Ok, did you grab the mushrooms, (email me privately if you didn't so maybe I can be the first to get there ;-)!) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nancee Seifert" <iggy29@grm.net> To: <IADECATU@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 11:02 AM Subject: [IADECATU] YESTERDAY'S CEMETERY HUNT... > It was a perfect day, weather wise, yesterday and I was itchin' to get out > and go cemetery hunting in Hamilton Township again.. Since I had found > the > Dale Cemetery -- I thought I'd go look for the Gammill Cemetery and > possibly > Cowles Cemetery. The map is on the Decatur Co. website > http://www.iagenweb > org/decatur/mapDocs/mapHamilton.html > > Since we'd had rain a few days before and these were dirt roads I'd be > going > on, I hoped they had dried out enough to navigate -- at least on foot!! > So, > I drove past Dale Cemetery, which is now "Quarry Road" and went on to the > T > and turned right, as I could see the dirt road there. I drove on it (since > my little green 'hearse' is pretty light) Then I came to a one lane > bridge > that was closed and probably has been for some time.. Load limit 7 tons -- > so I'm under that and thought, what the heck, I'll walk across it.. Armed > with camera bag and map, I headed across and could see why it was > closed -- > pretty old and the planks were starting to rot.. Nice old iron bridge with > a > great view of a muddy 'Little River'... All of a sudden I spotted several > very long black (or maybe hog) snakes curled around the iron rails, > sunning > themselves.. Wow, I had to take their pictures. One was under the planks > and was too lazy to bother me; THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! > > On the other side of the bridge, which is on "Campbell Road", you come to > Boothtown Road" and I headed to the right and walked up the hill and > around > for a good 2 miles, taking pics of an abandoned house and other things... > I > climbed thru a barbed wire fence (now, mind you I don't go in if it says > "No > Trespassing" -- and this didn't. I'm not as agile as I used to be, so got > my > pants caught and tore them trying to shrink myself small enough to get > thru > the barbed wires.. So, since I found no cemetery, I decided to walk back > down to the 'T' and go up the other direction... The 4-wheelers had tried > to > navigate it and it had 12" ruts and was still a bit muddy... > > Don't know about the rest of you, but I talk to myself (or the air) when > I'm > walking and I had just said, "Lord, show me where these cemeteries are -- > I > ll walk wherever I have to." Well, up on the left on top of a big hill, > there was Cowles Cemetery.. What a serendipity!! I took pictures and just > plain enjoyed the peacefulness... > > I walked (trying to navigate the ruts and mud) back down "Boothtown Road" > and back to my little green 'hearse' with more determination to find the > Gammill Cemetery.. A guy in a Grand River Mutual truck went around the > curve and stopped up the hill going the other direction.. Well, being the > charming 'Maxine' that I am, I asked him if he knew where the Gammill > Cemetery might be... He was very friendly and funny... He pointed to Dale > Cemetery -- I had already been there.. Then he said that up over the hill > (which was gravel up to the house up there) and dirt on past it. I > stopped > at the house and there were 3 very big, older dogs there; so I honked to > see > if the lady who lives there would come out and give me directions... Then > the GRM guy in the truck came up the hill and went around the house and > pointed to the headstones across the way... WALA, he'd found Gammill > Cemetery for me... (Remember, I believe in Angels...) > > I parked the 'hearse' and decided to walk the 1/4 mile to the cemetery, as > I > didn't want to get into mud and get stuck... So, the dogs and I became > instant friends (old dogs like old ladies?!) and with my camera bag I > headed > for the cemetery... The white dog decided to go with me.. There is no sign > for the cemetery, but it is mowed and in good condition -- so I went about > the business of chalking a few stones and taking pictures.. The first few > pictures have the white dog, which would lay down by the stone.. So be > it.. > (There were about 8 large Morrel mushrooms by the pine tree - so I took > pics > . of them too.) > > Well, being pretty 'full of myself' and tired, but happy, I headed back to > Leon... I forgot to mention that the "Quarry Road" which goes from CR R46 > up to the Dale Cemetery and on, is like a roller coaster -- and I > remembered > how our dad would take us out in our '49 Chevy and drive as fast as he > could > up the hill and then let up off the gas, and our stomachs would come up > into > our throats going down the hill.. What fun.. > > So, another successful day and I headed back home. I'll get the pictures > put on the Gravestone Photos and then you can see them if you want.. > Nancee > > www.iagenweb.org/decatur > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > IADECATU-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message