OK it’s still cold here and I’m going places much colder soon….stay inside and watch TV shows about the tropics

 

or :   OUTLANDER

 

Today we’re looking at weirdness

THE CASE OF THE HEIR AND THE CAMEL

John Ainsworth Horrock (1818 – 46) was a rich Englishman who moved to Australia when he was 21.  His father bought him a thousand acre  sheep farm.  But Horrock preferred to roam the outback where he discovered Mount Horrock and Horrock Pass.  In 1846 he added a camel to his exploration entourage in hopes that it would help him better cope in the heat of southern Australia.  The camel’s first contribution to the journey was attacking the cook  and biting a large chunk out of his head.  The second incident a couple of days later however was the coup–while Harrock was loading his gun the camel lurched into the explorer causing him to shoot himself in the lower jaw, knocking out teeth and doing enough damage to his head that he died in agony several days later.   As for the killer camel: Harry the bull–he was sentenced to death—even that gave him one more chance as when the first bullet failed to kill him he was able to bite the head of an aborigine before he was finally dispatched.  As to learning their lesson—within 20 years camels became indispensable for transport in the outback.  (CURING HICCUPS WITH SMALL FIRES/Karl Shaw)

 

AND THEN THERE’S  THE CREEPY DOLLS OF KEY WEST

HAUNTED DOLL OF THE AUDUBON HOUSE:  Bye-Lo-Baby designed in the 1920’s belonged to a descendent of Captain John Geiger, a sea captain who became wealthy salvaging wrecks off the Southern most isle.  The doll which looks like an infant was some claimed molded from a deceased baby.   Whatever it’s origins it was eventually donated in the 1980s to the house which is now a museum both to Geiger and the wreckers as well as Audubon who stayed here while painting birds in the Keys.  People began to complain shortly after this of weird feelings when around the doll and that it’s eyes seem to follow them.  Due to complaints it was moved to the third floor as part of a toy exhibit, it was rumored that yellow fever victims had died in the room and that the doll somehow became connected with them as well.  Alarms went off in the middle of the night with the police finding no evidence of intruders.  Finally there were complaints that those attempting to take pictures of the doll had camera problems including one man who claimed it ruined an entire roll of film.   All this suddenly stopped when the doll disappeared in January 1997, never to be seen again and apparently it took all the bad feelings and alarms going off with it as there haven’t been any complaints since.  STRANGE FLORIDA/Carlson

ROBERT THE SCAPE GOAT WITH A LIFE OF HIS OWN:  Key Weird has another famous doll–his name is Robert and he originally resided with his child friend at what is now the Artist House.   Legend has it that the nurse was a practitioner of voodoo or some other island beliefs and that instead of punishing the child she punished the doll for any mistakes.  Eventually the boy grew up but by this time there were rumors that the doll waved at children on their way to school and seem to appear in areas other than where he was left to name just a few of his habits.  What ever the rumors it is a fact that when the former child passed away the widow put the house up for sale with the stipulation that the doll was included in the sale.  Eventually it managed to arrive at the Martello (fort) that is the Key West Museum and there it has stayed since.  It was for a long time taken off display because of accounts that it gave those who saw it weird feelings, also there was damages to some of the museum and a worker there insisted that they found doll foot prints in the mess.  And so Robert seem to disappear if not really at least literally until the birth of the ghost tours and their accounts of his unsavory history brought request to see the creature and so he is again on display.  Oh one warning although he allows pictures it is noted that if you don’t ask first you just might piss him off.  Something I wouldn’t want to do—he’s the scariest little boy you’ll ever see.

ACTORS QUEST FOR LUCK AND SUCESS:  It s common knowledge that actors are a superstitious lot and here’s some examples.  British Actor John Mills was said to have a lucky black cat which he kept in his dressing room where ever he was appearing.  John Wayne liked to use the six-gun he used in his first western in all his productions.  James Stewart wore the same hat his entire career even after it started to fall apart.  Other common theatrical legends:  If first-night telegrams (put on dressing room mirrors) turn yellow quickly the production will enjoy a long run.  Using soap from a successful (lucky) college will cause the luck to be “rubbed off” on that actor.  While in general cats in a theatre are  good luck they become bad if they run across the stage during a production.   STRANGE STORIES, AMAZING FACTS/Reader’s Digest

“Weirdism is definitely the cornerstone of many an artist’s career.”
― E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly