Keep a sharp eye

So last night we took Dagny for her first visit to Elmwood Cemetery.

It was not a rite of passage; she is after all only four months old. And we are not quite that weird.

There was so much to see. It was the Columbia Historical Society's big night to dress up in characters and hover behind trees near significant graves lit with tall black torches, and tell not-quite-ghost stories in the gloaming.

The lady who administrates day-to-day operations at Elmwood Cemetery has been inviting me for some time to attend this event as her guest.

They do similar tours on the second Thursday of each month, but it's understandable that October is the month that saw most of the action.

I was simply waiting for cooler temperatures, or at least not the kind of weather featuring humidity so intense, it makes a shadowy grave sound inviting.

As it turned out we enjoyed the pleasantly balmy climate typical of Columbia in October. Audrey was glad to accompany me, and as always we had Dagny in tow.

Bat-Dag sported her bat-baby costume, black and gold with a sparkly tutu skirt and detachable black satin cape. Little Miss Dark Eyes completely owned the look.

I'll show you better pictures of that getup later on this month; she will be wearing it to several events.

Speaking of getups, there was the dead almost-bride who wanders aimlessly around her grave at this time of year. The story is that she felt unwell on the day before the wedding, and everyone told her it was only pre-matrimonial jitters.

Except, she perished and instead of attending a wedding, the dearly beloved gathered together for a funeral.

Ah well. Even if she'd been married fifty years, they'd both be long gone by now.

The golden sunset was particularly fetching as it melted through the trees on the west side of Elmwood.

Elmwood is meticulously tended. I'm glad because TG and I have purchased our graves there, under a big tree, and you want the housekeeping to be on a par you can live with.

There was a lady who has been enjoying the ambience and amenities for a long time, alongside her husband. The story goes that during the war between the states, they did some undercover work for the Confederacy.

That must have really been something because one-hundred-fifty years later, she's still talking about it.

There was a young lady engaged in noisy mourning, lamenting the loss of her betrothed over a century ago. It was a locomotive accident, hence the motif on Weathersbee's impressive grave marker.

The would-have-been Mrs. Weathersbee burst into good-natured giggles however, when I complimented her on how perfectly tragic she looked in her almost-widow's weeds.

So, good times after all.

Late day waned to a blue twilight and gaggles of visitors milled about, drinking cider and roasting marshmallows, snacking on pretzels from small jack-o-lantern bags, filling out CHS How-Did-We-Do surveys clamped to clipboards outfitted with tiny-but-bright gooseneck lights to see by.

I let Audrey complete ours because I am blind as a bat without my cheaters. I did comment to a volunteer that it was a memorable shindig although I was tuckered from all the walking and more than ready to take my bones home.

Dagny won't remember any of it, but that's why we take pictures.

I can't wait to tell her about our October adventure someday in the future, and to take her back to Elmwood when she can more fully appreciate not only its peace and beauty, but its ties to the history of the city where she was born.

And that is all for now, except for me to wish you a:

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Happy Friday ~ Happy Weekend

Comments

[Mari]

It's a beautiful place and this looks like a most interesting event. Miss Dagny is as charming and cute as ever!

[Sally]

Wow - that's quite a place there! And, you needed to get your tired bones home. That's a real play on words, Jenny. hahaha

I had to laugh at the young "widow" giggling also.

That Dagny sure gets around with y'all. She's going to love all this later on.

Hope your weekend is good also!
xoxo

[irene]

What an unusual evening, who would have thought?

[Glenda]

Interesting evening...But, I bet the Bat~Baby stole the show!!

G.

[Barb]

But, is the housekeeping something you could die for? (couldn't resist) As usual, I'm sure Dagny stole the show - a breath of fresh air among those musty remains. Can't wait to see her bat costume fully - our little Sam was a spider for his first Halloween - only one month old. Of course, I took hundreds of photos.

[Lady Fi]

What a fascinating tour! Lovely shots of the old cemetery too.