Surrounded by death.

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography

Today I was surrounded by death and I was at peace.  With inherent storms forecasted for the weekend, I seized the opportunity to use a vacation day and head out for a hike.  Today’s location is one of my favorites, but not a typical destination one would think of for a hike.  I went to a very large, and very famous cemetery.  I spent some time alone on Friday the 13^th at Cave Hill Cemetery.

As I entered the main gate I drove to the end of a tree line road feeling the excitement as I would be able to explore this place in relative solitude.  I have been here many times, but I am usually with someone, like my family, who find the place interesting but do not want to stay long.  I pulled to the end of the road at the stop sign and parked.  I got out of my car, grabbed my camera and a water bottle and locked my car up.  I started my GPS and headed west toward an older section of the cemetery.  As I walked the wind was blowing quite forcefully but at higher elevations so I enjoyed the benefits of the sounds (one of my favorites by the way), without having to deal with walking into the wind.

Like the woods I often hike in the cemetery had its way of enveloping me and it did quite well.  The sounds of geese, birds, and squirrels echoed the area when it was not filled with the rustling of trees from the strong wind gusts. I moved along the road to the left and then took the first road heading downhill to the right, toward a crypt I had photographed before.  At the bottom of the hill, I could see this particular crypt off in the distance and decided to take a path through part of the field to get the best angle to shoot it.  I lined up my shot and snapped it and stood for a moment in silence to absorb the peacefulness of this place.

I moved next to the crypt on a designated path and headed uphill toward the military section.  I soon saw hundreds of white markers strategically lined up in rows and they seemed to go on and on.  I felt a sense of honor to be standing amongst these soldiers that gave their lives for our country.  I read some markers, looking at names, dates, and locations.  Sadness consumed me for a time and as I continued to move along I realized that the tears began to flow.  As peaceful as a resting place, this was these men and women mostly died in tragedy no in old age like so many other souls here.  I found a bench, sat there for a few minutes and prayed.

I moved back up the hill and into the regular part of the cemetery again.  I followed the road, occasionally seeing maintenance workers picking up limbs and doing some sweeping.  I was moving now towards the center of the property and again found myself drawn to a large crypt on top of a hill.  When I reached the top of the road I was greeted by a male goose blocking my path.  As it was their duty to protect the female who was sitting on her eggs, I decided the best way to get where I wanted to go was to cut across the field and not continue on the road.  As I was closely watched I made my way to this large mausoleum and lined up my shot.  The clouds were white and fluffy today, which only helped to enhance my shots.  The sun danced in and out of them providing me perfect lighting and shadows for shooting.

I continued on the road making a loop, back toward the hill I had just climbed, and then I noticed curled up next to a headstone was a female goose only two feet from me.  She watched me closely but never got up, never made a sound, and so I slowly walked away letting her be.  I rounded the curve and then my buddy the male saw me and standing tall headed my direction.  Not one for a fight, I turned again, cut through the field of headstones and back to the downward sloping road on the other side.  I was sure to periodically glance backward to ensure I was not followed.  I was not.

I circled back around to my car and got in.  I sat there for a moment thinking about life and death, and how we as humans lose focus on the truly important things in life.  Our days are all numbered, some more than others.  I am trying very hard to worry and stress less and focus on the things and people that truly mean the most to me.

As a planner, I have started thinking about my mortality, and wondering what place I want to rest in peace.  The Catholic tradition preaches last rites, mass, burial, etc., but I am not sure I want all that. I once heard a guy say “when I die, bury me with my butt sticking out of the ground so people will have a place to park their bike.”  I am thinking of a little different option.  One I will discuss with my wife.

I plan to come here more often than I do.  It is a peaceful place and like the woods, it provided me serenity at least for some time.  I highly suggest to anyone to take some time and visit.  It will not disappoint.

Cave Hill Cemetery has over 120,000 plots on it and the sheer size of the place is a bit daunting.  Yet due to its size, it is very well maintained and the layout is very inviting to me.  Cave Hill Cemetery is the final place of rest for many people but in this case, I truly feel they are resting in peace.

Until next time,

Tim