The six-acre Historic Union Cemetery in Redwood City, California runs unobtrusively along Woodside Road where it sits adjacent to a plant nursery and is bordered on other sides by boring boxy 1960s housing. The cemetery was established in the mid-nineteenth century and is inhabited by – among others – soldiers of the American Civil War who died after they were mustered out and members of the sadly depleted but happily still extant Metamora Native American Tribe. No surprise this: the cemetery is said to be haunted. If so, our delightful afternoon of stalking the wild tombstone, while fun for us, was apparently of little interest to the inhabitants. The day was uneventful. I was test-driving a modest digital camera, which was new to me that week and died not long after this expedition.
© 2011, words and photographs, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved
JAMIE DEDES (The Poet by Day)~ I am a medically retired (disabled) elder and the mother of a married son. The graces of poetry, art, music, writing and reading continue to evolve as a sources of wonder and solace, as creative outlets, and as a part of my spiritual practice. My Facebook pages are: Jamie Dedes (Arts and Humanities) and Simply Living, Living Simply.
The photograph to your right, Portrait of a Photographer is a portrait of my friend and fine art photographer, Wendy Alger. I guess it might be more correct to say it’s a portrait of the camera not the photographer, though it was meant to capture the spirit in which Wendy works. I took the photograph some years ago during out trek through Historic Union Cemetery in Redwood City, California. Wendy pursued her art and I was chauffeur and tag-along doing the best I could. My own portrait here is a selfie captured using the photo feature on my MacBook. Happy interNational Photography Month.
The BeZine 
Yesterday we discovered a beautiful rural family plot, completely surrounded by plowed farmland. Four stones. Gorgeous views. Much love.
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There is something compelling in the peace … maybe a message, eh. Much love.
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Interesting find! I don’t really think of the Civil War’s effect on California much. Sorry about the camera!
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You know, I never have either, Priscilla. It is interesting.
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I love visiting old cemeteries and to think I lived only 2-3 miles away from this one and never knew it existed. I hope next time we visit the Bay Area to be able to take time to see it. I enjoyed your photos, Jamie.
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Thank you, Victoria.
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Neat photos, Jamie. You really captured some interesting juxtapositions – I guess because I haven’t been to California much, I never picture palm trees with gravestones, but perhaps both are a sort of ‘paradise’. 🙂 I’ve always like cemeteries, too. One can imagine all the stories of those who rest there, and some of the stones tell an interesting story all their own. One of my favorite souvenirs from my trip to Paris was a rubbing of Jim Morrison’s tombstone! Long story behind the trouble it took to get it. Anyway, thanks for sharing your afternoon with us. That sucks about the camera, though.
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Dear Jamie,
There are so many stories to be found by a simple walk in a graveyard. Most must be left to the imagination, but there are clues and we can speculate, and it is important to remember. Your photos are lovely and evocative. I can almost smell the fragrance of leaves crunching beneath your feet.
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