Recent Central Valley UFO Sightings

From as far south as Porterville to north of Madera, strange things are in the skies. All sightings were reported to the National UFO Reporting Center and are linked back to their original entry.


Occurred : 1/21/2009 19:00
Location: Fresno, CA
Shape: Rectangle
Duration:3 minutes

4 unknown flying crafts were following our car and another one hovered over our neighborhood when we got home.

My husband and I for the last 2 1/2 months have been seeing strange hovering objects in the sky beginning Nov. 3rd 2008. The last sighting was last night around 6:45 pm. We were driving west on McKinley ave in Fresno CA on our way to a meeting. We noticed 4 hovering objects at a stand still on each side of our car about 3 miles up in the sky when we were at a red light. Once our car started moving they moved along side us, every time we stopped they stopped. They all looked alike and did not look like helicopters and not planes. Later on in the evening on the way back home we spotted another craft similar to the ones earlier just hovering at a stand still above the houses in our neighborhood. the object even brightened its lights from red to super bright white. it was still for about 3 minutes then slowly started to move to the right, then left then it either vanished or we just did not catch it take off. This is not the first time we have seen these objects in the sky. we seen larger ones the size of two commercial planes before. We just find it strange that the sightings have not stopped. Our children, my parents friends and my mother in law have all witnessed them. For some strange reason these objects have not gone away and seem to be growing by the numbers each day and showing themselves pretty boldly. If anyone has seen them also please post a report, we hope we are not just going crazy over here by ourselves.


Occurred : 1/23/2009 22:35
Location: Fresno, CA
Shape: Triangle
Duration:3 minutes

Red glowing lights form triangle

I work Security at night, and I was just leaving some ones house that was a loud party call. My partner called me, he is about a mile away locking up a pool and dock area, he tells me to look up in the sky, I do, and there is a big triangle,( the point is at the rear, ) with red glowing lights at each point. Now when I say lights, I don't mean like car or plane or copter lights. They looked like a glow from a fire or if a trash can was turned upside down and a huge road flare was put inside of it. I didn't see anything else to describe, no hull, nothing else.

It was very cloudy that night due to an earlier rain, the clouds were low, and it moved right in them. It also moved very slow. As it moved further away from me, the back light trailed back and the front left light trailed to the left. And that is the last I seen of it. It was also big, hard to tell exactly, best guess, about 60 to 75 feet.

It was some what close, about 100 to 150 yards in front of me, and about 3 light poles up, I am not great at guessing feet when it comes to altitude. There was no sound that I could hear.

Juan, my partner said he seen some of the hull, and saw the lights crossing. I will try to get him to fill a report out.


Occurred : 2/2/2009 20:45
Location: Dinuba, CA
Shape: Triangle
Duration:2 to 3 minutes

Four red light in shape of a triangle gliding over the city of Dinuba CA.

February 02, 2009

Between 8 and 9 o’clock, I stepped outside, like I normally do around this time to smoke a cigarette before heading to sleep. I like gazing up at the stars while I’m smoking and that night I heard like a humming sound, I looked around and then proceeded to look up at the sky. From the corner of my eye (towards my right) I noticed something coming in fast.

As I turned to see what I had seen, the object slowed down and glided across Dinuba, CA. I would guess about 1 ½ from where I was standing and about ½ mile up in the sky. I know that this was not a plane because I have seen planes go across the sky and this did not move like an aircraft. It had four red lights and it was in shape of a triangle. Three lights coming down one side and one on the other side.

I ran inside the house and got my mom to go outside. My mom also seen what I had seen and she was just saying, "What the heck is that?" It glided for about five minutes and then it just speeded off. Before speeding off, the lights turned from red to a yellowish orange color and then it speeded off.


Occurred : 2/3/2009 04:30
Location: Madera, CA
Shape: Sphere

I saw 2 unknown objects with bright lights

I was driving on the freeway when my uncle saw something in the sky and kept pointing to it and couldn't see it at first till i got closer then i saw 2 bright lights in broad daylight just slowly moving kind circular motion then as i got closer one disappeared and I passed underneath it and i saw a black object that appeared to be an unknown object just sitting their floating it wasn't round it wasn't a helicopter or a plane it something different more like a triangle. I reported that sighting to the police department.


Occurred : 2/13/2009 18:30
Location: Fresno, CA
Shape: Circle
Duration:2-3 seconds

Glowing bluish- green ball of light flying west to east at rapid rate of speed

I was driving due east on a dark street when a bluish-green ball of light flew directly over my car from behind me (west) at a very high rate of speed. It was a little smaller than the diameter of a traffic light across 4 lanes of road and had no tail or other lights, just a glowing ball of unearthly light. The sky above me was clear but it's direction was toward the Sierra Nevada mountains which were shrouded in clouds. I couldn't tell if it simply disappeared or was obscured by the distant clouds. Nor could a tell if it was small and close or large and at high enough an altitude to fly into the clouds. No sound was heard.


Occurred : 2/16/2009 19:30
Location: Visalia, CA
Shape: Light
Duration:30-45 minutes

It was about 7:30pm we looked into the sky (Southeast) and there was a very large bright off white light with a green tint around it. It stayed in the same spot just moving back and forth for about 30-45 minutes, then just disappeared. Kind of hovering back and forth. We kept looking at it and took some pictures, but the movie pictures just looks like a white speck moving back and forth. The movies look nothing like just looking at it with the naked eye. We thought it was a bright star, but it had green around it and it hovered back and forth. We also thought at first it was a helicopter, but it never moved. We never took our eyes off of the object, then it just disappeared. No movement at all.


Occurred : 2/24/2009 16:10
Location: Dinuba, CA
Shape: Sphere
Duration:10 minutes

Sphere-like aircraft flying in circle eight pattern at a flying height of a commercial airline.

This day I noticed, what I thought was a flock of birds circling, a group of sphere-like flying objects several feet in the air. Approximate height in the atmosphere is around the level a long distance commercial flight would fly. I thought at the beginning it was a flock of birds, but they were hard to make out and appeared to be 1/3 of the size of a commercial plane flying by seconds after they disappeared. 10-12 spheres flew in a circle 8 pattern in two separate locations in the air and flew at a rather high speed considering the height in the air. They flew in two separate locations for approx. 10 minutes. They disappeared as soon as two commercial airlines flew into view from the south and east. It truly an amazing sight to see with our two 2 year olds and 5 year old as we viewed the sky from the front yard of our house.


Occurred : 3/7/2009 22:15
Location: Porterville, CA
Shape: Fireball
Duration:3 hours

Huge craft moving at incredible speed after hovering for about 3 hours

At around 7:30 PM on March 7, 2009, my boyfriend and I observed what we thought was a very bright star in the western sky. It was much closer then any other stars and it was relatively large but it was not moving, just hovering there, so we ruled out and airplane or helicopter. At around 10:15 PM I had to drive my brother and sister to their grandmother’s house for the night. The kids went outside first while I grabbed my things. One of them screamed so I ran out to see what was wrong. They immediately pointed to the object which we earlier thought was a very bright star or planet, but this time it was bright red, still sitting in the very same spot it was just 3 hours before. By this time my boyfriend and my other brother had also emerged from the house. After observing it for about five minutes the big bright red ball shot across the sky at an amazing speed and covered a distance in one second that would take any airplane a good 5-10 seconds to cover. Then it slowly faded out and was gone.


Occurred : 3/13/2009 19:35
Location: Murrieta, CA
Shape: Circle
Duration:1 min.

A small, flaming- looking object that moved strangely.

Circular flaming object. Seemed like 60 ft. in the air, moving slowly then it took off quickly. We continued to see it for about a 1/2 mile and the flame would get bright and then alternate to a dim flame. Another bystander was watching it while standing outside of a storefront.

Witnesses report unusual sighting in San Francisco's North Beach district on April 12, 2009.

A circular object was hovering in the evening sky. The weather at the time was clear, with some high altitude clouds. The object's angular size was approximately 1/4 full Moon. It had a roughly circular shape, the color was a muted white, and it was clearly illuminated by the setting sun. The object was completely silent and did not resemble any type of aircraft. The object hovered in one position for a minute or so, before slowly moving in a southerly direction - perpendicular to the direction of the brisk prevailing winds.

As the object began to move, it also began to change shape. It formed a triangle, then became more of a rectangle. The other witnesses were commenting on the changing shape, as the object continued gaining altitude while slowly moving to the south, before disappearing from view. As the witnesses talked among themselves, one witness suddenly exclaimed that there was a second object.

The second object was smaller, approximately 1/10 full Moon, and appeared in almost the identical position as the first object. The second object was traveling considerably higher, then hovered for about one minute before slowly moving to the south, and out of view. A third object was observed, and was identical in size to the second object. The object was only visible for around 30 seconds before rapidly gaining altitude and disappearing from view.

The entire event spanned approximately 25 minutes. One of the witnesses claimed to have been a combat photographer in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He indicated that he had extensive experience in identifying both private, commercial, and military aircraft, and that the objects were like nothing he had ever experienced, or had any familiarity with.

I know this is outside of the normal area that I try to report on, but given the fact it was a recent sighting and had several witnesses I wanted to post it. The original story can be found here.

The Adorable Poodle Salon

In the early 1970s there was a dog grooming salon on Blackstone Avenue in Fresno called the Adorable Poodle Salon. From what I can gather it was in the same area as the Wendy's that's near Blackstone and Ashlan.

As soon as the owner moved in, they knew they were not alone. When the would arrive in the morning to open the shop they would find large heavy plants, ones that required two people to move them, were be relocated to the middle of the room. Also, the workers would find that their grooming tools were moved elsewhere.

Apparently whatever was haunting the shop took a liking to one of the girls working there. One day the owner was on a break when she noticed the employee brushing her hand away from her neck, as if something was bothering her. The girl kept exclaiming "Would you please knock it off?!" Finally the owner asked her what was going on. "Your damn ghost won't stop kissing me on the neck!" replied the girl. Apparently after that the ghost stopped kissing her.

The owner would also sense cold spots, lights that would turn on and off, and doors opening and closing by themselves. A general feeling of being watched while alone in the building was also reported. According to this, the owner of the story eventually had the ghost removed or "busted" as the poster reported (who also claims to be one of the owner's children) and all activity stopped.

The Zalud House

The Zalud House - Porterville, CA

I don't know too much behind the paranormal history of the Zalud House as I just heard about it recently. I do know there is a group that is planning on giving haunted tours of the house, with all proceeds going to the house which is now a museum. They are still working out the details, but as soon as I hear about them I'll post them in an update.

The Zalud House, which is located in Porterville, was built for John and Mary Jane Zalud in 1891 and through out it's history it was only occupied by the family. The house is listed on both the National Historcial Registry of Old Houses and the National Register of Historic Places.

The house has remained unchanged over the years. The garden, which has not changed since the 1930's, and the mansard style roof is still the same over a century later. Interior-wise, it is one of the few museums in the country to still have it's original furnishings though they are changed seasonally.

As for paranormal activity, there have been reports of people feeling that they were being watched by some unseen presence, footsteps heard in several words, as well as whispering voices. Given the fact that the house still has it's orginal furnishings, I wouldn't be suprised if some of the Zalud family members were still there along with their possessions.

Unknown Craft That Crashed Near Bakersfield in the 1980's Was A Stealth Fighter

I remember in the late 1980's hearing of an aircraft crashing in the Sierra Nevada's in the southern part of the valley. The entire mountain side has been blocked off by the military, which seemed rather odd for a plane crash. There were reports of a black triangle being seen in the vicinity before the crash. But as usual, the military was quiet on what had actually crashed.

After both the stealth fighter and bomber were revealed to the public, there were rumors that the crash had been a stealth aircraft, but nothing was ever proven. Then, while researching black triangles for another post, I came across an web page listing several F-117 crashes. There I found what had actually happened over twenty years ago.


F-117 Nighthawk, like the one that crashed near Bakersfield.

On July 11, 1986, Major Ross Mulhare flew a F-117 into a mountain near Bakersfield. The cause of the crash has never been officially revealed, but fatigue and disorientation during night flight has been theorized as the probable cause of the crash. Unfortunately Major Mulhare died in the crash.

Here's the link to the page. You will have to scroll down a bit to see the entry about the Bakersfield crash.

Possible Bigfoot Expedition in Fresno County This Summer

I had reported in an earlier post about several Bigfoot sightings above Hunnington Lake, near the Florence Lake area. I was talking to Tom a few days ago about it and he is still interested. It would most likely be late summer or even early fall.

What he wants to do is hike in there during the early part of summer and set up a few field cameras (these are cameras that hunters mount to trees and an IR sensor is tripped whenever an object passes in front of it) at spots that we think will get us some good shots. We'll then mark their locations on a GPS device and hike back on out.


A map of the area, Hunnington Lake is on the left, Florence is to the right

After a few weeks then the main expedition can go in there. I'm thinking of a party of six to eight people. This is going to be rough territory so we will definitely need people with experience in camping and perhaps even hiking. The trip to Florence is a long one. It's only 80 miles east of Fresno but takes around three hours to get there (it takes about 90 minutes alone to get from Hunnington to Florence, so that should say something about the terrain there).

Once there we would stay about a week. Armed with cameras, video cameras, and audio recorders we will try to gather any evidence that we can. Also we will be bringing Plaster of Paris in case we find any footprints, that way we can make a copy. In case there is any physical evidence (i.e. hair or scat) we will bring some plastic containers and zip locks to preserve these.


A 3D image of Florence Lake from Google Earth.


After the week is over we will collect the field cameras and head back home to hopefully go over any evidence we may collect. I'm not guaranteeing we get any evidence or even see or hear Bigfoot, but this is something I want to do. As time progresses, expect to hear more about this.

Want to look for UFOs? Here's what you will need.

Normally I focus on stories and legends around the valley of all things paranormal, but today I thought I would do something different. I thought it would be beneficial to put together a list of equipment that would be useful if one was to either witness a UFO sighting or perhaps investigate a sighting (like the one on I-5).

For starters, I'm going to list the necessary equipment. These can fit in a small case that you can keep in your car and have ready at a moment's notice. Harbor Freight has a good selection and I purchased one there for around $20 and it carries everything except for my DSLR (which I always carry separately anyways).

Now for the necessary equipment. First and foremost, you need a good camera. My favorite is my DSLR, but a regular point and shoot will work fine. Make sure it has a good flash and is at least 6 MP. I also carry a disposable film camera with me for when my digital decides not to work (usually battery drain).

Next is a a video camera. I have a Sony with night shot which is especially useful at night where there is no chance of getting any evidence from your camera. A camera that has a connection to hook up your computer is equally important, but if you don't there are devices that you can purchase (Dazzle is the one that comes to mind) that allow you to upload to your computer. There are other cameras you can purchase for around $150 or so. I know Flip makes a good camera, but no night shot so keep that in mind. Also make sure to have back up media, never know when it will be needed. Also, a mini tripod can be very useful. I don't know how many shaky camera videos I've seen on YouTube that with the use of a tripod, would have been much clearer. Mini tripods do the job and can fit in your kit.

Next piece of equipment that is necessary is very low tech, but very important. Pencil and a notepad. Necessary for note taking and a quick sketch of what you saw. Always use a pencil, never know when you will need to write something down only to find out the ink in your pen has dried up. A compass can be useful when taking notes and making sketches, noting which direction is what. I purchased one at Wal-Mart for around $5. No need to spend any more. A voice recorder is another option and is great for hands free notes, but as with any piece of equipment make sure to carry extra batteries.

Binoculars are also important. There might be something odd in the sky and a quick look through the binoculars can tell you if it's an airplane or something strange. I purchased a decent pair that is in my glove box for around $20 at Target.

Flashlights are another necessary tool that can be useful besides in any UFO investigation. I'm a fan of the Inova flashlight which you can get at Target from $20 on. It's an LED flashlight and the battery life is much longer as well as the light is cleaner and much brighter. I bought one for $40 and is brighter than a police issued flashlight and a third the size.

Finally, and this is something everyone should already have, is a cellphone. One, if you see something you can call the National UFO Reporting Center at (206) 722-3000. Also, when I would go on a ghost investigation, I would always let someone know where I was going in case something happened. Plus if you get into trouble or are lost you can always call for help.

There are other things you can use as acquire as well, but what I've listed is enough. Some people carry around equipment to register the magnetic field around them (EMF) or geiger counters. This stuff is cool to have, but not needed. Honestly if you have a something that will produce evidence for you, that is all that you need. The rest is just fluff.

Hopefully I've created a good starting point for anyone who may be interested in investigating UFO's. Nice thing is most of these things can be used for other things besides investigating, increasing their usefulness.

Fresno Famous Interview

Now normally I post about the weird shit going on in our lovely San Joaquin Valley, but yesterday I had the honor to be interviewed by Famous Whitewater over at Fresno Famous about this blog. And it went quite well I might add.



I thought about just copying and pasting the article here, but would rather link it to get FF some traffic. Great site for all things Fresno. Here's the link to the original article.