Fond Old Memories, a Precious New One, & Sad Yet Beautiful Decay

Before moving for more lucrative employment in a big city, my father worked at our small isolated town’s sole industrial plant and also did other jobs to provide for his wife and us four kids. The side gig I remember most was at the town cemetery.

As a groundskeeper, he sometimes brought us all along to help. On summer days I relished sweeping and dusting inside the mausoleum’s cool marble interior while my three older brothers toiled in the heat. To this day I find comfort and peace in cemeteries and decided to explore one where a friendly neighbor was buried over fifteen years (?!) ago.

My old friend’s plot is just over this bridge…

Cool find, no?

I did not expect any wooden crosses...

Sadly, I found the windows alone clean and undamaged...

I left untouched the various sweet mementos...

Frankly, most of these trinkets look in better shape than the dirty, decaying building. Cobwebs were everywhere, leaf debris littered the floor, and even some mud dauber wasp nests clung to a few chamber facings.

Interestingly, the range of interment dates inside and out on the grounds was staggering. I found abject decrepitude amid modern monoliths.

The one in the foreground was so illegible, making
an imprint would not recover anything...

To my astonishment, a bird flew in through the open door and all the way to the back before turning around. Unfortunately, the creature didn’t dive below the oddly placed archway. Hitting solid rock, it tumbled two stories to the concrete below. Smart phone already in hand, I took a quick disturbing video before offering aid. Feel free to scroll past to the clip I filmed moments before he or she flew off into the sunlit trees.

How I managed to get my phone and take footage is a mystery. The bird continued gripping my finger that entire time.

Should I offer to sweep and clean up a bit? Do you think doing so without permission would be considered trespassing?

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Outrageous Winds, Minor Crummy Luck – & – Deranged Behavior

In my mid thirties, I briefly weighed 112 pounds, or just under 51 kilograms. While my guy then begged me to stop losing weight and keep myself around 118 or more, Wednesday’s wind would have knocked me off my feet. This day it pushed my fat body across the parking lot.

Once I returned home my husband told me he heard our pellet grill blown off the back deck. I disentangled the mess and can only hope it will be safe to use. We shall see.

On Tuesday I went swimming. Near the end of my laps, the female lifeguard bent down to me saying, “Ma’am, I promise you’ll want to get out of the pool now.”

I’d witnessed a strange exchange between a sketchy looking guest and the male lifeguard. The guest left, then returned, and I saw a call being made. As it turned out, this persistent swimmer defecated in the pool. I can only imagine his nasty act stemmed from mental illness.

I informed another swimmer and soon after warned two women entering the area. To lighten the mood, I added, “Fingers crossed, it’s just a candy bar.” The women knew this old movie scene and laughed, much to my delight.

Are you familiar with this relevant film reference? Either way, have you seen the flick “Caddy Shack”?