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A Real Live Gnome in Pennsylvania?
Earthfiles.com ^ | 23AUG2014 | Linda Moulton Howe

Posted on 08/24/2014 10:17:04 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine

August 23, 2014 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - In 1200 A.D., a Swedish man named Frederik Ugarph found a hard wood statue only about six inches (15 cm) high of a little person wearing a conical hat in what is now Trondheim, Norway. The statue was standing on a pedestal engraved with the words: “NISSE Riktig Storrelse.” That means, “Gnome, actual height.” Owned and housed today by the Oliv family in Uppsala, Norway, X-ray tests indicate the wooden statue is more than 2,000 years old, perhaps carved from a tree that is no longer known.

Another historic account of a “miniature person” was written by a Roman sergeant named Publius Octavus in 470 A.D.: “Today I saw a miniature person with my own eyes. He wore a red cap and blue shirt. He had a white beard and green pants. He said that he had lived in this land (Italy) for twenty years. He spoke our language, mixed with strange words. Since then I have spoken with the little man many times. He said he was a descendant of a race called Kuwalden, a word unknown to us, and that there were only a few of them in the world. He liked to drink milk. Time and again, I saw him cure sick animals in the meadows.”

A Gnome North of Pittsburgh?

On Thursday, August 21, 2014, the following email was sent to Earthfiles with images taken by a Bolymedia hunting camera sensitive to heat and movement. The sender, Keith Sniadach (SNY-dack) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, gave me permission to reprint his email and images.

"August 21, 2014

Hello Ms. Howe,

My name is Keith Sniadach. I am an author, screenwriter and researcher from Pittsburgh. My writing is geared toward the paranormal/supernatural. (You can go to Amazon and type my name in the search bar to see my books).

I'm writing to ask if you have had any reports come in of any gnomes/trolls or any other mythological and/or cryptid forest creatures like a brownie in the northeast U.S. -- particularly Western Pennsylvania.

The reason is because I have a cabin north of Pittsburgh in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania where I enjoy the summer months. I have a game camera set up in the woods to capture images of the abundant wildlife in the area. I've been using one for almost 20 years now. Three weeks ago, after checking my camera, I discovered a series of three images of a creature that I have NEVER seen before. The images were taken consecutively and 1-second apart. It is not a leaf in the foreground or any type of weed or plant. My camera detects heat and motion, so whatever this was, it gave off heat and also moved.

I've left the camera in the same spot all summer now in hopes of capturing more images of it, but I have not. My father and I also took comparison pictures to determine the height of this creature. It stands approximately 44-inches tall.

All I can say is, to me, it looks like a gnome, troll or brownie of some sort. In picture #1 (200 .jpg), the creature is walking towards the camera.

It has a pink pig-like face, bulbous black eyes and a bizarre coned head. His legs are skinny. It's not until pictures #2 (201 .jpg) and #3 (202 .jpg) where you can see the coned head seems to be a hat with a white ball on top. Also, in picture #2 his back is now facing towards the camera and it looks like he's wearing leather of some sort.

I've gotten pictures of unknown things before with my game camera, but always dismissed them because it was always one photo. With only one photo, it could be explained away as a bird taking flight with an upturned wing, a trick of light, lens flare, or misidentification or whatever. But, with three images, all showing pretty much the same creature, well . . . now I'm stumped. I posted the images on my Facebook page for my friends and one of them has actually seen a similar creature about 25 miles north of where these pictures were taken. She said she took a picture of it and would send me a copy, but I have yet to receive it.

We have had Bigfoot activity at my cabin for many years now too. I do go squatchin' (searching for Bigfoot) on and around our property and have had some great results. My father and I heard a Bigfoot screaming from a valley one evening. My father answered it. What happened next was a 5-minute back-and-forth conversation of "screams" between my dad and the Bigfoot. I sent the series of recordings to Cliff Barackman from Finding Bigfoot. He said it was extremely compelling and in his estimation, I captured the audio of a Bigfoot. But, I'm not sure if that activity has anything to do with this creature though. Also, what is being called "The Winged Humanoid of Butler County" has been sighted by at least 8 to 10 people in the area. Again though, I'm not sure if this creature has anything to do with that one.

I'm attaching the three original pictures (feel free to enlarge them with your own software) and also my own personal enlargements as well. These pictures have not been altered in any way, shape or form and are completely authentic. I do not believe anyone is playing tricks on me. My cabin is in a remote area and no one knows where my game camera is. I believe this creature is a real one and not a hoax. I'm just completely stumped as to what this is or could be.

Thank you for any help you can give me Ms. Howe,

Keith Sniadach

Comments by Daniel Drasin, Professional Digital Image Analyzer

August 22, 2014

Dear Linda,

This series of three frames from Keith Sniadach is a real headscratcher.

First of all, in my opinion Mr. Snaiadach seems entirely sincere -- I get no red flags from his narrative. The EXIF data for all three JPEG files appears to confirm the technical details he has provided, and reveals that the images were captured on a Bolymedia hunting camera. (See Websites below for http://www.bolymedia.com/Products/?1-1.html). I see no obvious evidence of Photoshop manipulation, which, in this case, would have required considerable skill to pull off seamlessly.

The "gnome" figure is certainly one of the oddest manifestations I've ever seen. This whimsical porcine character (or at least his hat, which has no visible white ball at the top in the first frame) seems to have shape-shifted between these three frames, but it's hard to tell. The main part (the head in the first one, and the apparent body in the second) seem to have correct shading for a three-dimensional object, given the dominant angle of illumination -- from the upper left. I don't know what to make of the conical shape in the third frame -- it's a much lighter color than the pointy hat we see in the first frame.

In all three frames this critter seems to be standing on two spindly legs that are disproportionately thin and narrow relative to the shape and size of the upper body and head. In the first frame there also appears to be something like an additional leg kicking out to the left, but it's somewhat diaphanous and two-dimensional. I can't imagine what it might be.

So there you have it. Mr. Sniadach mentions a possible cross-confirming photo taken by someone else. That would be most interesting to see if it becomes available.

Best,

=Dan=

Keith Sniadach is in touch with the other western Pennsylvania eyewitness, who was with her husband five years ago in a parking lot of a state park when a little figure between 3.5 to 4 feet tall wearing a pointed hat came towards them. Keith reports from the wife, “They heard rustling off to the side and this ‘thing’ came walking out of the woods, saw them and started jogging towards them.” The couple panicked, hurried into their car and as the husband was backing out, the wife grabbed her camera from her purse in the back seat and took one image of the “gnome-like” entity running towards them. She is looking for the image to share in this report as a comparison to Keith Sniadach's July 2, 2014, images from the rural cabin not too far from the state park.

Interview:

Keith Sniadach, Writer and Author, "Relics of God, A Supernatural Guide to Religious Artifacts, Sacred Locations and Holy Souls," Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:

“I have a cabin and it's within a 60-mile radius of Pittsburgh. I live in Pittsburgh, a suburb of Pittsburgh. My family has owned this cabin property for 40 years now. We go up there in the summer and for probably 20 years now I've been putting up a game camera just to capture the wildlife. The wildlife is incredible up there!

So, I hang this camera up and I put an SD (Secure Digital) card in it, put the batteries in and leave it go and every two weeks when I go up, the first thing I do is check the SD card and run through the pictures. This particular set of pictures — I believe there were 295 because it had been three and a half weeks since I checked it last. It's why there were so many pictures on it. And the majority of the pictures that time were of two bears. They've been frequenting our property for the last year. I've got 140 pictures of the bears. I scanned through those and all of a sudden, I came upon these three images that I couldn't explain.

WHAT WAS YOUR VERY FIRST REACTION WHEN YOU SAW THESE THREE IMAGES?

Kind of shocked! I showed my Dad and my brother and nephew were there at the time, too, and all four of us were looking at it like that has to be a leaf or bird. And then I blew it up as much as I could on my digital camera, but we couldn't make heads or tails of it. I knew I had something I had never seen before.

Once I blew the images up, the first picture he was coming towards the camera and you could see the eyes, the cone head. I've gotten tons of pictures of turkeys and crows and other animals and this is one I've never seen before.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT DATE FROM YOUR CAMERA FRAMES THAT THIS LITTLE CREATURE SHOWED UP?

It was Wednesday, July 2, 2014, at 7:38:18 AM Eastern. That was picture #1. I had the camera set for 1-second-intervals, and it will take a series of three shots over three seconds.

Now this 2nd picture, #2, was at 7:38:18 AM Eastern as well, which confused me at first because it's the same time as the first picture. So, I'm not sure about the time frame with that because the creature obviously moves probably a good 12 to 15 feet down the trail from the time the first picture was taken.

But then he goes in the third picture, #3 — now, this third one was two seconds later. It's at 7:38:20. So, the first two were at 7:38 and 18 seconds. The third one is at 7:38 and 20 seconds. So, it took the three pictures over two seconds.

THAT LITTLE CREATURE SEEMS TO GO QUITE A WAYS BETWEEN THE FIRST ONE AND THE THIRD ONE.

Yes, my Dad and I went up the next week after looking at this and we tried to triangulate everything and it's a little bit harder with my dad who is 6 feet tall and me lying on the ground right where the camera is using my other digital camera. Then we also took other pictures using the remote control on the game camera to try to triangulate it as well. But it seems like he (gnome) covered approximately 15 to 20 feet between the first and third pictures in two seconds!

The first one (1st gnome image), I think we got a very good spot on him. Where Dad stood, he was holding the tape measure. I know it's not scientific, but he was roughly 44 inches tall — came up to my Dad's elbow at the top of the (gnome's) head, top of the cone (hat).

IT'S A 4-FOOT-TALLLITTLE CREATURE WITH SOME SORT OF A POINTED HAT THAT IS WALKING IN FRONT OF THAT TREE IN THE FIRST IMAGE AND THERE IS THAT STICK IN THE FOREGROUND. THEN THE GNOME SEEMS TO CHANGE IN THE SECOND IMAGE BACK TOWARD THE TREE FROM THE FIRST IMAGE.

It went back down the trail.

YOU THINK THAT'S ABOUT 15 OR 20 FEET, AND THEN IN THE THIRD IMAGE, IT APPEARS TO BE ...

I think the third image might be 6 or 8 more feet beyond that, maybe. He's not very much further down than he is in the second image.

AND APPEARS TO HAVE NOW A LITTLE WHITE ROUND THING ON TOP OF THE CONICAL HAT.

Yes! I see it in the second image, too. In the second image, if you look at the head area, you'll see the white ball there right above it.

IT IS DISTINCTLY A CONICAL HAT THAT IS SITTING ON TOP OF A HEAD AND THE EYES SEEM TO HAVE HEAVY LIDS — GREY COLORED HEAVY LIDS.

Yeah, that's the one thing that stuck out for me other than the conical hat-head — were the eyes, the bulging eyes! Big heavy lids and to me, if you look at the right eye, it kind of looks like its bulging out of the head — really weird-looking from that angle.

I don't know if it instantly knew that it had its picture taken and then suddenly it turned around because he is coming towards the camera. Then suddenly in the second picture, he hightailed it the other direction. Now you see his back.

YOU AND YOUR DAD GOING TO THIS LOCATION AND TRYING TO TRIANGULATE AND MEASURE, THIS LITTLE ENTITY WAS ABOUT 44 INCHES TALL AND THE FIRST IMAGE, THE CAMERA WAS TRIGGERED BY ITS PRESENCE MOVING. AND THE NEXT TWO IMAGES THAT COVERED ONLY A TIME SPANIN THE CAMERA OF TWO SECONDS WAS OF THIS LITTLE ENTITY TURNING IMMEDIATELY AROUND AND GOING BACK THAT COVERED 10, 15 OR 20 FEET OVER THE NEXT TWO IMAGES.

Yes, absolutely. I think it's pretty clear, pretty evident by these three pictures that he (gnome) is walking towards the camera. Then suddenly, for whatever reason — maybe he heard it, although the camera really make any noise. It's pretty silent. But maybe he instinctively knew that his image was taken. Then he spun around and Boom! He's back down the other way. Wish he had kept going towards the camera! (laughs)

YES, AND FROM WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR GAME CAMERA, WHAT IS THE LONGEST DISTANCE FROM THE CAMERA THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS ALIVE WOULD FIRST TRIGGER THE CAMERA?

Well, the flash goes to 90 feet.

SO SHOULD THIS LITTLE ENTITY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT BY THE CAMERA IN 4TH, 5TH AND 6TH PICTURES — UNLESS IT WAS MOVING SO FAST, OR POPPED OUT OF VISIBILITY?

Yeah, I think by the time that the first image would have been taken, I think a bear was the next image. I think by the time it takes for the three images (2 seconds), and then it takes a full minute — I have it set that way — the camera takes a minute and then will take three more pictures.

By the time that third picture hit and took the picture, it was not going to take another picture for one more minute. So, by that time, he was gone.

SO, THE CAMERA WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER IMAGE AFTER THAT THIRD ONE ANYWAY FOR A MINUTE.

Yes. There's a minute interval between the series of pictures.

THE SERIES OF PICTURES IS THREE AT A TIME?

Yes. He (gnome) actually looks a little different to me, too, in those two seconds. I don't know if it is shape-shifting or what? I don't know, but to me it looks like he's a little bit different.

The whole thing is bizarre, Linda! (laughs)

YOUR CAMERA IS STILL OUT THERE CLICKING AWAY TO ANYTHING — WHAT? — THAT SETS IT OFF IN INFRARED?

Absolutely. This one is motion and heat sensor. So anything with a pulse that is walking by and is alive and giving off heat, it will take a picture of it. It's a Scout Guard game camera. (See Websites below.) I rarely have any false positives. I pretty much know that any time there's an image when I turn it on and put the SD card in my other camera and look at it, if there's an image, it's more than likely going to have an animal in it.

I have captured over the years quite a few orbs up there. This area is a pretty cool area. There's a lot of weird things that happen, especially in western Pennsylvania in general. A lot of orbs, a lot of Bigfoot sightings and big cats, stuff like that.

I'M HEARING YOU TELL ME THAT YOUR CAMERA COULD NOT HAVE GONE OFF UNLESS THERE WAS SOME SORT OF HEAT AND MOVEMENT AND YOU ARE SAYING THEN THAT THIS IS A REAL LIVE LITTLE CREATURE THAT WAS MOVING AROUND FAST IN TWO SECONDSAND SET OFF YOUR GAME CAMERA TO TAKE THOSE THREE IMAGES.

Yeah, that's it!”


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Miscellaneous; UFO's; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: elves; frederikugarph; gnomes; keithsniadach; lindamoultonhowe; norway; pa; pennsylvania; pittsburgh; publiusoctavus; romanempire; sweden; uppsala
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1 posted on 08/24/2014 10:17:04 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine
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To: Jack Hydrazine
Pics of said, "gnome."






2 posted on 08/24/2014 10:20:51 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

Related article:

Why Icelanders are wary of elves living beneath the rocks
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3170921/posts

Maybe there is some truth to their belief in elves, gnomes, or whatever name you want to give to these creatures.


3 posted on 08/24/2014 10:23:47 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

“I am an author, screenwriter and researcher from Pittsburgh. My writing is geared toward the paranormal/supernatural. “

But the investigator gets no “red flags” and thinks that the photographer is sincere?


4 posted on 08/24/2014 10:25:53 AM PDT by Controlling Legal Authority
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To: Jack Hydrazine
Not to be confused with the Michigan Troll.


5 posted on 08/24/2014 10:26:42 AM PDT by cripplecreek ("Moderates" are lying manipulative bottom feeding scum.)
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To: Controlling Legal Authority

I was thinking the same thing.


6 posted on 08/24/2014 10:26:53 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

I’m from NW PA and that is my nephew Artie, trying to find his way home after sampling his moonshine in the hollers. Sheesh!


7 posted on 08/24/2014 10:27:36 AM PDT by Safetgiver ( Islam makes barbarism look genteel.)
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To: Safetgiver

ROFLMAO!


8 posted on 08/24/2014 10:28:40 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: cripplecreek

I thought IT was an Ogre?

LOL


9 posted on 08/24/2014 10:29:02 AM PDT by mj1234
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To: mj1234

I think Trolls are a subspecies of Ogres.


10 posted on 08/24/2014 10:29:57 AM PDT by cripplecreek ("Moderates" are lying manipulative bottom feeding scum.)
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To: Controlling Legal Authority

The investigator is a regular on the Coast-to-Coast AM program. That should tell you all you need to know.


11 posted on 08/24/2014 10:31:58 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.)
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To: mj1234

“I thought IT was an Ogre?”

Al oGre?


12 posted on 08/24/2014 10:37:00 AM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

Other related headlines:

Woman in Iceland sees and hears ‘elves’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3154795/posts

Fear of elves made Montreal man get powerful guns
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2607889/posts

Iceland’s secret? Belief in elves..
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2295903/posts

Elf Detection 101-How to find the hidden folk of Iceland
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2204727/posts

State wants to ban beer import because of elf on label
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1511673/posts

Encounters with Gnomes
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2547449/posts

Deputies: Cache of 60 stolen gnomes found.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2410096/posts

The battle to save gnome man’s land
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/638265/posts

Police nab alleged gnome-napper
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1082368/posts

I was surprised to see the number of articles posted on FR about elves and gnomes. Uff da!


13 posted on 08/24/2014 10:37:02 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: Fresh Wind

Giorgio Tsoukalos (Wigged out hair ancient Aliens guy) calls himself a researcher but his degree is in sports broadcasting.


14 posted on 08/24/2014 10:37:57 AM PDT by cripplecreek ("Moderates" are lying manipulative bottom feeding scum.)
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To: Jack Hydrazine
leprechaun photo: Leprechaun leprauchaun.jpg
15 posted on 08/24/2014 10:44:26 AM PDT by Snickering Hound
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
Al oGre?

Yes, I believe he lives in Gnome, Alaska.

16 posted on 08/24/2014 10:45:24 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.)
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To: Jack Hydrazine
They put a Garden Gnome in a forest and took a few pics of it.

Big whoop.

17 posted on 08/24/2014 10:45:45 AM PDT by Lazamataz (First we beat the Soviet Union. Then we became them.)
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To: Lazamataz

Kind of pink and rubbery looking!


18 posted on 08/24/2014 10:48:13 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: Lazamataz

He was pilfered from your garden and taken on a trip.


19 posted on 08/24/2014 10:49:17 AM PDT by RedMDer (May we always be happy and may our enemies always know it. - Sarah Palin, 10-18-2010)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

I believe him. What possible reason could anyone have to lie about this? /sarc


20 posted on 08/24/2014 10:50:15 AM PDT by Cowboy Bob (They are called "Liberals" because the word "parasite" was already taken.)
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