"Not Forgotten"

30 years ago I would drive around (in the country) down dirt roads every chance I could get!!! Freedom!!!! Yay!!! I tremendously enjoyed exploring the woods...particularly alone, which was very therapeutic for me! It STILL is even today, though "freedom" doesn't happen as often! Ohhhhh, how blissful it always is to escape the soul-sucking complaining and wining...smothered with criticism that humans constantly exuberate!!! "Air pollution" is what I call all the chatter-chatter...blah-blah that never stops! I had rather escape the negative human chaos and breathe "fresh air"...while listening to absolutely NOTHING and EVERYTHING at the same time!!! *sigh*

Sooooo, during one of these...

:(--O---"trips"---O--)>  

...I discovered an old cemetery (below) in the woods! Back then (late 80's), it actually was deep in the woods, but today...not so much! What a shame!!!  When I first discovered this sacred spot, I contacted the Historical Society and informed them of what I had found! They were unaware of the cemetery's existence/location at the time...today it is in the registry! Needless to say, I am pleased about that!

Over the years I have visited these graves...some not very legible today, and will soon disappear all together! So, I decided I wanted to document what I could by photographing them! I used talcum powder to help bring out the engravings...

NOTE: The first pic of each stone is of BEFORE the talcum powder application, followed by a pic of each stone AFTER the talcum powder application...

Enjoy the magic!!!! *BIG-BIG-BIG SMILE*


One)

Two)

The following pic is upside down...I just noticed...sorry about that!

Three)

Some stones are buried...

Four)

Five)

WHOOPS! I forgot to take a "before" pic of the following stone...

Six)

Tiny graves touch my heart! I always leave a little something behind when I visit children's graves...a flower, a note...a toy...even small gifts! If I find a grave (particularly children's graves) that is isolated or without a name or a family, I sit with it for awhile...without fail...

More...

Seven)

Eight)

The front...

The back...

Nine)

Ten)

AMAZING! Right???

From a distance...

There are several sink holes where graves are and stones once were! Below is a pic of one sink hole (out of several)...I have to be careful or I will get buried alive!!!! The farthest I have ever "sunk" was up to my knees...

I believe this is where the church might have once stood???  Lots of small/medium sized rocks up against the bank...It is my guess that the church sat upon this bank!? I would have taken more pix, but it was getting dark I couldn't see very well...

BELOW: I wanted to show how close the road is to this graveyard! You can see the headstones (left) clearly after being dusted...

Across the street...

Pretty kewl, aye?

You know, I have had people say me that they don't like visiting grave sites because of their fear of graveyards/cemeteries??? Maybe that's why I rarely see people at them when I go??? *wink* However, I am just the opposite...I feel safe, peaceful and intrigued!!! Dead people are great listeners and never complain...never argue! Talk about "good company"...right??? !!! HaHa!

But seriously...with all silliness aside...why do we leave behind headstones if we abandon them? These stones were placed here to remind us...but yet they seem so forgotten! Don't they? That is, until some stranger attempts to "dust" them back to life for others to see...uh hum...and for what reason do I do this?  Because, in a symbolic way...I am keeping them alive! I am a "Resurrection-ist" in a sense (though not literally)! But mostly I do this, because I have NOT forgotten...*smile*


NOTE: Do you know the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery? A grave yard is attached to a church, where as a cemetery stands alone...! Now you know! TahTah!