First off, let’s get one thing straight here… I ain’t afraid of no ghosts! Okay now that’s off my chest, I can get into this account of the paranormal and sometimes spooky world of the 909: Riverside County, California. That’s right! We traveled to the Valley of Dirt where the pungent fragrance of methane clings in the air like stale cigarettes. Prior to arriving I had already been informed that the sight we were investigating was ripe with activity. The Live Oak Inn had several reports from staff and owners that worked the restaurant and bar regarding electric devises turning on and off in the kitchen area, objects moving with no apparent cause, as well as doors opening and closing. 

Our group decided to meet at the restaurant at around 5:30 in the evening to get a general look around and set up our equipment. Along the way I overheard the importance of us bringing some air freshener to combat a possible smell of death that seemed to linger at the place… Oh joy!!! True enough, when we opened the door the distinct smell of something having long kicked their addiction to breathing was heavy in the air. We soon we found our corpse: one dead, almost-mummified field mouse. So far I now knew of at least two entities that could be haunting this place: 1) a sad case of a waitress who might still be hanging around after her brutal murder on the premises and 2) the sad case of a little mouse that couldn’t quite find his way out to see another tomorrow. Honestly, I’d rather be pestered by the specter of the mouse, but again I digress.

            As we began to set up all the equipment, I took a walk through the bar area and felt a stale, heaviness around me like I was walking through water. I didn’t feel this pressure anywhere else in the building. Then the “hot” spots, which were in the kitchen and bar area, were set-up with infrared cameras and video as well as audio taping devices. We also walked through the entire building with our EMF meters and temperature gauges to get base level readings in all of the areas. At this point nothing seemed to out of the ordinary or special about the Live Oak Inn. Once we finished our set-up we went live, which meant we began recording everything.

            Our group had also decided to try to talk to any spirits who might be there by routinely entering different areas of the building in rotating shifts while monitoring any EVP’s that might occur. We tried using the name of the victim killed in the restaurant during the questioning phase, but all still seemed pretty quiet. Different tests were conducted, such as EMF runs and temperature readings with the same conclusions: no activity.

For the next couple of hours we all carried out our investigations using the different monitors and gauges. We also decided to try to implement the breathing technique we had done in the Hollywood studio, which seemed to spark paranormal activity. We paired off and started the technique in the bar and kitchen areas. Again the technique is to breathe deeply and have your partner lightly touch your forehead and eyes three times. Supposedly this causes the opening of your metaphysical “third eye”… or some other mambi-hambi. (Trust me. I’m not making this up. Just passing along the info I’m given!)  So on we went in pairs opening our third eyes, and what do you think happens next? Well, I’m glad you asked… activity started to sizzle!

In the bar area we had set up candles in the corners and on some tables for added light. During one of our,  (to save time and space, I’ll abbreviate the breathing technique to BT) BT’s a candle in the next room is extinguished for no apparent cause. Someone who is observing the video camera monitor for that room immediately notices this. When we take a temperature reading of the candle, the area is only 54 degrees Fahrenheit despite having recently carried a hot flame. We relit the candle and proceeded with the BTs in another area.

When we went into the kitchen area to start our BT’s, Brian, our associate began to feel sick.  He told us that his chest was being squeezed and that he felt suffocated in just the one small area of the kitchen. If he walked away, the feeling would leave. This went on for a good hour or so well into the night. We stopped, let him feel better and then made him try again. You know, for scientific research. Plus it was kind of funny to see him get all flustered from this experience because for once it wasn’t me getting all the hazing! Actually it was scary to see that he was fine in the rest of the location and then all of a sudden his whole facial pallor would change making him look physically ill. This episode passed and we continued our research for a couple more hours.

            Our night concluded with fewer instances of anyone (yeah, that’s you, Brian) getting ill from the kitchen and not much else happening with the candles or EMF readings. All in all we had a pretty full night and we’re determined to continue the investigation the Live Oak Inn to find out if it’s truly haunted or not. My feeling after all was said and done: not really sure yet, but I’m excited about going back; even if it is in the Valley of the Dirt.

As an aside we also made a quick stop to another supposedly haunted locale down the street for a quick meal before we began our set up and recordings at the Live Oak Inn.  Where in Riverside can you get food and spooks, but the HAUNTED MARIE CALLENDERS? Supposedly they have a tasteless portrait hanging in one of their booths that is so disturbing that many customers have asked, no begged, to be moved to another area of the restaurant. The portrait we heard from many implausible sources has eyes that follow your every move. Creepy. Even one of our own members could attest to feeling such an ominous, foreboding emanating from the portrait that he couldn’t finish his meal. Oh wait, yes, he did finish his meal. But let’s just say I did have to move a bit in my seat, so I could properly enjoy my meal. In any case the entire affair went by without so much as a WHHHHOOOOOOOOGIE BOOOOOOOGIE from any haunted portraits, but I’m sure we’ll be back here again too. We gotta eat. 

Just a quick note about the "Third Eye, Breathing Technique", I will explain this in greater detail in the very near future.