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My friends, I apologize for the hasty message. I had been planning to display all of the rare stamps I acquired as a “sneak peek” for all of my fans. However, something has come up and I must return home post haste. Sadly, my aunt’s bichon frisée passed away, and she is despondent about it. Duty calls! Hopefully I will be able to update you all with my exploits at Notchland Inn real soon. More later, and if you see the stamps, let me know!

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My friends, glorious day! I am pleased to inform you that I am now in possession of several rare Hawaii stamps and not one, but three rare Inverted Jenny stamps! Thank you to the locals of Waterville Valley, NH for making this all happen! These will be featured in the Snortwart Museum of Antiquities, opening next month! I look forward to ghost hunting at the Notchland Inn tonight. I’m sure I’ll see something, given todays luck!

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My friends, capital news from your favorite professor/explorer. I have secured a new source of funding! If you remember, I told you that I met a local celebrity, a disco DJ who goes by the stage name “DJ Huckleberry.” Apparently, he is looking to diversify his interests and has promised a large sum for the Snortwart Museum of Antiquities if Norman and I find the rare stamps. This is a big win for history and for the stories that these antique items tell to the public.

More news, the Hawaii stamps and Inverted Jenny have been located, and I am going to pick them up this afternoon! What a banner week! My friends, if you are in the area, come celebrate with a margarita at the Mexicana restaurant. More to come!

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My friends, just a day here in northern New England and already I’m making new friends and influencing people. While enjoying margaritas at the Mexicans restaurant last night (not as good as those in Cafe Coyote, by the way), I met a local celebrity who is very interested in my work. Apparently he is a local DJ who plays at clubs and parties during ski season. He said he may even be interested in funding future adventures! More on this topic later!

I have a lead on the rare stamps, also (it’s been a productive last few hours!). It seems a local bookseller knows of the Hawaii stamps. Still working on the Inverted Jenny. I plan to follow up some leads today. Also, I spent the evening searching for ghost activity, and no dice so far. Luckily the week is still young. Stay tuned for further posts!

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The Eagle has landed!

My friends, your favorite professor has arrived at the quaint New England destination, ready for a week of ghost and stamp hunting. My plan: to hunt for the Inverted Jenny and other stamps during the day and at night look for strange goings-on in the Notchland Inn. Norman has arrived by train, so we are set up and ready to do some research. To any of my friends and fans in the NH area, please feel free to look me up, and we can grab a few pinot grigios and discuss old finds and adventures!

Anyhow, my friends, for me it’s time to work. Please check this blog, as I hope to have some finds and updates for you soon! More to come!

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Hawaii postage stamps

My friends, your favorite professor/explorer is fresh off of celebrating July 4 with some historical research, and I have news to report. As you know, I am gearing up to head to New England to search for some rare postage stamps that have gone missing. I have reliable information that among those missing stamps (soon to be found by me) is the Inverted Jenny, the famous 1918 misprint of the biplane on a 24-cent postage stamp. Today, I am pleased to announce that there is more, my friends, there is always more:

There were also some rare and controversial Hawaii postage stamps in this lost collection. Above, you can see some pictures of these stamps. These stamps were used by American missionaries in Hawaii. They are apparently among the rares and most expensive collectors’ stamps in the world. An unused set costs more than $100,000. Sadly, I believe the Hawaii stamps I will be looking for are not part of a set (that doesn’t mean they are inexpensive!). Nonetheless, these stamps will make a great addition to the Snortwart Museum of Antiquities!

I will continue to update you all with more information as I get it, my friends. Regardless, look for more posts from me with blow-by-blow accounts of my adventures in New England starting July 18, 2022! Also note, since I’m in the area, I may pop up to Boothbay Harbor, ME again to see if I can unearth the 12 Caesars! Stay tuned!!!

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The year of the postage stamp

My friends, happy US Postage Stamp Day! That’s right, July 1 is US Postage Stamp Day. Fitting to kick off this month with a postage stamp themed holiday. Later on this month, we will be celebrating some new and rare finds for yours truly, the adventuring professor! As I mentioned in previous posts, I will be in norther New England in the middle of this month to visit the haunted Notchland Inn. While I am there, I will be on the hunt for some “missing” stamps that were callously discarded by an eccentric collector a few decades ago. Among the stamps I’ll be looking for is the rare “Inverted Jenny!” I have been using the eDonkey 3000 to pinpoint possible locations of these stamps. It turns out, these stamps were picked up not far from where I will be ghost-hunting. Stay tuned!

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Philately will get you everywhere

My friends, the summer is heating up! For your favorite professor/explorer, the summer is heating up on two fronts. As I mentioned last post, I will be heading up north to New England in July to witness some haunted happenings (hopefully!) at the Notchland Inn. Tickets booked, rooms reserved!

Also, as I mentioned last post, I will be on the hunt for more rarities. As you may remember last year, I came across some rare coins up in Boothbay Harbor, ME. Well, the New England region is being good to me, because this year, I will be tracking down some rare stamps! And, my friends, you will never guess what stamp I will be on the hunt for... the Inverted Jenny!

As you can see above, the Inverted Jenny features an old biplane. It is a stamp from 1918, but as you maybe notice, something is wrong! It was a misprint, you see. The plane was printed on the stamp upside down. The mistake was fixed, so only a few were ever printed. Of course, in stamp collecting circles (or philately, for those in the know, like me) the Inverted Jenny is a rare treasure. In fact, according to Linn’s Stamp News, one of these stamps was just sold at auction for over $1.5 million! Imagine what displaying an Inverted Jenny would do for the Snortwart Museum of Antiquities. I’ll be sure to display it close to the 12 Caesars (when I find them). Think of the foot traffic, think of the endowments!

So, I suppose you may be wondering where these rare stamps came from and how did they get lost to history (until me!). Well, I have had Norman doing some digging on this (it’s amazing what a couple of extra party size bags of Doritos will get you). Apparently, there was an old, wealthy family who made their fortune in in granite quarries and ice sales. One of the descendants was apparently an avid philatelist (stamp collector), but then one day in 1952 just appeared to lose all interest and impulsively threw his collection out of the window of a moving train! Luckily, some concerned citizens were in the neighborhood to pick up some of these rare finds, but since then it is not known where the stamps are located. Until now...

Using the eDonkey 3000, I have managed to pinpoint the locations of some of these missing stamps. So, in July, I will be coming north to fetch them! Also, it is rumored that the loss of the stamp collection has something to do with ghost sightings, and you can bet I am looking into that. More later!

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Philately

My friends, long time no see, I’m sure you must be saying. I apologize for the scarcity of my posts as of late. I have had some important matters to tend to here at Cornbuckle University. Lots of matters requiring my attention, but such is the life of a famous, globetrotting professor! Anyway, with matters well in hand and the summer upon us, I can get back to the occupations that gave me the fame I have today.

This summer is a perfect time to pursue my latest interest: ghost hunting. And I will be doing just that up in New England. My first class tickets are booked for this July, and I plan to spend some nights at the Notchland Inn in hopes of some ghost sightings. What’s so interesting about the Notchland Inn, you may ask? Well, a tombstone in the inn’s front parlor reads “1778. Nancy Barton. Died in a snowstorm in pursuit of her faithless lover.” Strange things that have happened at the inn include the name “Abigail” mysteriously written in steam on the bathroom mirror, although no one had taken a shower for hours. Another guest reported the unexplained appearance of fresh flowers while the guest was taking a nap. On the bathroom mirror, someone had written Happy Anniversary in lipstick. Both the flowers and the message quickly vanished. I hope to witness some of these oddities myself. Perhaps I can even commune with the departed Ms. Barton and find out who this Abigail is!

My friends, I must confess, your favorite professor/explorer is not just heading north to spy on ghosts. I have learned from some recent research that there are some rare items to be found in the area, not too far from where I will be staying. What are these items, you may ask? The title of this post may have given it away, but they are postage stamps. Some rare postage stamps had gone missing years ago, supposedly stolen from a prolific yet eccentric collector in the area. With the help of the eDonkey 3000, I think I may have triangulated the locations of several of these rarities! These will me a perfect addition to the Snortwart Museum of Antiquities. I may need to open a rare stamp wing of the museum (since a lot of space might be taken up by the coins I found from last summer). So, my friends, the best is yet to come. Watch this space for more news about my upcoming adventures!

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My friends, apologies for an error I made last post. I mentioned that I would soon be heading to a self-proclaimed haunted town, New Hope, NJ. Actually, my destination is New Hope, PA, which is actually not too far away from the sister town in NJ.

While New Hope, NJ is a charming tourist town, New Hope, PA offers different attractions. Supposedly, the town is replete with haunted attractions. For example, the re is the Logan Inn (pictured above) and the Aaron Burr House. There are many other locations that offer a potential specter sighting. In 1 week, we will see if I can see something frightening!

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My friends, apologies for the dearth of updates about recent adventures. It has been busy times here at Cornbuckle University. Dean Grubb has taken a pointed interest in my latest adventuring. I think maybe he will want to join me on my next ghost hunt! Stay tuned…

As you know, I spent some time up in the Bridgewater Triangle recently looking for paranormal activity. I spent a couple of days in Hockomock Swamp. I saw many interesting sights, even some strange ones, and heard many odd sounds. Sadly nothing definitive of paranormal activity came out of the trip. Fear not, my friends, it is still early days!

I just finished processing all my Bridgewater Triangle data. I am planning next a trip to New Hope, NJ (the whole town is purported to be haunted!). This will take place in the spring. This summer, I’m hoping to get back to some treasure hunting, building on my successes in Boothbay Harbor. I am again looking in the New England area, as that seems to be a hotbed of treasure hunting activity right now. I also am planning a lecture tour of the region. Dates and venues to be coming soon!!

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Winter swamp adventure

My friends, your favorite professor, explorer and ghost hunter has just booked a trip to the Bridgewater Triangle area of Massachusetts to try and catch some mysterious phenomena in the act! My home base will be an unassuming Bed & Breakfast in Middleboro, MA, but I plan to spend some chilly nights camping in the swamp.

I have been feverishly preparing for this journey, which should take me to the Bay State around Christmas time. First class flight tickets have been purchased, camping gear has been purchased or lent, and an upgrade to my cold-weather wardrobe is underway. This is much different than hunting for coins and other treasures in the summer! It is an exciting time, my friends. With today’s modern technology and internet information at our fingertips, we think we know it all and nothing will astound or amaze us. I, however, plan to push the envelope on this notion. After all, what are places like the Bridgewater Triangle but history’s mysteries waiting to be solved?

The Bridgewater Triangle has been the inspiration for many ghost stories and tales of the unknown. Many sightings, from UFOs to poltergeists, to shadow people, to giant dogs to thunderbirds have supposedly been sighted in this area. I am also planning a camera upgrade to capture some of these sightings firsthand!

My itinerary is taking shape, but it looks like I will be doing some camping at Hockomock Swamp, and I am even working with local authorities to try and stay the night in the abandoned Taunton State Hospital. Apparently the hospital has been the epicenter of ghostly sights and a place where supposed satanic cults gathered.

I hope to have spooky tales to provide to you soon! For those of you that are worried that my treasure hunting days are over, fear not! Once you are bitten by the treasure hunting bug, you never recover. I am working with Norman to set up the next archaeological find for Summer, 2022!

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My friends, apologies for such scanty posting these day as. I am doing what the business people call “a pivot.” As you know from my very successful trip to the Boothbay Harbor area in Maine this summer, I was bitten by the ghost hunting bug! I have been spending all of my time cultivating this new approach to my research (luckily ghost hunting is steeped in history. History’s Mysteries, you might say?). In fact, it’s been 5 months and I still have yet to read Mera’s PhD dissertation! I’ll have to apologize to her at some point…

Anyway, my friends, an opportunity has arisen for your favorite professor, explorer and ghost hunter: I am going to investigate the Bridgewater Triangle! Back in the 1960’s up through the early 1990’s, there were many mysterious goings-on in the Bridgewater area of Massachusetts. This centered around a couple of places: Hockomock Swamp, Dighton Rock and the Freetown woods. Among the paranormal phenomena were: giant dog sightings, giant snake sightings, UFOs, and pagan rituals! I will be visiting south eastern Massachusetts in December. Stay tuned!

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My friends, it was an interesting night in the Mathias Ham house. Many thanks to the house’s caretakers for putting me up for the night. Throughout the night, I was sure I heard paranormal activity: whisperings in the hall, footsteps, shuffling of papers, even a ghostly cat. The last one actually turned out to be a cat. However, the mind plays tricks on you when you are ghost hunting. In the end, I think the specters were shy last night. I am working on setting up other haunted overnight stays. Like treasure hunting, just keep trying until your luck changes.

Still waiting to hear back from Jason Hawes, professional ghost hunter. Hoping to “pick his brain” on this new-to-me endeavor. Until next time, my friends!

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My friends, big developments in the world of ghost hunting! I am setting up a tour and overnight stay at a supposed actual haunted house very near Cornbuckle University. It took me a lot of wrangling and convincing Dean Grubb, but I have done it! I will be spending the night at the Mathias Ham House in Dubuque. It is said that four members of the Ham family died in this house, including one of Mathias’s daughters who was shot by a home invader one night in the late 1800s. It is said that lights in the house turn on and off at will and disembodied voices can be heard whispering in the hallways.

Also, big developments or, should I say soon-to-be big developments. I am getting in touch with a ghost hunting expert, Jason Hawes from the TV show “Ghost Hunters.” I’m hoping to get some hints and pointers for this and future haunted house stays. His agent said he will call me back next week. More to come!

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My friends, thus concludes another treasure find. A very successful one if I do say so. I go back to Cornbuckle University loaded down with antiques and coins. Unfortunately, the 12 Caesars eluded my grasp. This is unfortunate, to be sure. However, I rest easily knowing the 12 Caesars also eluded the Nosey Kid and his gang.

Lectures at the Red Cup Cafe were a success. I thank those of you in the Boothbay Harbor area who made an appearance. Admittedly I did field a number of questions about the Nosey Kid, but as I point out, having a nemesis focuses your thoughts like nothing else can. It was a pleasure to relive old finds of the past with everyone.

Much to do when I get back to Cornbuckle University. I have many interviews with some ghost hunting enthusiasts. Between this and planning the next find, I shall be busy. Until next time!

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On the seventh day, he rested...

My friends, after a very productive week of coin hunting (and some surprise antique dealing!), I decided to rest, refresh myself and see the historical sights around Boothbay Harbor and surrounding area. There are many perks to being a history professor, folks. One of these perks is the ability to get special guided tours of historic houses and landmarks. I thank the many good people working at these historic sites, it truly was an informative day today! I visited the Opera House, the Burnt Island Lighthouse, Fort William Henry, the Thompson Ice House Harvesting Museum, and more! But, the one historic site that made the biggest impression on your favorite professor was located further afield, the Smith House in Wiscasset, ME.

What makes the Smith House so intriguing is that it is a haunted house! It is possibly one of most famous haunted houses in the area. It was built in 1792 by Judge Silas Lee, and believed to be the first house built on High Street. Lee sold the house to General David Payson, and in 1831 Payson sold the home to Samuel Emerson Smith, who served as Governor of Maine from 1831-1834. I was told that this is why the house is sometimes referred to as the Lee Payson Smith house. The home is owned today by a sixth generation descendant of Samuel Smith. According to my tour guide, the Smith House has always been considered haunted. Also according to my tour guide, several unexplained happenings occur regularly in the house: sightings of an elderly lady waving from the upstairs bedroom; sounds of children playing; a lady rocking in the parlor; a dog scratching at a door when there are no dogs in the house; the sound of feeble steps coming down the stairway of the house with no one there. As a possible explanation for these events, i heard the story of a previous mistress of the house: “It was about 100 years ago that she lived in the house and raised a family.” According to the story she lost five of her sons, and “Her husband, once able and distinguished, ended his days as a fretful invalid in a wing chair.” As the woman in turn lay dying she said, “‘Everything has failed me except this house. If I can, I’ll come back,’” and apparently she did. There are many detailed accounts of visitors witnessing some or even all of these phenomena. I, myself, could swear I saw the figure of an old woman in the upstairs window of the Smith House as I was leaving.

My friends, this could be the start of a new facet to my career, Professor Snortwart the Ghost hunter! I am looking into partnering with experienced hunters to learn more about this fascinating occupation.