This is another tale from the Haney Ranch. Mike Mitchell and I went up to help Rick rework his cattle pens, and after a long day and evening finally ate and went to bed late. Later that night, I was awakened from a sound sleep, hearing the “thunk, thunk” of something walking around the porch. The weather was warm as I knocked on the door and went into Rick’s room.
The AC was running full blast and the lump under a pile of covers must have been Rick. “You hear that sound, someone walking around your porch?” I almost whispered. He uncovered, I noticed a watch cap on his head, he rose up and replied, “What sound, animals, I’m sure.” Rick blamed animals again, this was the second time he had done that?
Thinking to myself, how could he hear anything covered up like he was, with the AC roaring and with the watch cap on his head. Later that morning we talked about the “thunking” I had heard and Rick said again, “It’s just those ‘Dillos rooting around.”
The next day more work on the cattle pens, and after steaks, we talked for a while and turned in early and I finally found out why Rick had such strange sleeping habits. Tonight, just like last night was warm, and I wasn’t even covering with a sheet, when I woke up with a start! What’s going on here, I was freezing! Then I noticed the foot of the bed was leaning and I sensed that something/someone was setting on the end of the bed. What’s going on I asked myself, could this be a ghost, no way, I don’t even believe in ‘em!
Still freezing I said to the “whatever”, “I’m not afraid of you. I am a Christian and you don’t scare me!” Then something really strange happened, whatever it was on the end of the bed got up, I could feel the end of the bed rise as if a load was removed, the “whatever” moved away and the room returned to a normal temperature. Personally, “it” never bothered me again.
The next morning, when Rick and I had a chance to talk alone, I told him about my encounter the past night. His reply was, “I don’t want to hear it.” He was uncomfortable I could tell, but I went on with the entire story. He replied, “I have heard things go “bump” in the night before, but I have to sleep out here three or four nights a week. Why do you think I run the AC all year, even in freezing weather, wear a watch cap and cover up with all of those quilts? I really don’t want to talk about it.”
It sounded like Rick was afraid of the “whatevers” out here. This was the end of the story until the next time I came up.