Charlie Raymond Archives - littlebigfootblog.com

bigfoot & the birds & the bees

always in tune

bee stings
the wings flap
two rings
in a box wrap

lifting hands
to embrace
shifting sands
the winds place

the birds chirp
early 'round seven
on earth
as it is in heaven

heard in the trees 
song of the swift
birds & the bees
strong is their lift

big & strong
as a bulldozer
of their song
bigfoot is the composer

night & day
the sun & the moon
their flight stays
always in tune

Enjoy your Monday. I hope it is a great week for all of us. Do not remain aloof from the goof.

On Saturday I attended the Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest in Stanton KY. I had a great time. I took a bunch of pictures that I am working on putting into a YouTube slideshow.

I use both Google Photos and Apple Cloud for syncing and storing photos. When I downloaded the photos into the Apple Photos app they came in as duplicates and sometimes triplicates. So in the future I am probably going to unsync from both of those services and store photos on an external hard drive. This seems like the best plan to smooth out the workflow.

The 1st thing that I noticed when I pulled in was that there was a $20 parking fee if you wanted to park in the school parking lot. Last year it was free. There were also several yards and a church parking lot offering parking for various prices or donations.

The crowd seemed to be larger than last year. And they got there earlier in the day. They had moved the picnic tables from the parking lot into the area shaded by the trees. There also seemed to be more food trucks this year than last.

This years speakers were Charlie Raymond, Ken Gerhard, Lyle Blackburn, Adam Davies, Russell Acord, Dr. Mireya Mayor, and Turtleman & Swampman. I also noticed that at most of the speakers’ tables there was a sign that advertised selfies for $10. That may have been the case last year but I don’t remember seeing those signs last year.

Everybody seemed to be having a “big” time. There were lots of smiles and a lot of bigfoot shirts. The festival and crowd seemed bigger than last year. And I am guessing that next year will be even bigger. BE THERE : )

A big thank you to the Kentucky Bigfoot Research Organization and the Town of Stanton Tourism Office for all off the work that they did to pull this thing off.

NOTE: The blog has a menu with more video content. On a computer it is at the top of the screen. On a tablet or mobile device it is the 3 stacked slashes to the right of the word ASTRA. Enjoy the blog.

Poems

all is full

in their souls

beyond the veil
strong is the wind
bigfoot sets sail
along with his friends

danger they brave
trouble they weather
from birth to grave
they sail together

feel the sail pull
on the mast pole
all is full
in their souls

as the wind blows 
to where they're bound
even it knows
it is holy ground

Yesterday I put up a new slide show video on the blog and on You Tube. It is the 1st of what will be 2 videos from the Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest 2025. Today I will try to get the 2nd one up. And then I need to get the video up from the Woodbooger Festival in Norton VA. Then I will start on the You Tube short video of the Pope Lick Goatman Festival.

It is getting closer to my return to Virginia. I am waiting for the leaves to turn to their vibrant colors so I can get the drone up over them. That is one of the reasons I am trying to clear the backlog of footage out of the workflow so I can start with a clean slate with new footage.

I have fallen behind in my tutorials on the GoPro. There are more than a few places where it will be almost impossible to get the drone up. But those same places have roads that drive beneath the colorful leaves and it is spectacular when the sun shines down through them over you. So hopefully I will be there and up to speed on the GoPro by the time that happens.

You can find the new video in the Bigfoot Festivals & Attractions section of the Drop Down Menu. It will be in the Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest 2025 blog post.

I hope that you are up to speed on your projects. And I hope that they thrill your soul. If that is not the case then find something that does.

Link to Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest 2025 Slide Show #1.

I am including this link temporarily for a few days in case someone new to the blog has problems navigating the menu.

Poems

we are TV for bigfoot

we play his notes

a new week beginning
it is already here
somewhere bigfoot is grinning
ear to ear

that's how it goes
he has played us
he already knows
he will evade us
 
it is his turf
we play his notes
as he surfs
on his remote

we are not able
to find him as we wish
not sure if we are cable
or satellite dish

but evidently
we are just free
but on his tv
we are must see

we always take it
from that son of a gun
just hope we make it
into reruns

if our growing numbers
 are any indication
pretty sure we will lumber
into syndication

I am still in the holler. I will probably return tomorrow. This poem is from a theme that I have used before. I posted a video at the end of May before the Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest of Charlie Raymond, the founder and president of the KBFRO giving a presentation on bigfoot. In that video he made the statement that we are entertainment for bigfoot. That we are kind of like his TV. That statement has been made many times before by many other bigfoot researchers and enthusiasts. Many even suggest that instead of searching for bigfoot it is better to go somewhere you think they might be and just hangout and wait and see if they initate contact.

I am fully aware that there will probably be a lot of people that may read this with the mindset that bigfoot does not exist. And that is cool. As a matter of fact we have stated numerous times that is probably what the big guy wants and that is probably the best for all concerned. But to those of you who may be open to the fact that there is more out there than we have been told well maybe this will give something to smile about today and thru your week.

bigfoot with video

bigfoot on the tracks

1 Comment / bigfoot with video

it’s bigfoot’s train

the night is as dark 
as it is long
leaves it's mark
even on the strong

creatures of the night
fold their wings
the crickets quiet
as the bird sings

it's their paddle
laid on their canoe
as the shadows
let the light thru
 
now they hide
they'll be back
to this side
of the tracks

it's bigfoot's train 
in the in between
you can't explain 
what you've seen

Yesterday I shot footage on the drone. Now we’ll see how long it will take to get it on the blog. Today I will attempt to edit it. And by that I mean I will try to learn the editing software. Not sure how long that will take. But you will be the first to know.

Last night I happened across a bigfoot podcast on you tube. It was Charlie Raymond and his wife Lyndsey. They run the Kentucky Bigfoot Research Organization. I wrote quite a bit about the KBFRO in the 2 weeks leading up to the Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest 2025 at the end of May.

They call the podcast Bigfoot Hangout. Their guest last night was a guy named Carter Buschardt. And a lot of their conversation was fascinating. There was some discussion on the flesh and blood vs paranormal front. And it was very respectfully and thoughtfully done. Which in the bigfoot world is not always the case. I was doing several different things at the same time and only caught bits and pieces of the program. But I definitely intend to go back and give it my full attention. I accidentally typed in “intention” instead of attention. And I probably mean that as well.

From what I saw last night Mr. Buschardt seems to work with a lot of families who have habituations. In the bigfoot world that means that a family claims that they have and have had bigoot on their property or usually farm for years. You would be surprised at the number of people who claim to be in this situation. That always makes me wonder how many people might be in the same situation and not telling anyone.

As always we’re not trying to convince or convert anyone. But it is an interesting topic. I am including a link for the KBFRO’s Bigfoot Hangout podcast below. The video is 1:38:32 long. I’ll let you decide how long you want to hangout.

If you don’t pursue the podcast I hope that you find something else today that gives you a sense of wonder and makes you smile!

Here is a link for the video.

bigfoot with video

bigfoot fun in the Gorge

KBRO throws a bigfoot party

Saturday I arrived
127 Halls Lane
there I survived
fun that was insane

styles I watched 
in the in between
 t-shirts of sasquatch
I had never seen

on the front
and on the back
for bigfoot we hunt
but first a snack

we all believe 
we're ready and able 
if we can just leave 
this picnic table


Heaven was displayed
it may sound silly
by the food that was made
by a truck branded Hillbilly

all the while 
it was the case
there was a smile 
on every face

after the show
it was all empty shelves 
the KBRO
really outdid themselves

The 1st Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest was a blast. I talked with a lot of people at the festival and a lot of them wanted to know if I was local or from out of town. And then they usually explained that they were trying to figure out where so many people came from. A lot of them said something along the lines of “I’m just shocked at how big this thing is and how many people are here.” The festival started at 10:00. I got there at 9:30 and the parking lot was already starting to fill up. And later in the day I could see traffic backed up a long way on the two lane road waiting to get in.

In the weeks leading up to the festival I had googled “what are the biggest bigfoot gatherings in the country?” and the Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest was on almost every list. So I knew it was probably going to be huge.

It was truly an impressive event. The list of speakers was top notch. I saw Jeff Meldrum & Cliff Barackman there. Tom Shay & then Charlie Raymond kicked things off Saturday morning. They were followed by Brett Burns & then the Mountain Monsters. And Cliff Barackman & then Jeff Meldrum were the last two speakers. Then they had a bigfoot calling contest. The bigfoot calling contest allowed for a lot of variation and creativity which made it humorous and entertaining.

The festival shut down around 7pm. There were movies that were being shown at the Lions Club Park. The two movies were Harry and the Hendersons & The Legend of Boggy Creek. I knew that I was probably not going to stay around and wait for them to start but I decided I wanted to kind of take a scenic drive to the Lions Club anyway. And I’m glad that I did. It was a beautiful scenic drive. One of the parking shuttle drivers had told me to drive a couple of stop lights into town and take a left at the Advance Auto store. And that is what I did. When I got to the giant field next to a tree line where the movies were being shown the police officer told me that the films would probably start right at dusk. So I parked my car in a line and talked with a guy in a bigfoot shirt that I had already taken a picture of earlier in the day. And he said that they had already announced that the movies might be starting a little later. I looked over to the tree line and I could see some poles on the ground and the material that would be stretched to make the screen for the movies. Then I rearranged some things and headed for home.

I drove back out to the entrance to the field at the Lions Club Park. There were 3 police officers standing there. I rolled the window down and told them that I had decided to head back home. And this is the exact response that one of them leaned into the window and told me. “Okay. But you are more than welcome to stay and watch the movies brother.”

I obviously enjoyed the bigfoot festival very much. What’s not to like about hanging out with a bunch of good natured open minded people who enjoy all of the hoopla and mystery that is bigfoot. But as I drove away I felt that the experience was definitely enhanced by the location. Just the fact that it is the Red River Gorge carries its own weight. But to me I think the best thing was just how nice and friendly the people were there. Like the police officer who put his own twist on goodbye the town of Stanton, Kentucky seemed welcoming and charming in a kind of “Mayberry” way.

Or maybe we were just all operating under the spell of bigfoot. I’ve noticed that most students of Bigfootology seem to be a little more humorous and happy. But in any case I was a little bit wistful when I pulled out of that field and the town of Stanton and made my way onto the Bert Combs Mountain Parkway.

For any of you that might not know KBRO stands for the Kentucky Bigfoot Research Organization. Their founder and leader is Charlie Raymond. He will be the first video in the group of pictures that I am providing a link for below. But first I will put in a link to the KBFRO website.

Link to KBRO website.

And below is the link to the pictures and videos that I took at the festival.

Link to Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest pictures and videos.

21OCT25

SS # 1. Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest 2025. A You Tube Slide Show.

SS#2. Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest 2025.

bigfoot with video

bigfoot @ Red River Gorge

Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest

May 31, 2025

Here is the link for information.(Link removed after event.)

heading for the Gorge

heading for the gorge
join the fleet
friendships to forge
get something to eat

there our sails
will be blown
beyond the veil
into the unknown

join the festival
study bigfoot casts
& best of all 
have a blast

the bigfoot history
get to know
& watch the mystery
continue to grow

have more fun
under the sky
& bid my boredom
a sweet goodbye

because exploring
bigfoot has got
but boring
definitely not

Tomorrow is the big day at Red River Gorge. I plan to take photos and videos at the event. I will try to get them on the blog sometime next week. At some point fairly soon I am going to redo the menu for the blog so it will be easier for you to find the topics you are looking for. I will probably put in sub headings for bigfoot gatherings, bigfoot attractions, bigfoot aviation (drone flyovers), Hawaii & music. I will probably only do the Hawaii & music posts about once a month as a break from all things bigfoot. We have been regularly posting for a little over a month and only done one of each so far.

I got the drone in the air for the 1st time yesterday. There were certain compliance hoops that I had to jump thru with the FAA so that was an accomplishment in itself. It will be a little more time before I am proficient enough at flying it to shoot flyover footage and edit a video to put on the blog. But that is coming.

Since the festival is being put on by the Kentucky Bigfoot Research Organization or KBRO I will put one of their introduction videos in today’s blog. If you go you may recognize one of them. Don Neal is one of their investigators. He is not in the video but you will be able to recognize him from the posts on Tuesday & Wednesday from this week. The link is below.

I hope you have a great day! Remember to smile – like a lot!

Here is the link.

bigfoot with video

bigfoot television

Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest

May 31, 2025

Here is the link for information.(Link removed after event.)

bigfoot’s TV Guide

the river is red
the festival filled
bigfoot has fled
into the hills

there he'll watch
the festival onslaught
the elusive sasquatch
will remain uncaught

friendships forged
that will last
time in the gorge
will become the past

fun will be pure
in sun or rain
bigfoot for sure
will be entertained

for bigfoot lovers
will be a wild ride
we're on the cover
of his TV Guide

The idea for this poem came from Charlie Raymond himself. I watched a video where he was giving a presentation on bigfoot and he made the statement that, “We’re their entertainment in their living room. They want to come watch us.”

I have read and heard that same statement or something similar over the years but none of those people have led the initiative to educate and spread the mysterious fun that is bigfoot thru the state of Kentucky for the past 3 decades. And they are not throwing a GIGANTIC festival in the Gorge this Saturday to do the same thing. So to Mr. Raymond: Much Respect.

I will put a link to that video below. Enjoy the video and your day &

smile a lot!

Here is the link.

bigfoot with video

Don Neal bigfoot story

1 Comment / bigfoot with video

Right Around the Corner

Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest

May 31, 2025

Here is the link for information.(Link removed after event.)

alms in the dark

he gave alms
in the dark
his great palms
on the bark

for the earth
mother & host
to him worth
more than most

he stood there
with no sound 
great feet bare
on the ground

full of grace
there in between
with his face 
remaining unseen

he walked in
wisdom of sages
how it's been
for the ages

his great spirit
remained unbroken
his wisdom hear it
as it is mind spoken

This Saturday is the Red River Gorge Bigfoot festival being put on by the Kentucky Bigfoot Research Organization. Last week I wrote about Charlie Raymond and his book and decades of dedicated work for all things bigfoot in the state of Kentucky. Don Neal is an investigator for the KBFRO. He is also an ordained minister. And like most men who have invested a lot of time and effort in wading thru the scriptures he is a very entertaining and compelling storyteller.

There is a poetry that exists in the scriptures. It is timeless. There is an unseen organization that somehow orders your mind if you spend enough time in them. I guess that is part of what they mean when they say that “as you read the Bible it reads you.” To me most of the time when you listen to someone who has spent a lot of time studying scripture tell a story it feels almost like you are traveling on a road where a lot of wisdom has flowed. It is kind of like your brain is a hard drive or memory card and the scriptures slowly over time formats it.

And here you thought that the only unbelievable thing that you would find here would be bigfoot : )

I have heard Don Neal tell his stories before and they are always very good and very well told. Enjoy the video(3:30) & the rest of your day!

Here is the link.

Bigfoot

my first bigfoot book

Red River Gorge Bigfoot Fest

May 31,2025

Here is the link for information.(Link removed after event.)

night in the day

a shadow
is the night
knows that slow
hides in sight

as it sneaks
thru the day
does not speak
it hides away

it is still
remains and lurks
the canvas it fills
like a painter works

it is where 
mind rarely sees
like the blur
there in the trees

Try to take some time to look at the information on the Bigfoot Festival at Red River Gorge. It may be educational to just look at the list of speakers and list of activities. The line up of speakers is impressive.

The Kentucky Bigfoot Research Organization has been around for 3 decades. Its founder and president is Charles or Charlie Raymond. He has kind of been the ambassador for all things bigfoot in Kentucky for some time. He is also the author of Bluegrass Bigfoot. This is the 1st bigfoot book I ever read. I have read a lot more books since then. But that is still the book I would recommend that you start with.

Who better to write a book introducing you to the world of bigfoot than someone who has travelled all over the state and country doing it for thirty years. It’s a good first step into the world that this blog draws inspiration from. I still find myself going back to look something up in it from time to time. After you have read several books on the subject it will probably become a little more difficult to remember exactly which book a story was in. Or if it was in an internet podcast or video. At that point you are probably getting pretty well versed on the subject.

Hope this is a great day for you!

15OCT25

I am linking a You Tube Short that I shot at the 2025 Pope Lick Goatman Festival. In it Charlie talks about his new book.

Here is the link to the video.