Cemetery Drive

With my vacation this week, it has given me time to get back outside with my camera. The weather has been great, high 30s/low 40s with sun. Sun! With the sun out it makes the perfect opportunity to go out and photograph at my favorite places: cemeteries.

Yesterday morning, I traveled to Tecumseh to visit Brookside Cemetery. It is one of my favorites in the county. It has a nice mausoleum and plenty of statues, which is a big draw for me. I have photographed that cemetery many times before. When I go back to ones which I have been before, I try to find new angles to photograph everything. With snow covering the ground, it limited my options some. I did get down and get my knees wet.

While at the cemetery I had my iPod with me. I did start singing, but not too loud. I was not trying to draw attention to myself with walkers and actual visitors in the cemetery. I thought it was OK to sing. But who knows there could be some cemetery etiquette that I don't know about.

I drove to Woodland Cemetery in Jackson County this morning. It was a cemetery I haven't been to before, but I have been in the area numerous times before. It was a huge cemetery. Plenty of things to look at and photograph. I found many mausoleums and statues. It was like I hit the jackpot! I was so excited.

I came upon a old mausoleum from 1897. Around the mausoleum there were signs saying " Warning. Dangerous Building". At first I didn't understand why the signs said that. Then I noticed all of the cracks and the crumbling foundation. I tried not to get too close, but I had to. There were two angels in front of it. I had to get close for my angel statues. The mausoleum had wonderful design and it was old and beautiful. When I walked closer I noticed some graffiti on the wall of the mausoleum. Some girl named Laura scratched her name on the front of the mausoleum and told everyone that she was there. I'm sure if any of the family is still living they would appreciate that fact. I guess no one taught this Laura girl to respect the dead. Vandalizing a cemetery must be her idea of a fun time.

Before leaving I drove up another path that I missed the first time around. I jammed on the brakes of my car. I saw before me a huge 10 foot bronze statue. The statue has been there since I believe the turn of the century, it was all green and awesome. The statue had great features; eyes, hair and hands. I was happy to have found it. I was focusing my camera on the face and I noticed someone scratched whiskers on the face. It saddened me that someone would climb up on this statue to draw whiskers on both side of the face. Another example of stupid people. I spent about 10 minutes on this statue alone. It was so beautiful.

I ended up taking over 100 photos at this cemetery. It was a great find and I hope to visit it again. Hopefully later today, I will get another chance to take photographs in a cemetery down in Toledo, Ohio. My husband and I are going to drive down there tonight to look for home improvement items. If the sun is still in the sky, we will be stopping for a while.