Cerro del Gato (aka Cat Mountain) hovers over the desert on Tucson’s far west side. It is said that this southernmost peak of the Tucson Mountains holds surprising ghostly secrets and conceals a hidden treasure.

The treasure, they say, is the buried bounty of a bandit, who was called El Tejano (aka The Texan). El Tejano was an outlaw who robbed stagecoaches in the late 1800’s. He hid from the authorities in the Tucson Mountains, and some say he also favored the Picacho Peak area in his frequent games of hide and seek. It is rumored that El Tejano hid an enormous cache of gold coins in a cave in Cerro del Gato, before paying the highest price for his crimes. He was sought, and then he was found. He was shot to death.

After his death, the rumors of his hidden coins spread far and wide. No one knows for sure how much truth there is to this legend that dates back to well over a century ago. It could be nothing more than a version of the telephone game, where the initial truth has become distorted into the story I’m telling you today. In that game, as you know, errors tend accumulate in the retellings, so the statement made by the last player differs significantly from the one uttered by the first. After El Tejano’s death, the game shifted to “finders keepers”…but, with a catch. If you find the treasure, you will find yourself standing face to face with the outlaw. El Tejano will let you keep the treasure on one condition. The creepy caveat to his challenge is said to be: “Todo o nada” (“All or nothing”)

The treasure has been found, numerous times, according to local legend. The treasure is just too vast to carry out of the cave in one trip. Those who say they found it, have experienced some sort of paranormal form of amnesia. The terror caused by El Tejano seems to leave the treasure seekers scared out of their minds. So scared, in fact, that they just can’t recall exactly how they happened to come upon the treasure. So, the treasure still sits, undisturbed, in the haunted cave that is guarded by a ghost.

My grandmother told me the story of El Tejano when I was young. She added that her own uncle had an encounter with El Tejano. My great uncle wasn’t out seeking treasure that day, though. Instead, he was on a journey to Tucson from Mexico to get supplies and visit with relatives. He wasn’t alone on that day. There were witnesses to what happened next.

The group noticed a man on a horse. This sight is not unusual for the area, even today, to see someone riding a horse near Bopp and Kinney Road. The unusual thing about it is that the horse and its rider appeared to glow. The party ventured closer to get a better look. They noticed that the horse’s hooves made no sound as it galloped. They soon realized that the horse left no imprint on the desert sand. As the horse and its rider moved further away, toward Cerro del Gato, they knew that it could only be El Tejano. They had heard about him before. They knew that the best thing they could do was to just let El Tejano make his journey, completely undisturbed. Since then, others have also claimed to see the ghostly horseman riding through the area, on his way to his post to guard his treasure. This is how I’ve heard the story, at least. History and legend has bound Cerro del Gato and El Tejano together. They will remain associated with each other, for centuries to come, through the retelling of this local folklore.

Treasure seekers beware, according to the local folklore. Do not disturb El Tejano’s treasure – unless you know for sure you can take it all – or you will be left with absolutely nothing.

Todo o nada.

Maybe the next time you drive by, perhaps on the way to Old Tucson Studios for the annual Nightfall event, you might see El Tejano on his horse – galloping in the distance to guard the treasure hidden inside Cerro del Gato.

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For more information about NightFall at Old Tucson Studios (held every night during the month of October), visit the NightFall website, or call them at 520-883-0100.  Old Tucson Studios is located at 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85735.

"Paranormal Activity" Movie Poster

Last night’s advance screening of “Paranormal Activity” at El Con Cinema was horrifically fun. The screening was in advance of tonight’s midnight showing at El Con.  The opportunity for me to attend the advance screening was made possible by txtMovieClub.

This film is unusual in many ways. The movie has released in stages via much hyped advance screenings  in 13 cities across the country. Tonight, midnight showings will take place in those same 13 towns. These limited releases are intended to create a buzz for cities to ”Demand It” in a national competition via the movie’s website. The winning town will enjoy the “major” film release. The film was first shown in 2007 at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival. That same year, DreamWorks Studios took an interest in the film. At the time, Steven Spielberg took a DVD copy of the movie home, but returned it to the Studios in a trash bag after experiencing some paranormal activity of his own. A bedroom door in his home became inexplicably locked from the inside, requiring the aid of a locksmith to unlock it.

The ending of the film last night was not the original ending offered in the 2007 film festival. Knowing both endings, I personally think I would have preferred the 2007 version. I am wondering whether the major film release could present yet another alternate ending, to prevent spoilers. Maybe, maybe not. I can tell you that last night’s ending was pretty scary, even if it wasn’t my preferred choice.

The film depicts a segment of the lives of a normal, but fictional, San Diego couple who are experiencing paranormal phenomena. The actors share their first names with their characters Micah (Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston), who have been together for three years. The movie begins with Micah shooting footage of the tormented Katie. We learn in these opening shots that Micah purchased the camera to document the paranormal activity which has followed Katie since she was 8 years old. Everything the audience sees is the “footage” captured by Micah. Yes, it is reminiscent of “The Blair Witch Project” in this respect. However, “Paranormal Activity” is a much better film.

The film’s promotional poster promises nightmares – which I did not have. It also “guarantees” that the film will “leave an imprint on your psyche”…It did that for me for about 2 hours. It did have me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was entirely impressed by the comedy incorporated into the film alongside the terrifying moments. The realistic interaction and frequent banter between Micah and Katie was highly entertaining. You may be left with questions about the decision making skills of Micah and Katie. However, that’s what horror flicks are all about. The film builds up to a climax, much like the manner in which the movie studio is releasing the film to the public. If you have been waiting for a non-gory film that surprises and scares, this is it.

Catch it tonight at El Con’s CineMark Theater. The replaying of Micah’s “footage” will commence promptly at 12:01 am. Get there early, though.

The film is Rated R for language with a run time of 1 hour and 36 minutes.

It’s hard to believe that September will conclude in less than a week and that October is lurking just around the corner. October is my favorite month of the year. Each passing day leads me closer to my favorite day of the year:  Halloween!

Until October 31^st, I will pass the time online. I will search Google News for any stories related to ghosts and hauntings. You Tube is also a favorite of mine, so I can view any newly uploaded videos that scream out with the title “REAL GHOST CAUGHT ON TAPE!” This is just what I do, and what I have done, for the last few years.

I really don’t know how I survived without the internet while growing up in the 70’s and 80’s. Well, that’s not true. I did survive quite nicely, thanks to public (and school) libraries. Before the internet came along, I would spend my lunch breaks in my school library, reading about ghosts. After school, I would sometimes stop at the public library to read there. Every once in a while, I would check some books out of one of the libraries and bring them home. I still go to the library, or to a bookstore, on occasion. Mostly, though, I rely on the internet. With Information Resources and Library Sciences as my minor area of study in college, it does say much about me. I love libraries, I love searching for information, and I love the internet.

One guilty pleasure in which you can find me immersed during my free time, would very likely be viewing any number of “Ghost Cams” on the internet. These online cameras allow anyone to become a ghost hunter from the comfort of their own home. My absolute favorite cam is the Willard Library Ghost Cam.

Haunted Willard Library

The Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana is said to be haunted. The paranormal activity in the library has ranged from hearing noises to actual physical contact. The ghost, dubbed “The Grey Lady”, was first seen by a custodian in the 1930’s.  She is thought to be the ghost of a former librarian. Since the initial sighting, library staff, library patrons, and even policemen, have all claimed to see the ghost. Actually, the policemen claimed to have seen two ghosts. This leads to the question of the identity of the second ghost. I wish I had the answer to that question. The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) investigated the library on a past episode of Ghost Hunters, but did not come up with any evidence to support the claim that the building is haunted.

The library offers three cameras:

The Children’s Room Cam

The Research Room Cam

The Basement Cam

The Willard Library website cites that the most sightings have occurred in the Children’s Room. The library’s website allows for screen shots to be captured by cam viewers. If a screen shot captured by a viewer appears to show proof of the ghost, the viewer is welcome to submit their proof for the world to see. Of course, librarians have a sense of humor, so there is an opportunity to submit faked photos as a “spoof”, as well. The faked photos are highly entertaining, too. So, whether your submit “proof or spoof” of a spook, it is worth the time to visit the website and just perform your own ghost investigation from the comfort of your own home.

In all the years I have watched the cam, I can’t say that I’ve ever spotted anything out of the ordinary. That’s okay, I do enjoy the Willard Library Cam. If I can’t visit a real haunted library (not that there is a shortage of them), I can always visit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in cyberspace. It is there that I enjoy my two greatest loves: libraries and ghosts.