Cryptozoology and the Bleecker Mountain Idiot.

cryp·to·zo·ol·o·gy

ˌkriptəzōˈäləjē,-zo͞o-/

noun

1. the search for and study of animals whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated, such as the Loch Ness monster and the yeti.

I guess Sasquatch is a cryptozoological being since 85% of you reading this believe, as I once did, that Bigfoot was big nonsense.  If you follow this sporadic blog, you know that I now feel differently about it.  Quite differently.

There are three kinds of Sasquatch researchers:

1. The armchair researcher.  This person devours all things Sasquatch related.  He/she reads every book he can get his hands on.  Google is his best friend.  This would be me.
2. The field researcher.  While he/she may read an occasional book or visit a few Facebook pages related to Sasquatch, this person prefers boots on the ground and twigs in her hair.  This would be Pam.
3. The habituator.  This person doesn't have to go anywhere to research Sasquatch.  He/she lives among them.  They come to her.  Habituators develop close and personal relationships with their local Sasquatch, something others cannot achieve.  This would be Pam and I both.

Moving on to other ways to research Sasquatch and other cryptids, there is the conference.  Every field of study has them, and so too does cryptozoology.  Pam and I attended our first conference last week, a cyrptozoologic conference in St. Augustine, and I have the photos to prove it.

The presenters

Everyone, including the audience

A hand carving from New Guinea

Several authors were signing books

The sponsor, located in Portland Maine

A statue of the big guy

A Native American depiction of a Sasquatch crying because everyone is afraid of him

An Indian tale.  Sasquatches come to the villages at night and scoop all of the bad children into baskets to take home to eat.

I've never seen this show, of course, but Pat Spain (Troy NY) was hysterical!

This is Loren Coleman, a famous researcher and author.  I asked him to sign my copy of Cryptid Culture magazine, which has an article about his museum in it.  He graciously agreed.  We're laughing because I told him that to repay him, I would sign my article in the next issue of that magazine.  All he needed to do was to carry it everywhere he went with hopes he'd meet me again.