Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sunday Stills: Old Churches and Graveyards

This morning it was misty, which set an ethereal background for photographing our local cemetery, which dates back to the pioneers that settled this area of the Southwest Texas hill country in the mid-1800's.







Perhaps you can tell something about a town by its graveyard. Our ghost town, population 49, has more dead than living. As a rural ranching and farming community there isn't a lot of money for fancy edifices. Some graves are incomplete but not forgotten.





This is my good friend Geno's grave. He and I shared a pet coyote. He lived a healthy lifestyle and could ride a bicycle 50 miles a day, but liver cancer took him unexpectedly and too soon. We buried him on what would have been our (Farmer Rick and I) wedding day. Farmer Rick and I sang Ave Maria at the grave site. One day I will put a marker up with a bicycle or coyote. Or both.




The wind and animals scatter the fake flowers. Many wash down the creek and end up at our place. They seem to symbolize the impermanence of a human life.



Some people decorate more than others. Anything goes. It shows the diversity of this small populace.




I dedicate this post to my mother whom I buried 34 years ago today, and to Laurie, the former owner of my house here for 31 years. She was buried in this cemetery a couple weeks ago in an unmarked grave decorated only by a cross made of white and purple flowers.

For more images of old churches and graveyards, visit Sunday Stills.

19 comments:

Lori Skoog said...

What a fabulous approach to this challenge. The last part of the series is so interesting and personal.

Shirley said...

I love the soft focus and tones in your photos. Small towns have the best cemetaries. Beautifully done. May God rest their souls.

thecrazysheeplady said...

Nice job. Great shots. Definitely a story.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

My respect to your mum and the previous owner.

When my dad was a young poor student in Singapore, his 7 Day adventist school was opposite one of the biggest cemeteries. He soon found out with his friends that they could earn some pocket money by recycling the candles. Some of them are easy when they are not burnt, others, they used a pocket knife to scrap the melted wax.

MTWaggin said...

I loved the presence of so much color and the wide array of decorations. Lovely.

gtyyup said...

Beauty abounds in your photos today...along with your personal touch. Wonderfully done~

Devin Greaney said...

I expect high quality from your photos .. and this week you exceeded my expectations!! I was alawys fascinated by old cemeteries and did an article recently at www.acrosstennessee.com on forgotten graves o the state.

Favorite was the black and white panorama. It looked like it could have been done 100 years ago!!

And momma would be proud!!!

Brenda said...

That's a lovely dedication.

NitWit1 said...

I love old churches and grave yards. We have quite a number in our area too. The cowboy boot was poignant.

Ed said...

Extremely well done and photographed. I hope you get the stone for your friend..:-)

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Such a beautiful post and lovely photos. Yes, you're right, our graveyard photos are very similar. I, too like the more personal way that people decorate or create homemade tombstones or markers.

~Lisa

ps This is my first time being able to visit your blog in a long time. I switched over from Internet Explorer to Firefox and now I don't get bumped off.

Nice to visit here again. :)

Kritter Keeper at Farm Tails said...

what a lovely trbiute to those who have passed. i have always wanted a stone with little animals on it. saw several in france like that.

Kritter Keeper at Farm Tails said...

i think we were commenting on eachothers blogs simultaniously! i guess we never get over our parent's passing...sigh...i despise cigarettes now that dad suffered his heart attack and died. mom still smokes and no matter what i say she won't quit or even try. she gets mad at me if i mention anything and it is putting a wedge between us. you had a tough day...will be thinkin' about cha'! :)

aurora said...

Very nice photos, and sentiments - I like the strategic use of color.

Alica said...

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog! This was a nice way to show some of the history of your town!

Anonymous said...

i adore your panorama shot - it's brillantly beautiful
all the shots are lovely

Far Side of Fifty said...

You captured a solitary feeling with your photos..lovely:)

Galen B. said...

There is nothing like a walk among the dead to feel alive I feel. Texas has some kind of history too.
Thnx. Galen

Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

What a personal and intimate cemetery. But very fitting for the fleeting time we have here. It shows that you don't need a fancy monument to be remembered.

-Pam

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