The Ghost Dog Inn

So over the weekend I went skiing up in Massachusetts with my family. We all planned to stay in this Inn in the middle of Idunowhere, Mass. The week before, I made a room reservation over the phone with some woman who sounded a little strange and distracted. Like, she wasn't writing anything down or something.

Anyway, I drive up with my parents on Sunday and we arrive at this Inn place. It was a bit of a fixerupper but american charming.  The door was unlocked and we walk in. We announce our arrival and are greeted by two dogs. A fat one and a barky one. No people. We say, 'Hello?' We get barked at by Barky. Fatty gives us a 'got treats?' look. I look over at the desk and see a note that says we have rooms 7 and 8. The keys lay next to the note.

I head up to my room and dig the old school colonial vibe. The place was creaky and New England haunted feeling. Love it! I really like thinking about the history in old houses. Colonial boots stomping around. Old cackling crazies. Specters and thumps and stuff. Creepy goodness! My favorite flavor of ghosty!  (I once stayed in an Inn that had friggin dusty antique lace dresses hanging in the closet! Awesome! I wanted them flying around the room at 4AM!)  I'm just not that afraid of ghosts. After all has anyone ever really been killed by a ghost? Ghosts seem like they are either trying to communicate a message via scary or simply mess with you out of boredom. My message to any ghosts (if any of them read my website) is stop by anytime!

Anyway, we all head out for the night to get some dinner and when we get back I see that the walkway has been salted. Lights were on. I figure it was time to meet the Innkeeper. The door was unlocked and we walk in. Front doors unlocked are still weird for me. Especially coming from a neighborhood with stores that have metal gates when they close. It's coolio that there are places that are still that safe and trusting. We walk in and say hello-- but again nobody was home except for the two dogs! Fatty and Barky!

We go to sleep that night and the nephews insist on sleeping in my room. One in the extra bed. One piled up blankets on the floor and slept on them. The nephews were wound up for a while making noises and laughing and from downstairs all I heard was Barky insisting they shut up. Finally they fell asleep. And so did Barky. I lay there looking at shadows on the ceiling and happily listening to the weird noises outside. Something being dragged on gravel? And loud thumps like sacks being thrown? The hiss of sleet. I pulled the blankets up to my chin and finally went to sleep.

At some point during the night a woman barged into my room. I woke up shocked and she apologized and quickly shut the door. I could only make out her shadow. It was a dream hazy experience but it definitely happened...

In the morning in the common room area there was a big basket of muffins and orange juice. Coffee and milk and sugar. A nice layout of eats.  I headed downstairs to see if the Innkeeper was around. Nobody. Just two dogs. Barky and Fatty. Their paws were wet so I could see they'd been outside recently. I said, 'Hello? Hello!' There was nobody. I just got barked at by Barky. So I left the key on the desk and off we went...

When I asked my nephews if that lady who barged in during the night scared them... neither of them knew what I was talking about.

ok bye!

tOdd