Bfth Presents: Exploration and Mysteries; The Secret in the Old Attic


 We've been living in the Poconos (part time remember because I have to be in NJ for work several days a week) for nearly months now.  If you think I have "it" (whatever it may be), down you'd be wrong.  I've been exploring the area little by little.  I've visited two churches (neither of which are my domination).  One very close to the house which was lovely, the people were nice and the choir director/pianist was wonderful.  The other is further away and is also lovely, however the people aren't just nice, they are warm and inviting (without being smothering) Neither is perfect for me, I'm thinking the later (despite the fact that it is 8 miles away while the other is less than a mile) is where I will spend more time because of the people (who I hope to get to know better...while I love our quiet and somewhat remote location, I also need a sense of community).  I shop regularly (too regularly) at the local market (because I keep needing items at the last minute and they are the only place nearby that carries the Sunday NY Times).  We frequent (pretty much once a week), the local pizza joint (aka hole in the wall that really only makes pizza and it's good!)  Once a month we go to the local bar/grill to see our musician friend perform.  (He is also lucky to be the first friend who came to visit us.)  We've also eaten out at Skytop where staff have become friends and I've done some (illicit) hiking there as well.  Just the other day I went to a holiday craft fair at the township administrative and recreation complex and while I didn't purchase anything (sorry vendors), I met a woman who is in charge of the community center, which offers lots of programs that I am interested (if only they fit into my work schedule).  I really want to get to know the area, the people and make some friends.  (So if you're in Monroe County, PA, let me know.)

As much as I've been exploring the area, I HAVEN'T explored the house and property as much as I should have.  (Or would like to.)  While I know the main part of the house well, there's the basement, the detached garage and pool house which need figuring out.  (Space!  What to do with it.)  There's also the attached garage which I have the pipe dream of turning into some sort of living space.  (But what?  I'm open to suggestions...GO!)  There's also the crawl spaces that are NOT part of the basement, but do exist and should be checked out.  (Just not necessarily by me...I'm not a fan of spiders and their webs, mice and other "things" that would inhabit the space.)  

And then there's the "attics."  Yes, you read that right...there are 3.  There is one space that is accessible if I get a ladder in the office. (So it's above my head as I write.)  I don't think it's really a space that can be explored.  Then there's the attic-like closet/crawl space in the loft area.  That could be explored, but it probably would require crawling.  Then there's the attic space with pull down stairs above part of the attached garage.  (It started out as a 2 car garage and later became 3, so it's over the "older" part.)  That was the one I wanted to explore today because of the photo that heads this post.

Yes, there is a stained glass window in the attic.  I know the story behind it because I have been in contact with the wife of the owners before the people we bought the house from.  (The ones who turned this once 2 bedroom log cabin into the house it is now...and there are lots of stories behind all of that which I am still trying to get more details on.)  It was once part of the Sterling Methodist Church, was purchased by the husband's father and ended up in this house as a window.  However, when the house was added on (and there were lots of additions over the year), the only place for it, where it would be visible (although not really) was in the attic so...

I wanted to see the window for myself and see what else might be up there, so my husband and I went up this morning.

You can see that part of the original (or semi-original) house and roof is visible.  What we also found in the attic was:  an almost empty box (because it contained other boxes) from an electric golf caddy, left over grout and tiles (which you can kind of see in the photo), a shelving unit,  a small step stool

(Definitely something that we can and WILL use), old computer printer (we left that up there), and a subwoofer (yes, you read that right and here's the photo to prove that my husband managed to get it down via the ladder):  

However, these were NOT the most interesting items in the attic, there was also this:

It's an antenna connected to???  We're thinking that this had something to do with the security system in the house.  (There was a LOT of security.  We have our own monitoring system and are not using what the previous owners and the owners before that paid for.)

Finally, there was this:


The most puzzling of them all. It's a photo of the horse, River Flares (which obviously won this race) taken at Thorncliffe (we've determined Thorncliffe Race Track was in operation from 1920 -1952 in Toronto Ontario) in the fall of 1948.  If we're reading this right, the jockey was E. O'Sullivan, the trainer was W. A Smith and (we're guessing) the owner was a Mrs. L. J. Mendelsohn.  Why did this photos end up in the attic is one mystery.  HOW a photo from the 1940s taken in Canada ended up in the Poconos of Pennsylvania is yet another.  This is a mystery that would challenge even Nancy Drew!

We're doing our research on all of the above, but not having too much luck.  If anyone out there has any thoughts, please share.  Meanwhile, I'll keep searching and exploring.  Who know what other mysteries might be uncovered!


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