a little lufe

Lunar tides are the result of the gravitational attraction between the Moon and the Earth. These tides create a rhythmic rise and fall of the ocean waters, commonly referred to as the sea level. This phenomenon is known as tidal motion. The gravitational force exerted by the Moon is stronger on the side of the Earth that is facing the Moon, causing a bulge in the ocean waters. At the same time, there is also a bulge on the opposite side of the Earth. These bulges lead to high tides in these areas.

These bulges lead to high tides in these areas. As the Earth rotates on its axis, different locations on the Earth's surface experience the high tides. This creates a sense of oceanic movement, with the high tides appearing to "travel" across the oceans.

I Visited a Notoriously Haunted Doll, and Bad Luck Followed Me Everywhere

I'm a relatively superstitious person. I would never walk on someone's grave in a cemetery, I believe in ghosts, and I'm careful to not walk under any ladders. So while I was on my honeymoon in Key West recently and heard about a ghost tour that involved Robert the Doll — a famously haunted doll that brings bad luck to those who visit him — I was pretty intrigued.

For an inanimate object, Robert is pretty well-known. He's been featured on several TV shows and is even toted around to various conventions that center on the occult. Eager to see what all the fuss was about, my husband, Chris, and I booked a tour with a company called Ghosts & Gravestones, which included a stop at the Fort East Martello Museum where Robert resides. While the tour was awesome, our brief encounter with Robert was . . . less than ideal. Why? Well, because he "haunted" me for about 36 hours afterwards.

In order to understand the full extent of this, it's important to know Robert's sordid past. Originally given as a gift to Eugene Otto, an author and painter, by his grandfather in 1904, the two were instantly inseparable. It's said that Robert the Doll's outfit was even modeled after one Eugene wore. As a boy, Eugene would often blame the doll for accidents and misgivings, claiming, "Robert told me to do it." Seems like somewhat normal little kid behavior, right?

According to our tour guide, the real trouble started when a woman who worked for the Otto family was fired abruptly without cause. But rather than packing her bags and leaving, she reportedly used voodoo to put a curse on the doll as a form of revenge. And while it may seem pretty far-fetched to some, others believe it actually worked.

"Once he was put on exhibit, cameras and electronic devices malfunctioned in his presence, and soon letters began arriving addressed to the doll offering apologies for disrespectful behavior or asking forgiveness."

As an adult, Eugene became an artist. Considered by many to be "eccentric," Eugene returned to his family home in Key West with his wife, Annette Parker, after they got married in 1930. And despite being an adult, Eugene's love of Robert never wavered (legend has it that Robert sat right next to Eugene while he painted). Annette obviously wasn't a huge fan of her husband's best friend, and vice versa, so once Eugene died in 1974, Annette left Key West. She left Robert behind in the attic of the home, where he was found years later by the home's new owners. While strange things had often happened in Robert's presence before — people hearing voices, noises, and other unexplained sounds — it wasn't until he was donated to the Fort East Martello Museum in 1994 that his less-than-kind attitude went full-scale.

Before walking into the museum to get a peek at Robert, the tour guide gave us some strict rules to follow: you must greet and introduce yourself to Robert; if you want to take a photo of him, you must ask first; and you can't leave the museum without saying goodbye. While a bit weird, that all sounded doable to Chris and me, so we did as we were told. After snapping a few photos, we learned about what happens to people who don't follow the rules or poke fun at Robert. A nearby TV showed thousands of letters from people from around the world who experienced terrible luck after rubbing the doll the wrong way.

According to some of the letters, visitors have been met with all kinds of misfortune, from getting burned by hot water to missing their flights to — yep — even getting divorced. "Once he was put on exhibit, cameras and electronic devices malfunctioned in his presence, and soon letters began arriving addressed to the doll offering apologies for disrespectful behavior or asking forgiveness," says the website. "Letters continue to arrive daily."

As a respectful visitor, I thought I was off the hook. I followed the rules and was genuinely interested in learning about him. But boy, was I wrong. I made ONE comment about a grown man carrying around a doll, and my fate was sealed. As soon as I woke up the next day, the bad luck began. First, our flight home was delayed. Then, we were forced to rebook our flight because the plane was too heavy, resulting in us having a five-hour layover and getting transferred to another connecting flight. While both of these things were annoying, I also knew they happen sometimes. It couldn't have been because of a doll, right?

I realized that Robert might actually have had it out for us when we finally landed back home around midnight. The problem? Our luggage never showed up. We were told to go home and that the suitcase was probably on the next flight in. Fast forward to the next morning — still no sign of the bag. And no one on either airline that we used could locate where the suitcase was. It was simply missing without a trace. Frustrated and near tears, we decided to give into our superstitions and write letters to Robert in the hopes of reversing whatever bad luck he gave us and finding our lost bag.

This movement of water is known as a tidal wave. It's important to note that these tidal waves are not like the typical waves seen at the beach. They are long waves that span the entire ocean and have periods of several hours. They are called tidal waves because they are primarily driven by the tides. The lunar tides are not only influenced by the Moon but also by the Sun. The Sun's gravitational force also contributes to the tides, although its effect is about half as strong as the Moon's. When the Sun, Moon, and Earth align, their gravitational forces combine, leading to even higher tides known as spring tides. Conversely, when the Sun and Moon are at right angles to each other, their gravitational forces partially cancel out, resulting in lower tides known as neap tides. The effects of lunar tides are not limited to the ocean. They also impact other bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers. However, the impact on these smaller bodies of water is less noticeable than on the vast oceans. Overall, lunar tides play a crucial role in shaping Earth's coastlines and coastal ecosystems. The constant rise and fall of ocean waters influence erosion, sediment deposition, and the distribution of marine life. Understanding lunar tides is essential for various activities such as navigation, fishing, and coastal development..

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a little lufe