Salisbury, Maryland

The Promise of the Wind Waker:  "There is but a plank between a sailor and eternity." So said hymnist Thomas Gibbons. And then, all planks disappeared. Do you think they deliberately chose a burial plot at water's edge? Parsons Cemetery. [2013]

South Dennis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

The Promise of the Wind Waker:  "Happiness is brief. It will not stay. God batters at its sails." So said Euripides. But, the happy days on Cape Cod Bay must have sustained them through the darker days of life, the days when the clouds weren't so white and puffy. Oak Ridge Cemetery. [2010]

Pietà, Malta

Focus on Ta' Braxia Cemetery:  Where's the body on the z-axis? Above ground. In fact, it's on a pedestal, elevated and decorated to attract attention and honor the departed. Very Victorian. [2009]

Pietà, Malta

Focus on Ta' Braxia Cemetery:  "A beloved schoolmaster of Radley College who died while on holiday in Malta": only 45 years old. It looks like his body was not repatriated, but buried on the island where he died. Heading the slab that marks his grave is the Maltese cross, which is almost like getting knighted posthumously! [2009]

Pietà, Malta

Focus on Ta' Braxia Cemetery:  Ever wonder why granite is the most popular stone for memorials? Here's what happens to limestone. Physical geographers recognize this as chemical weathering. All rainfall is just slightly acidic (as a result of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere). When an acid finds a base (in this case, calcium carbonate), carbonation occurs and the limestone slowly dissolves away. Limestone accounts for virtually all of Malta's geology. [2009]

Pietà, Malta

Focus on Ta' Braxia Cemetery:  The imposing chapel in Malta's international cemetery was built by the Governor of New Zealand for his wife. Maybe not the Taj Mahal, but still imposing! The landscape architect of the cemetery itself was Emmanuele Luigi Galizia, a Gothic Revivalist, who was only 25 years old. [2009]

Pietà, Malta

Focus on Ta' Braxia Cemetery:  In this cemetery, anyone of any faith could be buried. It was laid out by the British, and it broke the power of the Roman Catholic church over who could be buried where. It was opened in 1867, and has been enlarged since then. But, space for new burials ran out long ago. [2009]

Harrington, Delaware

Father's Day is Coming:  "Daddy you taught us to believe in ourselves to to be strong. And taught us right from wrong. Daddy we know you love us and will always have a place in your heart for us. Daddy we know that you're safe and well taken care of in a wonderful place. And Daddy even though we can't be with you now, we know that you are always with us, watching over us and making sure we are safe. Daddy we'll always love you and remember all of the wonderful things we did together. We miss you and we love you Daddy. Your Loving Daughters . . . "  Hollywood Cemetery. [2014]

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Father's Day is Coming:  "Loving Memories Last Forever":  He and mom are "Together Forever." The "forever" theme is a big one in places where we bury the dead. Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens. [2014]

Jackson, Ohio

Father's Day is Coming:  "DAD: A Son's First Hero, A Daughter's First Love." An Ohio State Trooper, killed in an automobile accident, leaving behind a wife and two children. Fairmount Cemetery. [2016]

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Dumfries, Virginia

Animalia Chordata Imaginaria ~ Mermaids:  There are thousands of species of imaginary creatures on planet earth. You will find some, including the mermaid, in cemeteries. Dumfries Cemetery. [2014]

North Charleston, South Carolina

Animalia Mollusca Gastropoda ~ Knobbed Whelks:  There are 81,000 species of mollusks on planet earth. You will find some, including the knobbed whelk, in cemeteries. Carolina Memorial Park. [2014]

Oak Hill, Virginia

Animalia Arthropoda Crustacea ~ Crabs:  There are 40,000 species of crustaceans on planet earth. You will find some, including the blue crab, in cemeteries. Downing's Cemetery. [2013]

Laurel, Delaware

Animalia Arthropoda Hexapoda ~ Insects:  There are 950,000 species of insects on planet earth. You will find some, including the butterfly, in cemeteries. Laurel Hill Cemetery. [2013]

Duncannon, Pennsylvania

Animalia Chordata Vertebrata ~ Birds:  There are 9,956 species of birds on planet earth. You will find some, including the hummingbird, in cemeteries. Duncannon Cemetery. [2014]