Haunted October: Bridgewater University

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A lone figure stands on a forest path surrounded by tall, bare trees. Cool blue light filters through the mist, creating an eerie, dreamlike atmosphere. The ground is covered in reddish leaves that contrast sharply with the blue haze. The person faces away from the viewer, adding a sense of mystery and quiet tension to the scene.

Welcome to the Triangle

A detailed map of southeastern Massachusetts with towns such as Taunton, Bridgewater, Easton, and North Dighton labeled. A large black triangle is drawn over the map, with its three points marking the traditional borders of the Bridgewater Triangle. The shaded regions, roads, and town names remain visible beneath the triangle, highlighting the area’s geography and the towns enclosed within the Triangle’s boundaries.Welcome to the Bridgewater Triangle — the most unsettling, folklore‑soaked region in Southeastern Massachusetts. Within these 200 square miles, you’ll find creatures, spirits, lights, legends, and mysteries that locals have whispered about for generations.

Here, Bigfoot is said to roam the Hockomock Swamp. Pukwudgies — small, mischievous forest beings — play tricks on the unsuspecting. UFO sightings, glowing orbs, and strange triangular craft appear in the night sky. Phantom monks wander historic sites. And Taunton sits right in the middle of it all.

The Triangle is formed by points from Abington (north) to Freetown (south) and Rehoboth (southeast), with communities like Bridgewater, Taunton, Brockton, and Dighton tucked inside its borders.

So let’s pick a mystery and dig in.

Ghosts of Bridgewater University

(formerly Bridgewater State College)

George — The Mischievous Spirit of the Student UnionA stately brick campus building with white columns and a central clock tower stands surrounded by green lawns and trees. The sun is setting behind it, casting a golden glow across the sky and creating long, warm shadows over the grounds. Smaller brick buildings sit nearby, completing the peaceful university scene.

Imagine being a brand‑new student, still learning your way around campus, when a mischievous spirit starts pulling pranks. Meet George, the campus ghost who loves attention.

Students and staff report:

  • Objects moved when no one is around
  • Lights flicking on and off
  • Music starting or stopping by itself
  • Doors locking unexpectedly

George hangs out at the Student Union, and while he’s playful, he’s never harmful. What makes him especially strange? No one knows where he came from. There’s no tragic backstory, no recorded death, no historical tie. George is just… George. A friendly prankster, a little like Casper — if Casper enjoyed messing with your playlist and locking you out of your study room.

The Tillinghast Hall Headmaster

A large three‑story brick campus building with white trim and rows of windows stands behind a paved walkway. Leafless trees frame the scene, and sunlight reflects off several windows. The surrounding grass and bare branches suggest late fall or winter.Tillinghast Hall carries a quieter, more somber legend.

According to campus lore, the former headmistress fell from the roof while climbing up to discipline noisy students late at night. Whether the story is literal truth or campus myth, students agree on one thing: she never left the building.

Reports include:

  • Soft, measured footsteps in the hallway
  • A faint scent of old‑fashioned perfume
  • Doors closing gently on their own
  • A shadowy figure with upright posture at the end of the corridor
  • Cold spots near the stairwell

She’s not violent. She doesn’t frighten. She supervises. A ghost still doing her rounds, making sure her dorm stays orderly.

Woodward Hall’s Phantom A red‑brick multi‑story building identified as Woodward Hall at Bridgewater State University. A large maroon sign in the foreground displays the building’s name and address. Tall windows, dormers, trees, and landscaped greenery surround the hall, all lit by bright sunshine.

Woodward Hall brings a different energy — sharper, louder, more chaotic.

Students and visitors have reported:

  • Shadow figures darting through hallways
  • A man running through the historic corridors
  • A disembodied voice screaming “FIRE!” — believed to reference historical fires connected to the site
  • Elevators behaving strangely: stopping on the wrong floors, opening without being called, or refusing to close

Woodward’s ghost is more intense than George or the Headmaster — a restless presence tied to the building’s past emergencies.

Anything Goes in the Triangle

Anywhere else, these hauntings would be remarkable — maybe even frightening. But this is Bridgewater, the beating heart of the Bridgewater Triangle.

Here, ghosts, creatures, lights, and legends are simply part of the landscape. Part of the history. Part of October.

Registration is open — if you don’t mind sharing your dorm with George, the Headmaster, and a phantom yelling “fire” at 2 a.m.

Bright orange and yellow flames rise and curl against a completely black background. The fire burns on a flat surface, its shapes shifting and glowing sharply in the darkness.

 

WMEO Weekend Edition- With Special Guest

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Two cats sit behind an angled WMEO Weekend Edition news desk styled like a TV broadcast. The orange long‑haired cat, Banner Salcoon, wears a black bow tie, and the black short‑haired cat, Balboa, sits beside him with a microphone, teddy bear, and toy mouse on the desk. A blue armchair stands next to the desk for guests. Behind them, a large screen displays the headline ‘WMEO Weekend Edition’ and a photo of Chef Merengue Snuggleumpkins, a white cat with heterochromatic eyes wearing a WMEO chef’s hat and wooden spoon. The studio background shows bright skies and treetops.”

🐾 This is WMEO 9 Weekend Editon with Special Guest Chef Merengue Snuggleumpkins!

We Meow – You Listen

🎙️ Announcer:

“Welcome to your Weekend Edition of WMEO News — We Meow, You Listen.”

Banner: “This is your Weekend Edition of WMEO, and today we have a real treat for you.”

Balboa (interrupting): “A treat? Banner, did you say treat? Where? I don’t see any treats.”

Banner: “We have a special guest joining us in the newsroom.”

Balboa: “Did our guest bring treats? You promised treats.”

Banner: “Please give a warm WMEO welcome to Chef Merengue Snuggleumpkins. Chef Snuggleumpkins comes to us from the renowned Maison du Cordon Meu. Welcome, Chef.”

“Wide studio shot of the WMEO Weekend Edition set. On the left, Banner Salcoon, an orange long‑haired cat in a black bow tie, and Balboa, a sleek black cat with green eyes, sit behind an angled news desk with a WMEO 9 logo. A microphone, teddy bear, toy mouse, and name card sit on the desk. On the right, Chef Merengue Snuggleumpkins, a fluffy white cat with one blue eye and one yellow eye, sits regally in a plush blue guest chair wearing a WMEO chef’s hat with a wooden spoon tucked into the band. Behind them, a large studio screen displays ‘WMEO Weekend Edition’ over a scenic landscape. The lighting is bright and professional, capturing all three cats as if mid‑broadcast.”

Chef S: “I’m happy to be here, Banner. It’s a pleasure to meet everyone at WMEO. By the way, Pumpkin Spice — did you know there’s no pumpkin in pumpkin spice?”

An orange and white cat wearing a black hat with an orange band and a press badge that reads “WMEO PRESS PUMPKIN SPICE REPORTER” poses as a news reporter. The cat has a blue lanyard and holds a camera, while a microphone labeled “WMEO NEWS” sits nearby. The softly blurred background suggests an outdoor setting, creating a humorous scene of a feline journalist at work.Pumpkin Spice (offended): “What do you mean? Of course there is. My name is Pumpkin Spice. There’s the pumpkin.”

Chef S: “No, no — pumpkin spice is made of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and maybe a dash of allspice. No pumpkin.”

Balboa (delighted): “So Pumpkin… you’re just a common orange reporter. Common, common, common!”

Chef S (realizing the faux pas): “That’s not to say Pumpkin Spice isn’t special — especially this time of year! It’s everywhere: coffee, muffins, donuts, pie…”

Pumpkin looks slightly mollified.

 The Great Pasta Question

Banner (clearing throat): “Well, Chef, that’s very interesting. But we do have a controversy brewing in the newsroom that you may be able to help us with.”

Banner: “Where do you stand on the Great Pasta Question… To break or not to break spaghetti noodles?”

Chef S (lifting her spoon like a judge’s gavel): “Ah, the Great Pasta Question. To break… or not to break. At Maison du Cordon Meu, we never break spaghetti. Jamais. Spaghetti is meant to be long, elegant, dramatic — like a good story or a cat’s tail. You place it gently in the pot, and as it softens, it lowers itself with dignity. Breaking it is culinary chaos.”

Balboa: gasps!

Chef S leans in, conspiratorial.

“But… if your pot is too small, and you must break it… I will not judge you. I will simply recommend a larger pot next time.”

She taps her spoon lightly.

“Spaghetti deserves respect. But cooks deserve mercy.”

Banner: “We’ll be back after a word from our sponsor.”

“Wide studio shot of the WMEO Weekend Edition set. Banner Salcoon, an orange long‑haired cat in a bow tie, and Balboa, a sleek black cat, sit behind an angled news desk with a WMEO 9 logo. A Mueller’s Pot‑Sized Spaghetti box sits on the desk beside a microphone, teddy bear, and toy mouse. Chef Merengue Snuggleumpkins, a fluffy white cat with one blue eye and one yellow eye, sits regally in a plush blue guest chair wearing a WMEO chef’s hat with a wooden spoon tucked into the band. Behind them, a large screen displays ‘WMEO Weekend Edition’ over a scenic landscape.”

📦 Pot‑Sized Spaghetti

Narrator (dramatic, over-the-top): “Today’s WMEO Weekend Edition is brought to you by… Pot‑Sized Spaghetti! For cooks who refuse to buy a bigger pot.”

Mueller’s Pot‑Sized Thin Spaghetti box centered against a glowing golden background. Soft sparkles and twinkling lights surround the package, giving it a dramatic commercial-style spotlight. The red, white, and blue box sits on a reflective surface, with the Mueller’s logo, ‘Pot‑Sized Thin Spaghetti’ label, and ‘Half Length Pasta – No Need to Break’ badge clearly visible.”

Narrator: “Why wrestle with long noodles? Why perform the Leaning Tower of Pasta balancing act? Why snap spaghetti and send shards flying across your kitchen like tiny edible javelins?”

Narrator: “Pot‑Sized Spaghetti — the noodle that fits your pot and your lifestyle. Available wherever sensible spaghetti is sold.

In Closing

Back to the news desk.

Banner: “Thank you again to Chef Merengue Snuggleumpkins for joining us today. We’re sure this won’t be her last visit to the WMEO newsroom.”

Chef S gives a polite spoon salute.

Balboa (whining): “Okay but… where are the treats? Pumpkin, did you take the treats? I didn’t get any treats…”

Banner (sighing): “And that concludes your Weekend Edition of WMEO News. We Meow… You Listen.”

Two cats sit behind a WMEO 9 news desk as if hosting a broadcast. The orange cat on the left wears a dark blue bow tie, while the black cat on the right sits beside a small gray mouse toy and a brown teddy bear. A sheet of paper with red markings lies on the desk. The front of the desk displays the text “WMEO 9” in large yellow letters and “Thank you for watching” in white. The blurred newsroom background features blue and red tones.

 

Mount Rushmore: Stone, Story, and a Little Bit of Drama

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Mount Rushmore National Memorial with the carved faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln set against rugged granite cliffs and pine trees under a clear sky.

Mount Rushmore

A Monument You Think You Already KnowVisitor standing with arms outstretched on the Avenue of Flags walkway at Mount Rushmore, with other people walking nearby and the stone entrance structure lined with state flags in the background.

Mount Rushmore is one of those places you recognize long before you ever stand in front of it. You’ve seen it in textbooks, travel brochures, and of course in National Treasure, where Nicolas Cage turns the Black Hills into a treasure hunt. But nothing prepares you for the moment you walk the Avenue of Flags and look up. The granite feels bigger, quieter, and somehow more human than all the photos and movies ever made about it.

High‑relief stone carving of three Confederate figures on horseback at Stone Mountain, Georgia, showing detailed sculpted horses and riders against the rock face.The Sculptor Who Thought in Stone

Gutzon Borglum had a way of thinking on a massive scale. Before he came to South Dakota, he worked on Stone Mountain in Georgia, carving history into rock in a way most people can’t even imagine. Mount Rushmore was his chance to create something that wasn’t just a monument, but a message — a record of the nation carved into the Black Hills.

The Real “Secret Room” Behind the Faces

Hollywood exaggerated it, but the idea came from something real. Tucked behind Lincoln’s head is an unfinished chamber called the Hall of Records. Borglum planned it as a vault for America’s founding documents — a symbolic archive sealed inside the mountain. The project was never completed, but the room exists: inaccessible, quiet, and still holding porcelain panels that tell the story of how the monument came to be.

Not a treasure vault… but still a secret room.

The Day Mount Rushmore Became a Movie Set

Close‑up view of George Washington’s carved face on Mount Rushmore, showing detailed granite texture and sculpted features against the rock surface.

Profile in Granite

My visit had its own drama. A couple of people decided they were going to recreate their own version of National Treasure. They climbed up the loose shale beneath the monument — heading straight toward Roosevelt’s nose, which sits closest to the rubble. I can still tell exactly which one when I look at my photos.

The rangers were not amused. They got them down, arrested them, and suddenly the entire observation deck became an audience watching a real‑life “movie” unfold. It was chaotic, ridiculous, and unforgettable.

Why Mount Rushmore Stays With You

Mount Rushmore doesn’t need Hollywood. It already has its own stories — carved in stone, hidden in unfinished chambers, and sometimes acted out by people who take the movies a little too seriously.

And that’s what stays with you. Not just the monument itself, but the layers around it: the history, the myths, the quiet moments, and the unexpected ones. South Dakota has a way of reminding you that the past is never as far away as it seems.

The faces in the stone stay still, but the stories around them never stop.

Wide view of Mount Rushmore showing the four presidential carvings above a large slope of loose shale and rock debris, with pine trees surrounding the base under an overcast sky.

 

News, News and More News

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Silhouette of a person standing near water with arms raised toward a golden sunrise, mountains in the background. Warm orange light fills the sky, creating a reflective weekend atmosphere.”

Weekend News Belongs to the talking heads

Weekend news has always felt different to me — not softer, but heavier. Once the weekday rush fades, the networks seem to dig deeper into the stories that don’t fit neatly into a headline. The pace slows, but the tone sharpens, and the coverage often leans into the harder edges of the week. It’s the weekend morning shows that carry the lighter pieces — the cooking demos, the human‑interest moments, the small joys tucked between segments.

Maybe that contrast is why I’ve been paying more attention lately. And if you’re curious what WMEO is up to on their own weekend edition, you might want to stop by tomorrow. The crew has a little surprise waiting in the studio. So pull up a chair, pour yourself a cuppa and join us at 11:30 AM Until then, Ciao

“Orange cat lounging on a desk beside a black coffee mug, creating a cozy weekend morning scene.”

 

How Vacations Have Changed

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A winding paved road curving through a forest of evergreens and autumn-colored trees under a bright blue sky.”

Casting Around for a Topic

Someone suggested I write something nostalgic today, and that’s a tall order when your life has reached the three‑quarter‑century mark. Most of my memories feel downright vintage now. But that got me thinking about vacations — and how wildly different they are now compared to when I was a kid.

Planning vs. “We’ll Figure It Out”

As an adult, I planned my vacations meticulously. Hotels booked. Airline tickets secured. Rental car reserved. Tours and attractions scheduled before I ever left the house.

Back then? I don’t think we were quite that organized.

The Road Trip Era

“Vintage station wagon on a country road with children and a dog waving from the back, luggage tied to the roof, and a farmhouse and fields in the background under a bright blue sky.”One big difference was the road trip. Today we have super‑duper safety seats and booster seats, but “back in the day” we kids just climbed into the back of the station wagon. It became our play area, nap space, and sometimes the dog’s spot too. No seat belts. No rules. Just vibes.

We drove wherever we wanted with no sense of time. Hungry? Look for a restaurant that looked decent. Ready to stop for the night? Watch for Vacancy signs. No Hotels.com. No Trivago. You took your chances.

Growing up in a tourist town, we judged how well the season was going by how many No Vacancy signs were lit up along the strip.

Maps: The Lost Art“Close-up of a printed road map showing parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Ohio, with a finger pointing near Louisville.”

I’m still a champion map reader — not just because of vacations, but because my first job had me on the road. No GPS. No turn‑by‑turn voice telling you what to do. You opened a map or a map book and figured it out.

I’m amazed at how many people, especially younger ones, would stay lost forever if they had to read a map. I’ll forgive them if they can’t fold it.

Getting Lost Was Normal

Waterfall cascading over large rocks into a clear pool, surrounded by lush green forest at Bash Bish Falls.”A couple of years ago, I was driving to upstate New York to visit family. I told them I was detouring to a waterfall, but I guess I took too long because my cell phone started ringing — “Where are you?” Back in the day, there were no cell phones, and even when they arrived, there were plenty of dead zones. You could disappear for a whole day and no one would notice.

Getting lost on a road trip was expected. Honestly, sometimes I still set out knowing something is west or north and just head that way. When I was in Tennessee looking for elk on back roads, I had no idea where I was — dead zone, no GPS, no clue. But I had a full tank of gas, so I kept driving. Eventually you’d see something familiar or someone you could ask. And Yes, I did find elk.

“Large elk standing on a grassy clearing at the edge of a forest, with velvet-covered antlers and dense green foliage in the background.”

And yes, we asked for directions. “A‑yuh, down the road apiece.” “Left at the old firehouse.” “If you get to the light, you’ve gone too far.”

Maybe that’s why I think of travel as an adventure. It keeps me from getting upset when things don’t go exactly as planned. Some of the best things I’ve seen came from being lost.

“Vintage Canon film camera on a weathered wooden surface with a roll of Kodak 200 film beside it, set outdoors near grass and trees.”The Digital Camera Revolution

There are lots more differences now that I think about it — one being the digital camera. Today you can see instantly if you got the shot. No limits from the size of your film roll. No waiting for development.

We always had old rolls of vacation film sitting around because when we got home, we were too broke to get them developed right away. They landed in a junk drawer, lost to time.

Your Turn

Speaking of time — that’s about all I have for today.

How have vacations changed for you since you were a kid? Toss your thoughts in the comments. Lets compare notes.