a special reason to go Amethysts treasure hunting, because it is your birthstone.  It is also the stone to give as presents on your 33 Th wedding anniversary.  Legend has it that wearing or keeping an Amethysts on your person not only protects its wearer against seduction but is also a symbol of trust and piety.

Moses said that the amethysts gemstone is a symbol of the Spirit of God and the gemstone was often used in the official robes of the High Priest of the Jews.  The Greek word for Amethysts means not intoxicated and the popular belief is that the gemstone offers protection against drunkenness.  It is also said to protect crops against tempest and locusts, bring good fortune in war, inspire the intellect and if worn around the neck on a cord made from dogs hair it would protect against snakebite.

Amethyst will change color when it is heated.  This gemstone should not be worn while sunbathing or anywhere there is black lighting.  Sudden changes in temperatures can be harmful.  Smoky colored stones can become yellow to brownish red with temperatures as little as 250 degrees.  Stones with a high degree of transparency become yellow or colorless when exposed to temperatures of 400 degrees.

Happy Treasure Hunting.

Denise Villani asked:

The word paranormal comes from the words “para” meaning beyond, and normal. So the term paranormal really means something that is beyond the normal scope of science or being beyond a scientific explanation. According to the Journal of Parapsychology, the term paranormal describes “any phenomenon that in one or more respects exceeds the limits of what is deemed physically possible according to current scientific assumptions.”

Ghosts generate strong electro-magnetic fields. These fields cause disruptions in the magnetic field of a location which makes it detectable by both specialized equipment and psychics. Ghost hunters use many different types of equipment to detect an paranormal phenomena. A 35mm or digital camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film have the ability to capture paranormal activity that is usually invisible to the naked eye. In addition to a camera, it’s important to have a flashlight since most paranormal investigations will be in dark places like cemeteries, basements, attics, or old buildings. Also, most investigations occur between 9pm and 6am when it’s dark. This is believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity. Along with the flashlight you’ll need extra batteries, since batteries will sometimes mysteriously lost all their charge during paranormal investigations, literally leaving you in the dark.

Once you have these basic items, you’re ready to start exploring the world of paranormal investigation. Some important things to remember are: never go on an investigation alone, and be respectful of the of the people, places and situations you encounter.

The first step in an investigation is selecting the place you’re going to investigate. Once you choose a location, be sure to get permission to access the property to ensure you won’t get into any trouble for trespassing. It’s also very important to do some research on the location before you go out and physically investigate it. You can go to the library and look up old newspapers, visit the local historical society to find out about the history of the place and if anything strange has happened there, and of course talk with the owner of the property.

Once you get all your data collected you have to analyze it. Every picture, video, audio recording is reviewed to look for any sign of a haunting. When doing your analysis, be sure to be skeptical. Make sure you rule out any explainable causes for anything odd that may show up. Check for mirrors, shadows, light sources or anything else that may cause something weird to be seen or heard in your collected data. Most of the time, the things you initially detected during your investigation will have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. It’s important to make sure your evidence will stand up to any scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.

Once you complete your analysis, you need to present your findings property owner. At this point you would recommend whether the owner needs to seek additional help, such a having the property blessed or if there is really nothing that needs to be or even can be done. Sometimes just having someone investigate the place and find nothing can help ease the mind of the person experiencing the haunting.

Shadow Men

Cathy Pitts asked:

In keeping with the notion of purity and innocence, pearls are a traditional wedding accessory, both for the bridal party and the bride herself. Lest that leave the bride-to-be feeling like she has no say in her jewelry choices, the following list of pearl options offers a means of customizing a long-time tradition.

Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater pearls are a common variety of the basic pearl and are famous for their diversity in terms of size, shape and color. Perhaps the best feature of the freshwater pearl is that despite its comparable beauty, it is less expensive than a saltwater pearl. Freshwater pearls are usually polished to expose their colors and subtle metallic overtones and can be found in every tone from slightly yellow to glistening black. Dyeing freshwater pearls is common practice and makes for consistent, striking pieces to be included together on a single piece of jewelry.

Keishi Pearls

Keishi pearls are the most distinctive-looking pearl you will see, due to their unique, uneven contours. Like the freshwater pearl, they come in many shapes and sizes, but the Keishi pearl is often flat or dimpled rather than perfectly circular, resulting in surfaces that can reflect the light in mysterious, unique ways. When strung together, Keishi Pearls create an accessory that boasts shimmer, texture and personality.

Coin Pearl

Also a freshwater pearl, the Coin Pearl looks just like its name – circular and flat like a disk, but with soft edges. Coin pearls make great pendants, earring drops and bracelet charms. Like all pearls, the coin pearl comes in a variety of colors, but is most commonly found in the traditional white. We suggest pairing the Coin Pearl with small, color-rich gemstones for a subtle match to your wedding’s color theme.

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