There are many other professional investigators, writers, and researchers who have written about the strangeness of the Ocala National Forest, I don't want my reports compared to theirs.  I just want to correlate my information with as many investigators possible, get it out to those wanting to hear it, and continue the quest for the truth. Part of that truth I recently discovered, goes back to the fifties when I, and my twin sister Barbara were ten years old, and two cousins aged eleven years old, visiting from Ohio, were out in our parents back yard on a early summer afternoon. We watched in horror as what we thought was a small plane crash to the ground, only a mile or so from our parents back yard looking towards the north east.  We saw the large puff of unmistakeable black smoke rise up, and ran into the house to alert the adults. Our father, uncle Louie and sixteen year old cousin Joe quickly got into their car and drove down CR 450 east about a mile to the crash site. CR 450 runs west from CR 42 to north east through Umatilla, Florida, then connects back up with CR 42 a few miles out of Umatilla.  The plane crash had occurred in the middle of a cow pasture that belonged to some good friends and neighbors, the Cook family.

I just recently heard their story, through a good friend, Mary K. Cook. I listened in fascination as Mary related her experience. Fifty some years melted away, I felt her shock and disbelief as she and her mother stood on the edge of a five acre crater looking down into a deep inverted cone of sand where the plane had disappeared. The plane, or whatever it was, had come much too low over their home plunging to the earth, then exploding loudly and rattling the windows.  Mr. Cook arrived soon afterwards joining other shocked and curious neighbor onlookers.  Military vehicles came with military personal, then sand trucks arrived and began covering up the huge hole.  Mr Cook kept saying,  "Why are they covering up the plane when the pilot is probably still in it?"

Several days later a black car arrived at the Cook's home,  some men in black suits talked to Mr.  Cook and he signed a paper.  Mary said that the strangers told the children not to talk about the crash.  Sand trucks drove by their home on 450 for weeks,  working to fill up the huge crater.   Another childhood friend,  Bob Haines witnessed the plane spiraling down in a steep dive from his parents front yard in Altoona, Florida,  a few miles from the crash site.  He believes he was around eleven years old at the time.

Welcome to Strange Things in the Forest.

This is my first blog. I am excited to share with you four years of interviewing and writing eyewitness accounts of strange sightings, paranormal events, and creature sightings in the Ocala National Forest of Central Florida. I am a grandmother, researcher and writer of a UFO documentary. It is time for disclosure, way past time. The deepest and darkest secrets have always been here, hidden in plain sight for those daring, sincere and courageous investigators who are willing to look for them. Grab your cameras, some bug spray, get in your vehicles and let's just do it.