Devastation at Amesbury's Union Cemetery

I went out with my camera today to take advantage of the fantastic weather. I decided to go up to Amesbury, where I found the Union Cemetery on Route 110 in complete disarray. The storms of the past week have downed at least 6 full-sized trees and many smaller branches. As far as I could tell, only a few monuments were broken, but the trees are huge and there may have been more crushed stones that I couldn't see. Most of the damage is in the 19th-century section — the 18th-century stones were largely untouched. I saw at least one City of Amesbury truck in the cemetery, so I imagine that they're on top of the situation.

Sledding Hat

Celebrate winter with the American Museum of Photography's online exhibit: Faux Snow. Apparently, late-19th-century photographers sometimes filled their studios with fake snow in order to stage fanciful winter scenes like the one pictured above. While you're there, check out the rest of the museum's lovely digital exhibits.

Happy Autumn

Pete and I spent the weekend at a wedding in the Catskills, which gave us an excellent opportunity to appreciate the turn of the season. If I had my way, it would be October all year long.

Pete says that I am biased because I have an October birthday, which may be true. Still, I love everything about autumn – the smell of leaves, the crisp air, the quality of the light.

I'm looking forward to spending the next few weeks traveling to graveyards after having been confined all summer.

Minnie Maria Gorton, d. 1853

Providence, RI

photo taken October 15, 2008