Later settlers came, and they too raised their families, built their homes, and spent their lives on these magnificent hills.  

So every place has a history, and if the land could talk to us, we would learn about the people who lived here before us.   Instead, the old shacks are torn down and new people move in and they build newer (and larger) buildings and homes in their place.

Most of the time there is no conflict between the years and the shadows of the people who lived in different time periods.  But once in a while, something happens, maybe to the material of time, maybe a fold, maybe a spirit that simply does not wish to move on just yet?     When this happens, we might have what we like to call a "ghost" and we have such a ghost story to share.   Use your imagination, how much is true and how much is fancy, I will never dare to guess.  But there is a story to tell.
 

Here is where the legend of Mae To takes place, and you can see this love story on this link.    This lovely House overlooks the area where the star crossed lovers are fabled to have lived and this beautiful three story home sits on the edge of the headland with ocean and beach views in three directions.   Some say they have seen the star- crossed lovers sitting on a mound just below the House, looking out to watch the sunset on a perfect evening.  Some say that if you have married and you stay in this house, and if you are lucky enough to see the couple just as the sun sets over the ocean, you will be blessed by  MaeTo  and your marriage will be wonderful.

Not long after we put the Legend of MaeTo on our website, and on a sunny spring day in 2006 I myself was in the house.    I had just gone all the way up to the top floor of the house to check the windows, one had a small leak during the last storm and I wanted to be sure the leak had been fixed.  The winter storms can challenge a house on this hill over the ocean!

I was alone in the house, and I was expecting a guest to arrive in a few hours, so when I heard voices on the lower floor (just out of hearing, I could not hear the words, only the sound of the voices themselves) I was surprised that the guests had arrived so early!   I went down the two flights of stairs to the lower level where the front door, living room, dining room, and kitchen are located.  To my surprise, no one was there!   I was actually rather glad, since I did think I had locked the front door when I entered.    Well, I must have heard the people on the outside of the house instead, they were probably waiting out by the front door for me.   I walked outside, and all around the house but no one was there at all!

I did not think too much about it at the time, but instead went about my business of supplying each of the lovely rooms, eventually ending up on the top floor of the three level house again.  I was looking out at the ocean and Before too long, I heard the two voices again, this time I called down, and then I looked out the wall of windows which overlook the entire driveway and the approach, but of course once again no one was around.     How did I feel about this?   Well, to tell you the truth I felt kind of warm and safe.  Can't tell you why, but I certainly felt that I was being protected, and was not the least bit disturbed.  I barely thought about the incident again for months!

On the top floor of the lovely home, he went over to the double french doors that lead out to the upper deck  (the one with the view all the way to the lighthouse)  and tested the lock out of habit, just to make sure they were closed and securely locked into place.  The wind can be strong at the top of this deck at times, and we rarely walk past a door without checking to make sure it is secure! 

He found that the doors were securely closed, with the little locks right in place.  He went back down to the laundry room to gather more supplies, and when he worked his way back to the top floor of this large house again, he was in for a shock.  The doors he had tested only a few minutes before, were now standing wide open!   Not swung as if by wind, but neatly opened and gently placed in position with the beautiful french doors wide and welcoming to the deck that overlooks the entire coast! 

I am afraid he was quite startled, and the towels and cute little soaps went flying all over the room!  He does not admit to a shriek  ( but I wonder ).    I will bet MaeTo had quite a laugh if she stayed to watch his reaction!   I can just imagine those neatly folded towels flying first up, and then down all over the vacuumed carpeting!   And the little soaps landing all around on top.  Quite a comical picture, and even Ben had a good laugh once he recovered his composure! 

Again, he felt no ill will, only the silent laughter of a prank well done, so he picked up the fallen towels, refolded and placed them in the bath, along with the retrieved little bars of soap.   He laughed at himself as he closed and locked the French doors once again.  He heard a little twitter of words downstairs too at this point, but again no one was seen.

And I have to admit that a pretty nasty couple who once rented the house and were very disagreeable and cranky, had to leave after just one day when suddenly nothing in the house would work quite right!   When we got there everything was fine, and the next guest had no problems nor had the one before, but this guest could not operate anything in the house!   Hmmm, I have often wondered about that one!

So I hope that in the future the guests of the beautiful house will tell us about their experiences with MaeTo and her husband.   I think when you have six or eight family members staying in the vacation home together (as is usually the case) the guests tend to keep too busy to notice these things, but we enjoy hearing about the little pranks played by MaeTo and her husband should you notice any.  They do this in the very most loving of ways!

So come to the Oregon coast and if you would like to have a chance to stay in one of our "haunted" houses (all are kindly haunted we guarantee, unless you are a very disagreeable sort),  just ask us!   If you are quiet you may be able to see or hear a ghost during your stay!

She wondered about this for a while.  Was she just hot and tired and seeing things?   Let's hope not!   But in the guest book on the coffee table she remembered reading an entry by a young boy and she opened the book to take a second look.

Sure enough, the little boy had written in his stiff and immature hand, about the kindly old man he had glimpsed  while he and his family vacationed in the home.   He described the man just the way Cindy had seen!   He was a nice old guy with wrinkled and darkly tanned features, he wore a dark blue hat with gold threads.  He had a pipe and he smelled a bit like the sea.  He gave the little boy a wink, and then he went away.  The folks never even seemed to see!

Well, this huge and wonderful house that sits just steps from the ocean is after all the perfect spot for a Captain of the Sea.   It is three stories tall with many large windows that look out to the water, and on the top it has a replica of a widows walk, and in fact was named the Widows Walk for years before the current owner changed the name to a more charming one to match the charm and warmth of the  home.  But I wonder, was this once a captains home, maybe here on this land?   He may have spent his life on the ocean, on one of the fleet of ships that once sailed from this area.    I remember seeing a photo in an old archive of the area, the captains name escapes me but it sure reminds me of the description these two people have given of the captain who visited the Sandpiper one day!  Could be!

We have a house (shall go unnamed) that seems to be able to read the character of all who stay!   This rambling home overlooks the ocean from the side of a hill.  In this spot sat a pioneer home many years ago, but over time the original house was added on, to create quite a villa these days!   Still parts of the original and very humble home remain, and I think it may be this part that holds the secret of its' insight.

In this home wonderful people stay and bring their families, and enjoy the beauty of the area and the wildlife that wander past.  It is a very special spot with awesome views of the forest and the sea.  These families enjoy every minute of their vacation in this home.

But every once in a while over the years, a guest has come who could not be made happy with anything they see.  You know the kind, they look to be discontent and nothing can change them.    The house itself seems to rebel when one of these people arrive.   The guest cannot be content, and the house seems to encourage this discontent!   Is this possible?   I don't know.   One family (particularly grumpy) spent their entire three day vacation doing inventory on the contents of the home!  They called every hour to comment on the contents, called because there was no cheese slicer (and the fine collection of kitchen knives would not do),  to complain the house did not have a Dutch oven (every vacation needs one), an electric can opener (the cranking type was too hard), and the calls kept coming until it was a caricature of  a guest possessed!   Is it possible, we laughed, that a house can make a person an exaggeration of their selves?   No surely not.   It has to be a coincidence that this happens in this house from time to time.  

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