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Some things have surprising connections
I took this shot in April, when the weeping willows surrounding this huge memorial were just starting to leaf out. A few weeks later and the view of the memorial would have been obscured. I’ve looked at this shot several times since I took it, thinking it would be good for the blog, then changing my mind for various reasons that I don’t even recall.
This time, when I looked at it, I was reminded of the little cross I saw in the cemetery in Marathon, Texas, which was also partially obscured by vegetation:
So, from the huge memorial for Potter and Bertha Palmer in the Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, to an unmarked cross in Texas – some things are the same, even when they are different.
Chicago, Illinois
photographed 4.16.2013
Marathon, Texas
photographed 8.17.2013
A simple cross, in the hard ground
Just the other day I posted a photograph from the cemetery in Marathon; that one was taken in the part of the cemetery that must be the lowest point, where the scarce rain drains to: it was lush with grasses overtaking the headstone.
This shot is actually more typical of the place: dry, bare ground and dry, wooden crosses.
It’s hard country out there.
Marathon, Texas
photographed 8.17.2013
Here’s another option
Never let it be said that we here at One Day | One Image don’t offer our readers several options when it comes to interesting travel trailers. This one, only 92 miles away from this little gem, is larger. But that native landscaping across the front might slightly impede access to the doors. And while I suppose that one might consider that a security feature, it still appears unnecessarily formidable for residents.
To find this one, go to Marathon (pronounced, for some reason MARE-a-thun instead of like the race), and turn north at the cafe that’s just west of the Gage Motel. Go to all the way to the end of that street (three blocks), then go left all the way to the end of that street (six more blocks), then go right. This will be on your left. Look for the water tower, and you can’t miss it.
Marathon, Texas
photographed 8.16.2013
PS – If you get to town early enough, go ahead at have breakfast at the cafe. Sit outside. And chat up the waitress. She’s got a lot to say. (They are Italians, but are leaving today. He’s from Italy – been out here for better than twenty years. The dog’s name is Sparky. The flies are pretty bad this year. It’s been hot, but starting to cool down. Those people got here yesterday. You smell fruity.)
When the rains came late
Usually by August, the grass is dead, baked dry by the heat of the summer. Once, a dozen or more years ago, the summer had been so hot and dry that the only green grass anywhere was a narrow band along the low side of the road, where the runoff from scant showers was just enough for ribbon of grass to turn green.
But in years when the rains are later than normal, the grasses linger on, and August is uncharacteristically green. This was one of those years, and this tiny cross was almost obscured by late-season grasses.
This wasn’t my first visit to this cemetery; it is one of my favorites, and has been featured here on the blog a few times. There’s the Cemetery Chair, and Why Travel the Stars, both from One Day | One Image. And, on a previous blog, you can see some star trails above an angel and a painted concrete cross.
On this visit, I found out that the rodeo arena is next to the cemetery. There was plenty going on at the arena, and the sound system was playing lots of country music. It was annoying at first – who wants to hear music at a cemetery? – but I got used to it, I guess; it just became part of the background sounds. Like birds. And trains.
Marathon, Texas
photographed 8.17.2013
The cemetery chair
I’ve been to this cemetery a few times, and always find something interesting like star trails just before moonrise, or a cemetery angel, or concrete cross.
But my favorite thing I’ve seen there is this chair, backed up against a stone tower and angled to get a view of a rocky gravesite.
Marathon, Texas
photographed 9.6.2009
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