M.K. Davis – Have You Seen the New Interview?
For those of us obsessed with the weird “Bigfoot Massacre” theory… you may be interested in reading the new interview with M.K. Davis by Steven Streufert on Bigfoot’s Blog. I’ve visited Steven at his Bigfoot Books store just east of Willow Creek, CA, and can see that he probably has plenty of time to work on his interviews with Bigfoot researchers between chats with customers. He’s been producing a great series of interview postings on that blog… including interviews with Daniel Perez and David Paulides.
Anyhow, the new interview is with M.K. Davis, and will help us all get a grip on understanding who he is and why he thinks someone killed a Bigfoot at Bluff Creek!
While I’m talking about Steven, I should mention he’s started a second blog to write about Bigfoot books. Since he owns a rather large used bookstore and sells both new and used books about Bigfoot, he’s also done a lot of reading. Here’s his blog with a Bibliography of books on Bigfoot, Sasquatch and the Yeti.
- The Bigfoot Reading Group – “Tribal Bigfoot”
- The Bigfoot Books Blog
- David Paulides Responds to the Bigfoot Massacre Issue
- Save the Bluff Creek Company Store!
- Tribal Bigfoot – Comments on Chapter Ten: “Humboldt County”
September 22, 2009
JavaBob’s Book Signing at the Bigfoot Discovery Museum
By Linda Martin – © 2009
Just published as of today… this video of JavaBob (Robert Schmalzbach) who was my friend and neighbor a few short years ago. He still owns the property next door but rarely comes here anymore, and when he does never bothers to contact me. I’m putting this video here to share with other local folks who might like to know he’s doing well and still looking for Bigfoot.
His book is Monsters Myths and Me: And now my eyes are open. The book signing was on September 19 in Felton, CA (Santa Cruz Mountains.)
For what it’s worth, I didn’t agree with everything he wrote about me in the book but once I got around to reading it I wasn’t too freaked out by what he wrote in there either. Memories vary from person to person… that’s a fact.
I was not nearly as impressed by ‘he whose name will not appear on my blog’ as JavaBob was and wondered why he would form a Bigfoot organization business with that person. I do believe his book explains his feelings and motivations, aside from mere financial objectives. Bob is a respectable person and I am glad he’s speaking out more and becoming more of a public figure now rather than staying in the shadows while that other person dominates the spotlight.
In the video he mentions that another Chamber of Commerce member suggested Bigfoot as a theme to market our economically destitute community — well, that was me. I started the Bigfoot research here but got left in the dust by “the guys” during the summer of 2005 … ending with my decision that I just couldn’t work with that other person; I lost faith in the other person’s ability to be objective and kind, especially towards a certain female person who had given him thousands of dollars for his Bigfoot research.
Of all the people in GABRO (Great American Bigfoot Research Organization) that came here to Happy Camp that summer I ended up liking Ruby Rubin and Elbert Yee. I was never on the other side of the debate, mainly because of quality of character issues. Elbert was simply a professional quality, kind hearted person who I could not help but respect. He was totally above board, totally honest. Ruby, though stressed, was doing what needed to be done and was treated rather shabbily… and that was the main reason I had to quit working for GABRO. After a while I couldn’t stand to hear the negative comments and complaints anymore. I got the impression there was no respect for most women in the organization – Peggy Marx being the one exception – and figured there was no place for me in this Bigfoot research team. Plus… one could not help but notice that the people who were supposed to be doing the research simply weren’t there most of the time, leaving a lot of responsibility on my shoulders, and I was not an experienced Bigfoot researcher at the time.
On top of all that, some of the things they wanted added to that video stream were just plain dumb and had nothing to do with Bigfoot research. Maybe the last straw was when I was asked to prepare a video of a bear and pretend it was a Bigfoot. We all knew there was absolutely no evidence of a Bigfoot being there that night – so what was the point of putting a bear on the Bigfoot video stream? I can’t respect someone who would act as if a fuzzy video of a bear’s butt was worth showing to people who wanted to see a Bigfoot. But then along came that disgusting hand – something I could not stand looking at – and they wanted that on the video stream and on the front page of their site. (I owned a web design business at the time and was doing their site updates.) It was about that time I was asking myself, “What am I doing here?” So I disconnected myself from the organization.
Okay, all those things combined – and you have a pretty good picture now why I couldn’t work with ‘he whose name will not appear on my blog’ and why I’ve wondered for the past four years why JavaBob, someone I actually respected, was doing so.
I always liked JavaBob. I was close to his precious daughter Janeen before she died suddenly in January 2006. I think I was the only person in town who couldn’t stop crying during her funeral… she was such a sweet and pure-hearted young woman. Even now I’m crying, just thinking about her. I miss Bob and Vicki, his wife, and wish she wasn’t so set against living here in Happy Camp.
- Finding Bigfoot – Bigfoot Research on Television!
- Bigfoot Sightings – Now on Twitter
- Bigfooting for Cash: Capitalizing on Bigfoot
- Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy
- Digging for Dirt? …or Looking for Bigfoot?
September 13, 2009
Where Did Cliff Barackman’s Votes Go?
Here’s something strange.
I went to Cliff Barackman’s Bigfoot research blog tonight to see if he had anything new posted. I enjoy reading his field reports and observations. What is posted is another request for votes at the Columbia Sportswear Company site. He entered a contest by submitting an excellent video about his Bigfoot research, and got hundreds of votes, winning by a landslide. Unfortunately all the votes were reset, for no apparent reason.
I’ve looked at all four of the videos, and felt that Cliff’s was outstanding and deserving of the votes he received. If you have some time tonight, take a look at these four videos and make up your own mind.
- Digging for Dirt? …or Looking for Bigfoot?
- Bigfooting for Cash: Capitalizing on Bigfoot
- Canadian Bigfoot Research Documentary – Bobby Clarke
- Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy
- Michigan Bigfoot
August 22, 2009
The Believe It Tour’s Willow Creek Adventure
The Bridge in Orleans
Bigfoot Scenic Byway
Last Sunday, August 16, I drove to Willow Creek, the town on the other end of the Bigfoot Scenic Byway, 75 miles from where I live, in Happy Camp, California. The occasion? I’d been invited to meet The Believe It Tour team as they started their journey through Bigfoot country. We planned to meet at the Bigfoot Motel, visit Bigfoot Books, tour the Bigfoot Museum, then have dinner at a restaurant. I was fairly thrilled about this opportunity because so often researchers travel through the valley but never contact me.
This event has opened a lot of doors for me… it has been utterly amazing, really. I met Michael Esordi and Diane Smith in the lobby of the Bigfoot Motel, and then told them I’d meet them at the bookstore which is a few miles east of town. I met the third tour member, Brad Pennock, team skeptic, outside the Bigfoot Motel where he was photographing everything!
Note: Michael Esordi, the Believe It Team’s tour guide, is webmaster of the Bigfoot Museum website, Bigfoot Surplus, and the Believe It Tour.
I got to the bookstore but found out it was closed – it didn’t open until 2pm on Sundays. With time on my hands I went to the Bigfoot Museum in hopes that Craig Woolheater might be there already. Now you’re probably wondering how Craig got into this story. Michael Esordi arranged for Craig and his traveling companion, Sharonlee, to meet us in Willow Creek.
A quick check of the museum showed nobody was there to see the Bigfoot Museum, and I traveled back and forth a few times, bought gasoline, and explored a place that was calling me, Friday Ridge Road. I drove up high enough to take this picture of the Trinity River and the highway next to it.
Finally I went back to Bigfoot Books and saw cars there, and entered to find the Believe It Tour people now talking to Steven Streufert, bookseller. He’s a Bigfoot researcher as well. I loved his used (and new) book store and bought some old cassette tapes to play in my vintage van on the way home, and a few books. Diana bought a big stack of Bigfoot books – new and used.
Bluff Creek Footprint Casts
Willow Creek Bigfoot Museum
Next we headed back to the Bigfoot Museum on the west side of town. The curator, Al Hodgson, wasn’t able to make it but we enjoyed looking at all the exhibits and taking pictures there. I will definitely try to visit again on a day when Al is available!
I’d been to the museum before but it seemed that this time there was more to look at. There are lots of footprint casts, photographs of footprints and the researchers who discovered them, and Bigfoot displays on science, history, and memorabilia.
Linda Martin & Craig Woolheater
At Cinnabar Sam’s In Willow Creek, CA
Craig Woolheater and Sharonlee were delayed during their travel from the SF Bay Area to Humboldt County, so we went back to visit Steve Streufert at Bigfoot Books, then eventually decided to go ahead and get a table at Cinnabar Sam’s so it wouldn’t close before we were ready. Craig and Sharonlee finally reached Willow Creek and joined us there, and we had a wonderful dinner together. This was my first time to meet Craig Woolheater – after reading about him online for years – so I was excited about that and asked Brad Pennock to take this photo with my camera.
Sharonlee, Michael, Steven, and Diana
getting ready for after-dinner squatching
on Friday Ridge Road.
After dinner everyone else went to Friday Ridge Road for a few hours of squatching since there have been recent Bigfoot sighting reports in that area according to Steve Streufert of Bigfoot Books. I’d already been there earlier in the day, but I didn’t say a word about it to anyone, until now. I had to get back to Happy Camp – and it is a two hour drive along a winding river road, with cliffs, high bridges, and other things I don’t like – such as rocks that fall on the highway and the occasional deer that gets mesmerized by headlights.
About the only thing I haven’t seen on the Klamath River Highway (Hwy. 96) is a Bigfoot. I’ve seen a large cougar in the middle of the road. I’ve seen a huge bear cross the highway while I was out hiking near my home. But Bigfoot? No………. not yet. I still have my hopes set on seeing one, and even communicating with one. At least I live in the right neighborhood!
It was a real treat for me to meet the Believe It Team, Sharonlee, Steven, and Craig – especially as I’ve been somewhat of a hermit the last few years. I don’t get out much… but if anyone is coming to the area for squatching, or sight seeing, please give me a call (I’m in the phone book and on Skype: ‘lindajomartin’) or email me first. I’m now enthusiastic about meeting Bigfoot researchers!
A few more photos of the Believe It Team:
Diana, Michael, and Brad inside the Willow Creek Bigfoot Museum.
I am the last to blog about this… you can read Sharonlee’s account on her blog: Bigfoot Field Reporter, and the Believe It Tour version of events on their blog: Believe It Tour Blog, and Steven Streufert’s version on his blog: Bigfoot’s Blog.
The story doesn’t end here. After spending the night at the Bluff Creek site of the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film, the Believe It Tour came back through Happy Camp and we connected to take pictures at Happy Camp’s Bigfoot statue. The next day Sharonlee and Craig came through Happy Camp and phoned me… and I went downtown with my partner, Bob, where we met them and went to a local sighting location. I will write about that soon… it requires its own posting because there’s a new footprint casting involved!
- Can You Believe It? . . . In Bigfoot Country?
- The Bigfoot Field Reporter
- The Bigfoot Museum – Willow Creek, CA
- Bigfoot Research Lodging: Hotels, Motels, RV Parks, and Campsites Near the Bigfoot Scenic Byway and Bluff Creek in Northern California
- Tribal Bigfoot – Comments on Chapter Seven: “Trinity County”
