June, 2023
I love a good cemetery. 🙂 That might sound odd, but I really do. I enjoy the history, the connections, the families, the individual lives, and my own ideas about who’s who. Yes, a cemetery can also mean there was sadness, and strife, and trouble. That’s true with humans. But maybe that sadness and trouble are part of what I find endearing, because those things ARE part of all human lives.
Anyway, I love a good cemetery. And I found a good cemetery on the edge of Padilla Bay, just on the northern edge of the hamlet of Bay View on this camping trip. Let me show you.
It’s small. And it felt welcoming. (click on photos to enlarge them)
As I walked around, I found numerous people who were born in the 1800s, and a few who had died in the 1800s.
Above … Guy Gorton, 1877-1907 … just 30 years old.
Above … Emily M. Gorton, 1833-1919 … grandmother. 1833 was the earliest date I found of anyone’s birth here. She lived 86 years.
Above … Charles Aetrom, 1846-1894. His birth date wasn’t that old compared to others here, but the year he died was the earliest I found. He was 48 years old when he died in 1894.
Above … Mary M. Henry, 1839-1915.
Below … Grace Anna Martin, 1895-1902 … 6 years, 6 months.
In the photo below, notice the large tree in the middle of the photo. You might be able to see a sharp little pointy thing sticking out on the left side and very near the bottom of the trunk of that tree. I didn’t notice it at first, but I sure did as I approached that tree.
It was a deer’s ear! How wonderful that someone had installed a sculpture of a reclining deer at the gravesite of their loved one.
Oh, wait, the deer’s head moved! Ha! This fellow was no sculpture; he was a real live deer just having a rest in the shade.
I walked closer, and further to the left. He watched me a bit, though not too closely. Mostly he just looked right past me. I was no threat to him.
So then it was time for me to leave. I walked back down the hill through the cemetery towards the gate. The gate was part of the black fence in the photo below, though the gate is off to the left in the photo below. I was struck by the area of “disrepair” in the photo below … weeds and bushes and even a bit of standing water. It didn’t bother me necessarily, I just noticed how very well-tended the rest of the cemetery was compared to this one corner of it.
And then, as I approached the gate … yep, here’s why the people who care for this place leave this one corner “wild”. Two young buck deer in the photo below, having a bite of lunch and not paying ANY attention to me.
And then I looked a bit to the right of those two (above) … and there were two more young bucks (below). Four of them. (And the one having a rest under the tree in the cemetery makes for five young bucks.) Two of the four that were standing and feeding down in this corner looked at me, and paid no mind, going back to their feeding, the other two of those fellows never even look up.
So, you might see why I like a good cemetery. People of all sorts hang out here … deer, lots of birds, butterflies, and bees. Occasionally I find another real live human who shares stories with me about their ancestors.
I do love a good cemetery.
On my very short drive back to my campsite, I pulled over and snapped the photo below of a portion of the small village of Bay View, along with a portion of Padilla Bay. Ah me, so peaceful.
We love cemeteries too! The smaller the better, and the older the better. You wonder if Emily Gorton was Guy Gorton’s mother or grandmother. Love the deer.
I wondered that about the Gorton headstones and the folks buried there too, M. I hope so, I hope they loved each other and are buried near each other.
My husband and I have enjoyed wandering old and new cemeteries too. In AL there’s a civil war vintage cemetery on an island in our lake.
Wow, I’d love to see that cemetery. If I ever get to Alabama, I’ll go see it. You see cool stuff! 🙂
Cemeteries are fascinating places with so much “life” in them, like you say families and who’s who. We always enjoyed visiting cemeteries when we were motorhoming too. Made me sad about Grace Anna, but I like to think she was loved. Those bucks are great. 🙂
Interesting thought about there being “life” in cemeteries, Tim. I think so too tho I never put those words to it. But yes, there sure is.
Cemeteries are great for bees and butterflies and such. People bring flowers to a cemetery that feed the bees and butterflies. I wish people would plant plants around their homes to do the same. This cemetery was wonderful. Love your sentiments, Ann.
Thanks Judy. 🙂 I wonder if people bringing flowers to cemeteries are aware that they are helping the butterflies and bees too. I hope people know that. And yes, let’s plant more plants that help feed others.
Ditto to all of the above. Quiet, peace and serenity reign in this “thin” place between substance and spirit. I like to think that this “grounds me” (pardon the pun) to a more fuller appreciation of the Creator’s design of life.
Oh, I like your words, Kathie. I like that idea of the “thin” place between substance and spirit. And … I like the pun. 🙂
Oh this is darling. Love that reclining deer. 🙂
That deer was so at peace! 🙂
Cemeteries sometimes get a bad rep. They take up land, they use resources to bury people. Some people say they don’t contribute anything back to us. But I think they are a really important link to ancestors and spirit, whether your ancestors are buried there or not. Maybe if we had a deeper spiritual connection with our ancestors, we wouldn’t need cemeteries to go visit to get that connection. But for me, cemeteries often make that connection. I liked this one. And the deer obviously like it too. 🙂
True, there are people who believe we shouldn’t be burying anyone because of the land used and other resources used. Maybe so. But I agree, Bill, in our culture today, it seems we need that link to our ancestors. It seems important.
👍 👍
🖖!
I love it! “Live long and prosper.” I certainly intend to live long and I sure hope to prosper, and I hope not to be planted in a cemetery for a lot of years yet. 🙂 Thanks Fritzi.
Well, cemeteries are great except for ghosts! 🙂 If you believe in ghosts of course. Years ago a friend challenged me to spend a night in a cemetery, by myself. No problem! So I thought. I was scared spitless! I didn’t see any ghosts but I didn’t come out of my little tent until the sun rose in the morning either. I swear they were out there all around me. Still makes me scared! My intelligent self says ghosts were live humans so why should ghosts be scary? But the rest of my body is scared spitless. Goofy stuff. Fun blog post!
Oh, ghosts, I forgot all about ghosts! What a scary experience you had, Nevada. I hope never to experience that. Glad you lived to tell the tale. 🙂
I like the simple stuff about human beings that you find on your travels. And the trees and birds and water, etc. 🙂 This was interesting and fun. Thanks!
You are welcome. Sometimes the simple stuff is the best, eh? 🙂
That deer in the shade is so sweet, and your discovery of him. And Grace Anna, bless her, and her folks.
Thanks Sesapa. Very gracious and loving words.