SHIVER ME TIMBERS

To be sure, I'm not really shivering, and me timber is just fine. I am happy to repot that after such a busy schedule, things should be returning to normal finally. Light at the end of the tunnel after this week, with a huge visit from our companies creative director. Now, the weather could be a fly in the ointment.  But I really don't care. I still have not given up the Snow Queen will not hit us with a huge storm. I have told her these plidy little snows are not up to snuff, and just will not do! Now today, into tonight we are suppose to get 5-10" . Now that's a little more of what I'm talking about. I love summer the best, but when I'm in my hibernation period, I do enjoy winter as I don't go out, and the snow is very pretty and very calming...as it just quiets the earth of any noise. And I love a good walk in it. Since I was off Friday, I went to see my good friend Doug, who I have been sitting for in the nude for his art portraits for a upcoming exhibit here. He is almost done and showed me several of the finished ones. They turned out very cool. After... I took a nice walk through town after our last two measly snows at weeks end...but still very beautiful.

The view early in the morning at my friend Doug's place. He lives right on the Delaware River. This is looking toward New Jersey. Getting snowed in at his place would be a blast.

This is the Benjamin Parry House, and dates back to 1787.

The waterfall at the playhouse is always a nice sound.

Mrs. Squirrel was looking extra dapper at Love Saves the Day...one of many whacky shops we have here.

Love Saves the Day mannequin grave yard...I call it.

I then walked through the cemetery on the way home. The opening picture is the memorial tower. It was quite pretty to hear the chimes at the top playing.

 I then got home to enjoy a few of the usual suspects dinning and a few of the grouse where running around the courtyard.

They seem to love the berries and nut mixture. Have I mentioned that my seed budget is going through the roof this season?

Now I'm sitting here, getting ready to have a talk with the snow queen.

INNER TAPOPHILE

Now before you think I'm completely insane, or Warbucks and I had sex in a cemetery... people...clear that thought!!!! I do consider myself a tapophile....otherwise known as a "cemetery enthusiast", "cemetery tourist", "grave hunter", "graver" who has a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries, epitaphs, photography, art, and death. Death has never scared me, nor do I fear it. But I enjoy cemeteries so. Even right next to the Casa du Borghese is a very old graveyard dating to 1795. I once had a friend who just walking by one, would have a anxiety attack. He would never even come to stay with I and a good friend for a long weekend, who lives right off the graveyards of the Gettysburg Battlefields.  But I digress. This visit also saw us at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia for a day.

Laurel Hill Cemetery was founded in 1836 as a nonsectarian alternative to Philadelphia’s crowded, inner-city churchyards of the early nineteenth century. Intended for use by the living, as well as the dead, the cemetery’s design takes advantage of scenic Schuylkill River vistas, supported by the addition of winding paths and rare horticultural specimens.

Established in 1836, Laurel Hill is one of Philadelphia's premier historic landmarks and one of the only cemeteries in the United States to be honored as a National Historic Landmark. Countless prominent people of local and national fame are buried at Laurel Hill, including George G. Meade and thirty-nine other Civil War-era generals, in addition to six Titantic passengers, poets and authors, numerous polictians, and members of high society. Their extensive archives undoubtedly serve as a superb resource for scholars, researchers and genealogists. Moreover, Laurel Hill's natural beauty and peaceful serenity render it a bucolic retreat nestled within the city's limits overlooking,  high above the Schuylkill River. The cemetery's beautiful green space is further complimented by the breathtaking art, sculpture and architecture that can be found here. These are just some of the many attributes that render Laurel Hill Cemetery a primary destination for both residents and visitors to the City of Brotherly Love.

Even in all this restful garden of the dead...was a  sign of continuing life......

We have no idea if this fellow got here from the pond or the river, but we hoped his family wasn't far.

It was a good day.

To read other posts on Laurel Hill,  just click it in the tags.

AT CEMENTERIO DE LA RECOLTA

One of our days in Buenos Aires, we found ourselves exploring an elaborate stone city in search of a crypt – that of la familia Duarte. Why, you ask? Duarte was the family name of one Eva Perón. But that wasn't the only reason to see this magnificent landmark. I enjoy touring cemeteries to see the elaborate headstones and mausoleums. The Cementerio de la Recolta even rivaled the fabulous Laurel Hill here in Philadelphia.  Located in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires it contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, presidents of Argentina, Nobel Prize winners, the founder of the Argentine Navy, and a granddaughter of Napoleon. It was not a disappointment. And the challenge was going through the maze of "streets" trying to find the Duarte mausoleum. I knew the place would be pretty, but had no idea is was to be so elaborate.

Mausoleum or museum? Perhaps both. When you stumble on a tomb,  you linger a while and study its unusual design or its carefully sculpted lines. The Recoleta neighborhood of BA is an affluent one, and its cemetery is no exception. Some of the capital’s most prestigious schools are situated in this part of the city, as are shops of prominent French and Italian couturiers. No wonder the tombs are also ornately fashioned.

After some time touring, near an alley in the rear of the cemetery, we find a narrow door adorned with flowers. Despite being one of the cemetery’s most popular landmarks and arguably the most fun to find, Eva’s resting place was actually humble in comparison to many of the temples, and statues that surround it. But there was also a few temples that had broken windows, and were in rough shape. Some you could even see the caskets just resting in their slots. I have never seen that before.

The other thing I noticed the more we toured, was the amount of cats there were all over the place. And I mean a lot! I couldn't help wonder, are they the spirits come back, or are they the guardians of the dead? We pet a few, but most, you couldn't get near as they would go hide.

Later that night we had a delicious dinner at the Don Julio.

I know someone commented about the beef there in the pass comments. I think Gorilla did, so I thought I'd post my big piece of meat!