Wreckage of the Peter Irdale

This shipwreck is in the Fort Stevens, Oregon State Park. We visited here in 2004 while on an Oregon Coast vacation trip. This image was captured prior to my digital days on slide film.

The Answer?

OK. I called a couple of people, and had one, just one comment about my SNAPS on my Blog. I thought half the people on the internet would have been interested in my blog. Is it with or without a capital Bb? Anyway....

The City Electrical Department had not a clue but checked all their stuff around my neighborhood anyway. I was told to contact an electrician. Sound advice. I also talked to my sister's father-in-law. He knows more about electronics than anyone else I know.

He didn't have an answer but would call back if he thought of anything. Sure enough within a half an hour Tom called back with a possible answer. The TV. I've heard our TV snap in the past. Most all older tube TVs snap when they release static inside somewhere. Ours has never snapped like that before though. Oh well, I guess everything has to start somewhere. Now for the bad news (at least I think so).

While we haven't been home all the time there hasn't been a snap in over thirty two hours. Since I got rid of the AAA batteries which the city guy said could not possibly cause the snap.

Guess we just wait...for the next SNAP.

Bye the way, the comment. It is from my sister. She is probably right. God is always trying to get my attention. Usually by different means though. My wife and daughter must need to give Him some attention too because they also heard the snap.

Livingroom Snaps (Static Electricity Discharges?)

The area I live in was experiencing 10-20 mph north winds, 105 deg. f, and single digit humidity. Good weather for static.

Well, it started on Thursday, August 28, 2008 at about 10:30pm. I was reading in our living room when the quiet suddenly snapped. I mean it really snapped. Just like a static shock from touching the door knob but way, way louder. It seemed to come from the middle of the living room. I immediately thought it was the electric fan that was running on the floor to keep me cool. My wife heard it too. She was in the bedroom. Needless to say she was not too happy about the implications of an electrical snap in our living room.

It wasn't the fan.


August 29, 2008, 1:30pm: Again sitting in my recliner (attempting a short nap) the snap broke the quiet. The fan was unplugged, the TV and entire entertainment center was shut off at a power strip. Now I am very curious and a little bit disconcerted. What could cause this?

OK, some of you are going to start with the Harry Potter witch transport stuff and poltergeist stuff. I'm pretty sure this is not the case. But if you must post about it I guess go ahead.

Thursday evening my daughter heard a loud noise while reading in the bedroom nearest the living room. While she didn't describe it as a snap she did say it sounded like a screen door slamming shut (close enough I guess).

Friday morning 6:30am. My wife had moved to the bedroom mentioned above after letting the cat outside. I was laying in bed awake but refusing to get up yet. SNAP. Obviously we both heard it. Again.

The only unusual thing in the living room was around thirty AAA batteries laying on the coffee table. They had been there since Saturday, August 24. Weird we didn't hear the snaps until five days later. Most were discharged to around 1.2 volts but six had 1.5+ volts (I saved these). Could they some how create and store static to a point then discharge it in a loud snap? We shall see. After this mornings snap I got rid of the batteries.

We shall see.