Wanton's Folklore an excerpt from Stamp Out Murder

James and some of the other guests were gathered on the balcony listening to some guitar pickin' when this giant of a man (Aunt Linda's brother) Lionel started walking around until he had everyone's attention and then he started telling a tale that ne'er no one would believe. It went like this: 

Black Bartimore was an evil, surly buccaneer who murdered his wife and children and went to sea with a band of pirates as nasty as he. He roamed the Atlantic coast, murdering and pillaging and laying waste to the countryside as he passed. Soon Black Bartimor had a ship loaded with treasure; five hundred chests had he full of gold and jewels and goblets and mighty swords.

A thick fog lay over the bay as the ship approached, and the treacherous  tide soon took hold of the evil man's ship. He'd already kilt all his crew, so he had no help. The crashing, churning waters whirled and whirled until somehow, by magic, I suppose...by evilness, perhaps,  his ship came crashing down in the Cheat River.

Yes, the very Cheat River that runs right behind here. Just up yonder a ways. His ship, his crew and all his plunder landed. He had slit each man's throat, but he hadn't had a chance to throw them in the ocean, so when his ship got threw into West Virginia's raging waters, he had to dispose of the rotting bodies, and when he thought himself safe, he commenced to throwing bodies overboard and he didn't see the "Falls". They come up on him fast, and before he could abandon ship, he plunged headfirst and crashed on the rocks. His ship came crashing down on top of him and splintered into a thousand pieces. Some pieces big, some pieces small and the and Black Bartimore's treasures came to rest in that river, unless they hitched a ride on the ship parts and traveled on down the river.

Yet today, folks are afindin' human bones and if'n you do, you will have great luck if'n you lay that bit of the murdered pirate to rest. So as quick as you can dig a hole with whatever you can find and bury that bone, if'n you ignore it surely bad luck will follow you.

On the other hand, it's said, and I know  it's true,  every time folk hunt for his treasures, the water churns and churns and they hear a sound likin' to a raging bull. Black Bartimore rises from the river and chases them with a his cutlass. Now if you've come to Wanton to hunt for Black Bartimore's treasure, you may think twice because...sometimes he catches the folks that he's achasing.


Sources:

Black Bartimore (adapted and retold by Cher'ley Grogg from A Folklore of Black Bartelmy's Ghost)

Photo by mayakamina

Canceled

You have found a box filled with old postage stamps in your attic. You are not so sure how to identify old postage stamps but you have a gut feeling that you have found your grandfather's old stamp collection that dates back to the 19th century.

Then you become curious and ask “how can find the value of old stamps? When does the cost of old stamps increase?”

Aunt Lavina, the owner of Jessup’s Bed and Breakfast has a trunk filled with old letters and certificates. While James was searching for Civil War Memorabilia he got curious about the value of the old stamps that were on the envelopes.  James followed this link to find out more about identifying stamps. Value of Stamps.

The Two Penny Blue Stamps (1840)

These postage stamps lacked the country's name. One of the earliest stamps made in Britain.These rare British stamps, also known as the Blue Penny postal stamps, were sold for nearly $4 million in 1993.

What other valuable information did James find in the trunk? Read “Stamp Out Murder” to find out.

Canceled

You have found a box filled with old postage stamps in your attic. You are not so sure how to identify old postage stamps but you have a gut feeling that you have found your grandfather's old stamp collection that dates back to the 19th century.

Then you become curious and ask “How can you find the value of old stamps? When does the cost of old stamps increase?”

Aunt Lavina, the owner of Jessup’s Bed and Breakfast has a trunk filled with old letters and certificates. While James was searching for Civil War Memorabilia he got curious about the value of the old stamps that were on the envelopes.  James followed this link to find out more about identifying stamps. Value of Stamps.

The Two Penny Blue Stamps (1840)

These postage stamps lacked the country's name. One of the earliest stamps made in Britain.These rare British stamps, also known as the Blue Penny postal stamps, were sold for nearly $4 million in 1993.

What other valuable information did James find in the trunk? Read “Stamp Out Murder” to find out.

Aunt Lavina's Favorite Recipe for Butternut Squash Wheat Biscuits

Aunt Lavina and Carolyn like to use fresh ingredients as often as possible. They raise a wide variety of vegetables and buy locally whenever they can. In Wild Wonderful Wanton Wraith, Aunt Lavina shares her stimulating and tantalizing recipes. This is a sample of her old fashioned cooking.

Anyone who has ever had a garden knows squash is something that seems to multiply on it's own. Jessup's Bed and Breakfast guests love butternut squash wheat biscuits dabbed with rich creamy butter and homemade jam.

A quick Squash Biscuit Recipe--Aunt Lavina prefers the next one

One and a half cups cooked squash, 3/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute) 1/2 teasp. salt, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup hot milk, 1/4 yeast cake dissolved in 1/4 cup tepid water, 2 1/2 cups of flour or enough to make a soft dough. Let rise, make into small, very thin biscuits. Put 2 together, with butter between, brush with butter, cover, and after they rise a bit, bake at 400 degrees. 

 Aunt Lavina's Favorite 

Light and Flaky Squash Biscuits

Makes 20-24 Delicate, Sweet and Vibrant in Color Biscuits

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Baking Time: 18 minutes

2 cups whole-wheat flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold butter (or substitute)

1 cup puréed squash

2 teaspoons honey (Aunt Lavina likes to add 1/2 cup sugar substitute)

1-4 tablespoons low-fat milk

v   Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into small pieces and work into flour mixture with a pastry cutter until it's the size of small peas. (Tub butter substitute is easier to blend, but some people really prefer the taste of real butter--Aunt Lavina uses real butter)

v  . Mix honey into puréed squash, then stir into flour mixture. Add enough milk to make a soft dough.

v  . Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. With your hands, flatten it out to about a 1/2-inch thickness. Fold the dough in half as you would close a book. Rotate dough 90 degrees, pat it out, and fold it again. Repeat this twice, dusting with flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers. Work quickly to prevent the butter from becoming overly soft.

v  . After the last folding, roll out dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 1 1/2-inch rounds. To shape the biscuits, form your thumb and first finger into a crescent shape. Hold the biscuit upright in this crescent with your fingers curled around the cut edges. Rotate and gently squeeze the biscuit to give it more height.

Note: Carolyn enjoys making different shapes, but the shapes make a difference in the lightness of the biscuits. If you just cut them and place them on a baking sheet, they'll still work, but they won't be as good.

Place the biscuits closely together in a 9-inch square baking pan. Bake until puffed and very lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Give one of these easy recipes a try and let us know how you liked them. 

Aunt Lavina's Favorite Recipe for Butternut Squash Wheat Biscuits

Aunt Lavina and Carolyn like to use fresh ingredients as often as possible. They raise a wide variety of vegetables and buy locally whenever they can. In Wild Wonderful Wanton Wraith, Aunt Lavina shares her stimulating and tantalizing recipes. This is a sample of her old fashioned cooking.

Anyone who has ever had a garden knows squash is something that seems to multiply on it's own. Jessup's Bed and Breakfast guests love butternut squash wheat biscuits dabbed with rich creamy butter and homemade jam.

A quick Squash Biscuit Recipe--Aunt Lavina prefers the next one

One and a half cups cooked squash, 3/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute) 1/2 teasp. salt, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup hot milk, 1/4 yeast cake dissolved in 1/4 cup tepid water, 2 1/2 cups of flour or enough to make a soft dough. Let rise, make into small, very thin biscuits. Put 2 together, with butter between, brush with butter, cover, and after they rise a bit, bake at 400 degrees. 

 Aunt Lavina's Favorite 

Light and Flaky Squash Biscuits

Makes 20-24 Delicate, Sweet and Vibrant in Color Biscuits

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Baking Time: 18 minutes

2 cups whole-wheat flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold butter (or substitute)

1 cup puréed squash

2 teaspoons honey (Aunt Lavina likes to add 1/2 cup sugar substitute)

1-4 tablespoons low-fat milk

v   Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into small pieces and work into flour mixture with a pastry cutter until it's the size of small peas. (Tub butter substitute is easier to blend, but some people really prefer the taste of real butter--Aunt Lavina uses real butter)

v  . Mix honey into puréed squash, then stir into flour mixture. Add enough milk to make a soft dough.

v  . Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. With your hands, flatten it out to about a 1/2-inch thickness. Fold the dough in half as you would close a book. Rotate dough 90 degrees, pat it out, and fold it again. Repeat this twice, dusting with flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers. Work quickly to prevent the butter from becoming overly soft.

v  . After the last folding, roll out dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 1 1/2-inch rounds. To shape the biscuits, form your thumb and first finger into a crescent shape. Hold the biscuit upright in this crescent with your fingers curled around the cut edges. Rotate and gently squeeze the biscuit to give it more height.

Note: Carolyn enjoys making different shapes, but the shapes make a difference in the lightness of the biscuits. If you just cut them and place them on a baking sheet, they'll still work, but they won't be as good.

Place the biscuits closely together in a 9-inch square baking pan. Bake until puffed and very lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Give one of these easy recipes a try and let us know how you liked them. 

Book Blurb for Wild Wonderful Wanton Wraith

Hidden deep in the mountains of Wild Wonderful West Virginia is a town called Wanton and traipsing through this town is a Wraith. When murder happens, the locals blame the ghosts of Wanton, but the law accuses the stranger. Deciding which stranger is hard to ascertain since The First Annual Haunted River Ghost Walk is being held in Wanton and there are many tourists to choose from. There is one who is of particular interest.

A tall handsome stranger, James Freeman enters the town, not to go on the tour, but to do business with the seamy mayor. His hobby of collecting civil war memorabilia and his skills in research takes him from the prime suspect to chief advisor on the murder case of an unlikely stamp collector.

The motels are full and against his better judgment James takes an attic room in Jessup's Bed and Breakfast. He plans to finish his business with the seamy Mayor and head to a more populated area where he can get a private motel room. Between his work and his devotion to his mother he's never taken the time to develop a relationship with the opposite sex. He tries to resist his attraction to Carolyn, who's Aunt Lavina owns the boarding. 

The hoopla over the Wanton Wraith aggravates James. He knows there is no such thing as ghosts, but yet he goes on the ghost walk to be close to Carolyn. He doesn't hesitate to dive into the cold Cheat River to save her life.  

Sub title: Stamp Out Murder 

Book Blurb for Wild Wonderful Wanton Wraith

Hidden deep in the mountains of Wild Wonderful West Virginia is a town called Wanton and traipsing through this town is a Wraith. When murder happens, the locals blame the ghosts of Wanton, but the law accuses the stranger. Deciding which stranger is hard to ascertain since The First Annual Haunted River Ghost Walk is being held in Wanton and there are many tourists to choose from. There is one who is of particular interest.

A tall handsome stranger, James Freeman enters the town, not to go on the tour, but to do business with the seamy mayor. His hobby of collecting civil war memorabilia and his skills in research takes him from the prime suspect to chief advisor on the murder case of an unlikely stamp collector.

The motels are full and against his better judgment James takes an attic room in Jessup's Bed and Breakfast. He plans to finish his business with the seamy Mayor and head to a more populated area where he can get a private motel room. Between his work and his devotion to his mother he's never taken the time to develop a relationship with the opposite sex. He tries to resist his attraction to Carolyn, who's Aunt Lavina owns the boarding. 

The hoopla over the Wanton Wraith aggravates James. He knows there is no such thing as ghosts, but yet he goes on the ghost walk to be close to Carolyn. He doesn't hesitate to dive into the cold Cheat River to save her life.  

Sub title: Stamp Out Murder