Thoughts and Words

  

I am highly annoyed with that groundhog.  Rather that frolic in the sun, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and dove back to his burrow. 

Here in Texas, we have our own weather prognosticator.  Armadillo Bob. 

However, this year, Bob (and his handlers) decided to take COVID seriously and chose to stay safely home.  Probably a smart thing to do.

After what has been a very mild winter for us, it seems we are going to see some cold weather this month after all.  The huge storm hitting the frozen northlands

 (and for me, the “frozen northlands” start somewhere just north of Dallas) seems to be trickling down this way.  And, while I don’t think we’ll get any snow, it is supposed to be right chilly.  Ugh. 

Yesterday was a very fun day.  Bobby and I went adventuring – this time lost cemetery hunting. 

Now, here’s my opinion on cemeteries.  They’re for the living.  Personally, I don’t think the dead care.  Their spirit either moves onto the next adventure or hangs around.  If they chose to hang around, I believe they go to people or places that were held special. 

Anyway, Wharton is a small rural town and has been since its conception in 1838.  It is surrounded by small rural communities.  Small rural places set up small cemeteries all over the place.  There are 49 documented places in Wharton County. 

Bobby mentioned the other day that he’d seen a small cemetery out in the county between Wharton (the town) and Boling.  Yes, sez I, I know about that one.  It’s odd because it’s in a small neighborhood type place.  Nope – it’s by its self was the reply.  Off we went.  And found a small very neglected cemetery. 

This makes me very sad that this place seems to hold no importance to anyone.  I wonder, did the living “do” the “right thing”, dust off their hands and walk away to never think of it again??  Did they move far away and never think of it again??  Better to have planted a tree than a fancy granite stone.

Ok, sez I, this is not the place I’ve seen.  So, off we went again.  And, lo and behold, just up the road and around the corner, found another one.  This one is located in the middle of a small neighborhood with houses on either side and one across the street.  It’s in slightly better shape although many of the headstones have broken do to ground shift, I think.

The things people put on grave markers are sometimes amusing.  “Tom the Taxi Driver”.  Not too long ago, I saw a grave marker with a fox on it.  Now, I understand the symbols for Christianity, Judaism, Freemasonry, Woodsmen of the World, Eastern Star and others.  However, I do not know the meaning of the fox.  Some research turned up this fact:

The fox is often a symbol of cunning and intelligence. In Finnish mythology, it symbolizes the victory of intelligence over both malevolence and brute strength.

Interesting, perhaps a little odd to find it on a headstone but interesting.

And, sometimes the things the living leave make me wonder.  At the base of the marker is a ball cap - maybe a Houston Astros fan?  I once left a sea shell on the grave of a young man.  When I first met him as a child, I gave him a shell and I left another there.

Then, we did some searching for a truly forgotten and buried cemetery.  This one is also out in the county between Boling and Iago. 

We stopped in front of a narrow strip of land bordered on each side by plowed fields.

Weedy doesn’t even begin to describe this.  The growth is at least knee deep, however, adventuring and all, we plunged into the weeds and brambles.  And found this

A circle of blooming Narcissus.  Hmmmmm.  Bobby felt around and uncovered this

When I got home, I did a little research and found little Albert, his parents, and siblings (all gone now), though  Albert is remembered by the flowering plants.  I also discovered this place is called the Iago Senf Cemetery and there are a bunch of people buried there.  But they seem truly forgotten about.

Walking through a cemetery is sometimes very calming, sometimes very sad, sometimes very informative, always interesting.  But, all-in-all, I still think it’s better to plant a tree rather than a stone.

 

5 Feb 2021