Solemn Visitors

The weather has been glorious this Fall.  It has given me extra opportunities to get out with the camera and shoot nature in its jewelled Autumn splendour.  I have favourite places I love to visit this time of year, and the cemetery is one of them.

Many people find these final resting places eery, cold and sad.  I on the other hand, enjoy them immensely.  I love the care that people have put into celebrating their lost loved ones.  I'm always touched when I see fresh flowers, cherubs and candles on the graves.  I sense alot of peace there, in spite of the grief that death brings for those of us left behind.  The stone angels are my favourite thing about cemeteries.  They evoke a deep sense that we are protected, sheltered and loved - here, and beyond this world.

On my visit last week to St. John's Cemetery near my home, I photographed these three angel statues; they are part of my new collection called Guardians.

 'Anguish'

 A grieving messenger marks the grave of an infant who died much too soon, many years ago.

 'The Prayer'

A winged child looks toward the sky in devotion as he and his twin flank a large family gravestone.

'On My Shoulder'

A beautiful angelic guardian holds two doves-their song brings a smile to her lips.

Also present at this most serene location were these precious creatures.  My daughter noticed them first as we got out of the car.  There were three of them - a mother and her young ones.  Curious but unafraid, they watched as we studied the older stones and looked for angels to capture.

They too, looked as though they were visiting the stones, pausing every now then to investigate.  I could have watched them all day if they had decided to stay with us.  Solemn and silent, they moved in and out of aisles and trotted gently, disappearing eventually up the hill into the forest. 

The day was warm and the colours made brighter by the sun's brilliance.  In the distance, a blue jay sang while we sought and sat with our favourite stone guardians.  We got a lot out of that visit, and not necessarily just photographs.  It was a truly blissful afternoon.