Skip to main content

Kessner Cemetery

Photo by: Tim Bindner

I took a short hike today to Kessner Cemetery (N38°09.912 W86°14.995), but the journey was not about the destination but the hike to get there.

I awoke before dawn at around 6am. I had my camera, map and backpack ready to go. Something, however, unnerved me about this planned hike. I was going to an even more deserted and less traveled road than I was on the day before, and as usual I would have no cell service. This was part of my second book research and I knew I had to go, but could I go alone?

I had a detailed map in hand so I fought my anxiety and fear, got in my car and off I went. As mentioned, the road I would park off of was Dutch Hollow Road, and offshoot of Cold Friday Road. There is a single private lot at the end of Dutch Hollow, so traffic on this road is almost nonexistent.

As I turned onto Dutch Hollow Road, the mist filled the wooded area around me, and the narrow gravel road was something straight out of a horror movie. Good thing I enjoyed those, but I do admit I was creeped out.

I soon backed into a small pull-off and saw the locked gate in my rearview mirror. I got out of my car, grabbed my stuff, shut and locked my car and stood there in silence. An eerie silence that brought a chill to my spine. It was 46 degrees; I was miles from anywhere and I had not seen a car or a person in over 30 minutes. I was alone.

I took a deep breath and headed to the locked gate, maneuvered around it and started up the incline before me. My destination was less than a half mile ahead, but with each step I felt I was getting deeper into a magical forest. Humidity was peeking at around 95% or higher, and the mist provided a blanket of hush all around me. The work tire tracks below my feet were clearly defined but looked like they had not been used in quite a long time. Between the tire tracks was overgrown grass, small trees and an abundance of leaves. Some were as tall as my knees. To both sides of me lay a dense forest. I continued up the hill, not knowing exactly where the cemetery was, but my senses were on overload. The hush amplified each sound I heard, which was few. The smell of the damp leaves and trees brought a calming feeling to me. Then of course there was my vision. My photography eye was buzzing. The mist, muted colors and exposed trees provided ample opportunities for shooting. I took advantage.

Soon I saw to my left the sign for Kessler Cemetery. Without that sign, I would never have known there was a cemetery there. Behind the sign the area was very overgrown with thorn bushes, small saplings and tall grass. I maneuvered throughout the area, shooting what headstones I could make out. There was not much here, so I spent about 15 minutes walking around then began my brief journey back to the car.

I have completed another cemetery for my book, but I have to say, though the cemetery was not all that fascinating the hike to and back, helped me conquer a fear, and honestly the isolation of this place and the fact I went alone, helped.

As hiking often does for me, I had no thoughts of my outside life while I was here. I looked for shots, observed some deer, read some dates on headstones, and looked at beautiful trees. Truly not a care or worry in the world.

I returned to my Subaru and headed back up the long drive to the park. This was my hidden place today. It was all mine, and I was alone. I got to see things no-one else will ever see, and it made me smile.

Until next time,

Tim (Kilmer)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rumination

  I've found myself stuck in a loop lately. It's like my mind is on a hamster wheel, endlessly circling the same thoughts. I can't seem to shake them. It's exhausting. I've been there. That place where thoughts loop around and around, like a broken record stuck on the same groove. It's like my mind is a haunted house, and these persistent thoughts are the ghosts haunting me. I'll be thinking about something, maybe a conversation I had earlier in the day, and then suddenly, I'm spiraling. I'm replaying every word, every gesture, analyzing every detail. It's like a broken record, playing the same tune repeatedly. It's not just conversations, either. I can ruminate about my to-do list, my relationships, or even the weather. It's as if my brain is determined to find a problem, no matter how small. Rumination, as it's called, can be a real drain. It's like trying to go against the flow of a strong current. No matter how hard I ...

Nobody's Listening

  I recently had conversations with two people I know that had experienced a sudden rash of acute anxiety. One was medication related, the other was situational. Both stated that they now had a better understanding of what I have been dealing with. With the recent changes to my medication, Although I still feel anxiety, it no longer takes control of my emotions like it did in the past. However, I know acutely that it still lurks on the fringes, patiently awaiting its chance to pounce on me. During my recent visit to Dr. Erin, she assigned me an exercise where I had to jot down three things each day that I felt I excelled at. This is proving to be difficult for me. The parameters are straightforward and easy to understand. “Anything I do well that day,” she said. As I continued with this exercise, I began thinking of a song by Linkin Par called Nobody’s Listening. I got a heart full of pain, head full of stress Handful of anger held in my chest And everything left’s a wast...

Walk Tall

  I recently listened to a song by one of my favorite artist’s name John Mellencamp . The song is called Walk Tall . As I listened to the lyrics, I could not help reflecting on the world around me. John states: The simple minded and the uninformed Can be easily led astray And those that cannot connect the dots Hey, look the other way People believe what they wanna believe When it makes no sense at all… This is a recurring sight for me, encountered daily on social media, in conversations, on the news, and most notably in politics. People readily accept Facebook, MSNBC, CNN, or even their neighbor’s post on any platform as the ultimate truth. Very few people bother to delve into the facts, and it’s even worse how furious they get when faced with differing opinions. A point proven recently with a post I saw on Facebook. Someone stated, “this proves people will argue about anything”. There was a picture of a plastic cup of water that was ¾ full. The caption below said a fu...