Lake View Cemetery - 4

This young girl stands as a constant reminder of someone lost to the cycle of life. I know that the religious among us find cemeteries peaceful for the promise of a better life after this one. I, however, find it peaceful as a place filled with interesting statuary, groomed lawns, the stories of lives well spent, and the separation such place always give from the surrounding buy world of the living. It is place to reflect on my own life and how I imagine I might be remembered one day. Of course, I don't plan to be buried in a  cemetery but rather scattered in some place pregnant with memories and surrounded natural beauty.



This fellow and his dog are atop a tall column and getting well covered with lichen. I'm always attracted to such coverings since they bring a color to the stone that is not otherwise possible.

Here is another crooked-trunk tree providing shelter to the residents from the sun and rain. I find such a gnarled tree to be evocative of the hard row we hoe during life and the long rest at the end.

This graceful angel descending the stairs (from heaven?) brings a sense of quiet meditation to the scene. I'm always impressed by the ability to make stone appear to be folded cloth.

These two folks seems to be from Eastern Europe, perhaps Russia. I am confused by the alphabet used on the marker. Possibly Slovakian, based on a search that E did for me. But looking at the base of Irina and Leon's stone, you can see other names pointing to (possibly parents?) locations in Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Russia. Without the ability to identify the language, it is hard to tell for sure. Perhaps one of you kinds readers can suss this out and sort my confusion in the comments.

A cemetery is always a place to find crows and ravens. They bring, for me, a sense of dread and foreboding. Don't know why exactly. Their black feathers and totally non-musical voice seem to make them fit in a place filled with people but no society.

The Brawley family certainly had money. A very graceful and tastefully done statue.

While human life is hard to come by in a cemetery, other life is easier to find. Here is a Red Shafted Flicker taking off as we rode past. This is the first we've seen of this animal. He is quite surprising with his flash of red as he flies. So a cemetery is devoid of life...it just houses other varieties and adds a bit of spice to our days.