Mount Auburn Cemetery- America’s First and Finest

In Cambridge, Mass. is a vast and beautiful park that happens to be a cemetery. 

It is called Mount Auburn and has the distinction of being the first of its kind in America: a landscaped rural garden Victorian cemetery. 

Mount Auburn opened in 1831. Today it encompasses 170 acres in Cambridge and also parts of neighboring Watertown. More than 100,000 people are buried here. 

Wow! 

More on Mount Auburn's history here. 

The impressive entrance near Harvard University was built in 1842 of locally- quarried Quincy granite. The wings at the top are of ancient Egyptian influence symbolizing the sun and therefore power, according to cemetery material.

The inscription under the rings says the following: 

“Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7” 

Credit for founding this Garden of Eden of burial grounds is Dr. Jacob Bigelow (1787-1879), a Boston physician, botanist and Harvard professor. Bigelow chapel, (right) located near the entrance, was named in his honor. The grand Gothic Revival edifice, built in 1844 and rebuilt in 1855 (also of Quincy granite) emulates the style of cathedrals built in England, France and Germany in the 1200s or 1300s, a cemetery publication says. 

Another Busy Backyard Owl Season

 

Fast and furious is how I would describe what I immediately noticed upon our return from Boston on May 29. 

I got out of our car in the driveway ready to take in suitcases when I heard that distinctive young owl sound. 

I have described the sound as a shrill hiss or whistle. My neighbor calls it a screech. The sound is clearly not the hoot associated with owls. 

For four of five years in this time period: mid -to-late May to mid-to-late June, Barred Owls have been making daytime visits to the trees at my house and some neighbors yards. Here are links to a few of my posts in previous years. 

•  June 2022 Post (includes an owl in a birdbath on our back porch!)
• June 2023 Post

These are young Barred Owls that may not know that they are nocturnal. While the parents are sleeping during the day, the youngsters fly away to play. That could be what is going on- curiosity about this big wide world they are part of now. 

I'm the Guest on a Cemetery Podcast!!!

First time experiences can be exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. There was anticipation for the event to finally happen as the interview with me was set up months ago. But June 4 finally arrived and at 10 a.m. I was in my chair in our home office ready to talk Charleston and its many interesting cemeteries and graveyards. 

Dianne Hartshorn and Jennie Johnson have hosted "The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast" for more than three years. I was honored to be the guest for episode 188. They let me go on for more than an hour about my books "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston" and "In the Arms of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery- Charleston's Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry" and how I became interesting in these offbeat topics. 

Here is a link to the podcast's page about my appearance.

On YouTube it can be viewed here: 

To just listen to the podcast (and not see us as you do in the YouTube video above), it is available via all the popular streaming services such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts. 

Dianne and Jennie are fellow "taphophiles" (obviously) and they were so much fun to speak with and share my passion for Charleston, S.C.- the Holy City! 

Boston- The Cradle of Liberty

A long Memorial Day weekend visit to Boston proved a positive revelation on many levels. The old city is one often depicted in movies, TV shows, books and other media. This was my first time in Boston and I left impressed and hopeful to return in the future. 

Boston and beyond- Boston Harbor and in the distance, the Atlantic Ocean! 

THE HOTEL

Alesia booked our room at the Marriott Vacation Club at Custom House. Wow is this a grand hotel! 

Our room on the 23rd floor is a villa. It has huge windows overlooking the harbor and Logan Airport on one side, and the city skyline on the other. It also has a kitchen. 

Our villa, room 2302, is part of the clock tower just below the clock where you see windows. 

The Classical Revival tower, nearly 500 feet tall, was added in 1915 to top the massive Custom House built in 1847. 

This was Boston's tallest building for decades. Click here for more on this landmark's interesting history. 

Daniel Island Taphophile Talk

 

My “Tales of a Taphophile” presentation went well on May 21 to members of the Daniel Island Historical Society. The room was full in the parish hall of the Church of the Holy Spirit. What a great turnout! 

My spirits were high to finally take the stage (or the altar as it were) for this event set up maybe six months ago. 

The members were very attentive and many questions followed my approximately 40-minute PowerPoint titled “Tales of a Taphophile: From Magnolia Cemetery to the Churchyards of Charleston.”

The talk is based on these two books: 
"In the Arms of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery- Charleston's Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry." 

And "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston." (both are available from Amazon). 

“Taphophile” as I have come to know from my talks is a word many people do not know. A taphophile is someone who is passionate about cemeteries, gravestones, funeral customs and rituals. 

Fellow taphophile, the Crypt Chick, gives her "Tombstone Tourist" story on her blog.

So, yes, I’m a taphophile! Nice photo taken by Alesia. My mother says I look "presidential" lol.

It was great having Alesia with me. She looked stunning in her new dress. 

I signed and sold a number of books too, and it was great meeting many kindred spirits who also appreciate history. 

Many thanks to Beth Bush who invited me to speak to her organization. Beth was out of the country so Lee Ann Bain, a top Charleston tour guide, helped coordinate things and also introduced me. 

My thanks also go to Angela Williams whom I met last summer (see my blog post here). She told me about the Daniel Island Historical Society (she was a speaker a few years ago) and suggested I contact the group. 

Alesia and I celebrated afterward at Macs, a fun sports bar on the island. 

I have more book events in June and July that I’m sure to post about. 🥂 

Silversun Pickups Perform in…Charleston!

 

Wednesday, May 1 was a much anticipated day this year. My SC State classes concluded the day before so the end of the school year is near with final exams and final grading left to wrap up another year teaching college and college students- something I take great pride in doing and being part of a faculty. 

This band is one of my top five of all time! See my post here. 

May 1 this year was doubly special because that was the date for us to go to a concert at Charleston Music Hall by a band we both love, Silversun Pickups. 

The show was announced…when? Back in January maybe. I bought tickets right away and the date was circled on my calendar, you know, one of those dates you think will never arrive! Felt that way anyway.  

New Bird on the Block: Gray Catbird

 

The thrill of Baltimore Orioles at my feeders is no more. They’ve flown north for the spring, to Canada, according to my birding friend Richard. 

But then a new visitor with a sweet tooth began to frequent the grape jelly tray. 

What a handsome species is the Gray catbird! 

The All About Birds website says Gray Catbirds are related to Mockingbirds and Thrashers, sharing their skill at mimicking other bird calls. The name Catbird comes from a call that sounds like a meow. I did hear that myself once when on my back porch. I read that this bird can also imitate the croak of a frog! 

Click here to hear the Gray Catbird kind of sounding like a cat.  (credit to the Cornell Lab)

Colorful Creature!

 

Back in March I spotted this unusual critter on the brick by my garage. It is something I did not recognize so I posted a few photos and a short video (below) on my neighborhood's Facebook site. 

I received several informed responses. One neighbor said that this is a Luna Moth. From this website I learned that its born as a caterpillar that eats different types of leaves. After about a month  it builds a cocoon where it lives for about three weeks then emerges as a Luna Moth.  

I also shared these images on the South Carolina Wildlife Photos site. One responder said she thinks the wings appear to not have unfurled correctly. 

Another man said: "I'm not 100% certain but usually when they first come out of the cocoon their wings look something like that. They will sit still and slowly pump blood into their wings, making them unfurl. It's just that purple part at the top of their wings make me think something may be wrong."

Some research on this moth reveals that it only lives for about one week. What a shame! 

The reason for the short life span is that "like other members of the giant silkworm family, have reduced mouthparts so they don't eat at all" (per this source).

Check out the video below.

I know I have seen Luna Moth's before but cannot find one I may have photographed. 

So here's what one looks like during its all-too-short life. Courtesy this site. 

When out in nature, I will keep an eye out for Luna Moths so I can add my own "capture" to this site. 

It is always nice to learn new things about Mother Nature! 

Researching my Spanish Ancestry: The California Connection

 (Click here to see a video introduction and overview I produced to go along with this story)
Note: I first published this post in February 2019 on my old College of Charleston "Beyond the Grave" site created for a class I taught for five years at this university. 

During a holiday visit to my folks’ house in Virginia, I asked my mother some questions about her parents. One was where her late father (my grandfather) had worked. I knew that he was at a hotel for many years in Santa Monica but I didn't know which hotel.

"The Miramar" was her response. My immediate reaction was asking if it was located near San Diego. My thoughts went to the Tom Cruise movie "Top Gun" that was set at the fighter pilot school at the Miramar U.S. Navy aviation base.  

No, not that Miramar, Mom said.  It was not until yesterday when I began doing some research for this post that I learned about Santa Monica's Miramar Hotel and its rich, interesting, even glamorous history.  

Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows (courtesy Booking.com)

And I admit to shivering with pride to think my Grandpa Frank spent much of his working career at such a prestigious resort hotel.  

A 2011 article from the Santa Monica Mirror recounts the property's long history.  Early highlights included: 

• The co-founder of Santa Monica, John Percival Jones, built a Victorian mansion called Miramar in 1889
• His wife Georgina would plant a small Australian Moreton Bay fig tree that would grow into the huge landmark and signature tree (below) that dominates the resort's front courtyard

Moreton Bay fig tree at the Miramar 

• Georgina Jones, in 1912, sold the house and property to safety razor inventor King Camp Gillette for $77,500
• Gillette, several years later, would sell to Gilbert Stevenson, who is described as an "eccentric hotelier" in the Santa Monica Mirror article referenced earlier
• Stevenson turned the estate into a hotel, which by the early 1920s became a celebrity hot spot with stars such as Greta Garbo, Betty Grable and Jean Harlow gracing its rooms, restaurant and stage. 
  
  

Biking to the Intracoastal Waterway

We just had to take advantage of the beautiful weather God blessed us with on Sunday, April 14! So we loaded our bicycles in the SUV and drove north up the coastline. 

Destination: the vast Santee Coastal Reserve located off Highway 17 north of McClellanville. I have visited several times over the years but never took a bike. I did a two-part posting about this wildlife management area back in 2015.

Part I.  Part II. 

This website from South Carolina Trails includes a map of the route we took on our bikes, giving the ride an "easy" rating. I would say it's not exactly easy as you really need to pay attention because the conditions of the path differ from good to a little rough as you go along. 

The goal today was to ride to the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s a few miles from the main parts of the reserve so bikes seemed like a fun and expedient way to get there. The trail, overall, was in good shape except for a few sandy patches. 

Once we got there we saw several vessels plying the waters, including this yacht whose skipper tooted the horn for us.