Research in Progress

I've got several research projects underway, one being the murder of the 5 Moore children buried in Eastside Cemetery. Things got a little out of control! I also had a pile next to my chair in the family room where I work with my lap top. Guess what I'm doing Saturday?!

Other Things

When on a cemetery outing I photograph more than just tombstones. Today I was able to spend the entire day on many cemetery walks. I thought I'd share with you the other things I saw today while exploring.

Now, let me first explain to you that I am a Dixie transplant. There is no place more beautiful than my beloved South. I have left behind my Georgia piney woods and now call the Kansas prairie winds home. I do find a beauty unique to this area with the wind farms, burning fields, oil rigs, and flat landscape. I often encounter horses, cows, goats and some not so nice critters on my walks.

Partner in crime...

...or is that partner in cemetery? Meet my boneyard buddy, Kathleen. We have logged several hundred miles together visiting cemeteries. I know she has been to at least 60+ with me in our surrounding counties. We both have cemetery kits in our vehicles so that no matter who drives we are prepared. Mine is a part of my cemetery cart. We started out with walkie-talkies and now use our blackberry phones to keep in touch as we wander our own way.

Today, she brought me something she crafted. My new cemetery hat. I didn't take photos of everything but the back has a big red heart and the cutest cat buttons around the front.

Oh yeah, nobody tell her I put her photo on my blog. Hee!

Wireless in the cemetery

When in doubt...look it up!

Just before I met my news friends at the Walnut Hill Cemetery -
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I needed to verify the location of a grave we were looking for. The cemetery we were visiting has the interment records online so I looked up what I needed to know.

Wireless in the cemetery. I could never have imagined this a few years back. Yeah technology!

Be careful where you lean

I almost had a close encounter yesterday at the cemetery.

Happy New Year

I have been enjoying the holiday season. My son had 16 days leave for Christmas and that wraps up this weekend. I will miss having him here.

I have some posts in the works and hope to finish some next week.

May your 2010 be all that you hope for!

Italian Sculptors

Can you help?

This query was sent to Richard Waterhouse, Waterhouse Symbolism, from Elisabeth Roark.

...I am collecting examples of sculpture and gravemarkers by Italian sculptors that appear in large American garden or "rural" cemeteries before 1900. If you work with or frequent cemeteries of this type, and are aware of works by Italians identified by signatures, documents, or research you have done, I would be very grateful if you would share this information (and possibly a picture) with me. I promise to send you a copy of the paper I write based on this information."

Visit Richard's blog to read the entire query.

Road trip...more cemeteries

We like to take [short] road trips and see the sites. Some people call these staycations but you should visit what your state has to offer. Of course I always research the areas to add a few cemeteries to our list of stops. And this trip is no different. I do have a quest on this trip and will blog about the results when I return.

Gone Hoppin'

I'm off for a quick weekend trip. We like to take day and weekend trips. This one is a short one, just a few hours away, but should still be fun. I spent a week researching the cemeteries I'd like to stop and visit. I found 9. Well, that's how many made the list. I thought any more would be pushing it.

Sophie will be taking my calls. She sleeps a lot so you may have to leave a message. I'm hoping to bring home a present for two other GYR's.

Pink Cloud Day At The Cemetery

Fairview [Elmer] Cemetery

I've been trying to research the "why" to my photo experience in the cemetery today. I have had some poor pictures due to the position of the sun before, but in the thousands of cemetery and other outside photos I've taken through the years I have never had this happen to me. I snapped about 20 or so pictures and in all but a few the clouds are pink instead puffy white against the blue sky.

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I'm sure if I Google long enough I'll find the scientific reason for it. At first I thought my camera was croaking on me, but if you look at anything else in the picture besides the clouds & sky, those areas look normal. I came home and snapped a few in the backyard and only 1 had a pink sky. I'm going to accept it as a gift. After I calmed down I found that I liked most of the photos.

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Cemetery Critter

No, it's not a graveyard rabbit. It's a cemetery critter.

What have you seen in the cemetery?

My First Grave Photograph

I thought I would share my very first grave photograph. I wonder how many times this grave has been photographed?
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Little did I know when I took this picture in the 70's that I would come to spend a lot of time photographing cemeteries. One day I'll count the thousands of photos I have - after I scan the ones I took before I bought my digital cameras.