10/14/2023
They're Baaack! Halloween has traditionally been viewed as the time of year when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest, enabling those from the spectral realm to visit the world of the living. Perhaps not uncoincidentally, as we head into the fall months, we at the Mira Monte tend to experience events that are, shall we say, a little unconventional:
When things go wrong around the inn, we often jokingly blame the spirit of “Henry”, a former owner whose dour visage looks down from his portrait in the hallway. One morning, our guests alerted us that the cold water taps in all rooms had hot water coming out of them. The taps had been functioning perfectly the day before. After tinkering with the plumbing with no success, the innkeeper on duty turned to Henry’s portrait and shouted “Henry, you stop that right now” The water immediately returned to normal. Coincidentally (or not) this occurred on the anniversary of Henry’s death…
One quiet afternoon while working at her desk in the parlor, the evening innkeeper heard what sounded like a small girl’s voice playfully calling “hi…, hi…”. The innkeeper turned to see a faint shadow disappearing down the hallway…
A live-in housekeeper reported that her bed shook in the middle of the night, as if someone were trying to rouse her from her sleep. When she looked up, no one was there...
Of course, all of these things can easily be attributed to perfectly normal factors; voices carrying from outside, vibrations from a truck rumbling down the street, or simply the typical, everyday problems that come with a very old house. As days grow short in the dying days of summer, routine events can take on an eerie, almost sinister air. So, all's well.... Nothing supernatural to see here.
Then there’s the pen incident. Just days ago, three of our staff were gossiping in the kitchen about yet another employee, when a pen “flew into the air and exploded” with a pop, sending pieces across the kitchen. No one else was in sight. This happened in full view of the three gossips, who concluded that the phantom pen-thrower had been very disappointed by their indecorous behavior, indeed.
Is the Mira Monte haunted, or are all these incidents simply a product of overactive imaginations, stimulated by autumn melancholy and the arrival of Halloween, when images of death abound and our attentions are drawn to to the world beyond? If there are any spirits here, it’s good to know that they’re helping to keep the staff in line. Happy Halloween!
