More Cemetery Images

This falls under the category of what were they thinking.

 This mouning image is striking, until you see it 100 times. You can't tell someone, "He's buried with the mounring angle."

 I do not know if this is a single family grvae or a site owned by the cemetery. It was being worked on so I do not know how it will be finished or how they will get to the stairs leading down into the depths of ----the tomb.

This one caught my eye because of the name Fraga. I know some people in WA by that name. This "curio cabinet" motif is also popular in the cemetery. There is a picture of the dearly departed, along with a rosary and other religious objects. The box in the center had a can of coke, a can of beer, and to the side, the head of a broom. On top of the box was a roll/ package of crackers.

 This cube caught my eye because of the simplicity of the design and the over the top finishes. The glass cross is on both sides of the cube. I don't know what kind of stone it is, but it looks expensive.

 I saw this and immediately thought of granite counter in the kitchen. This was granite all around, including the backsplash.

If the statue in the center had been of an Egyptian goddess, I would say that Cleopatra was buried here.  The clue to this are the two sphinxes atop the columns. The glass doors hide a stairs that lead down. It could be a multiplex housing for the dead.

I hope you enjoyed the trip through Pateon de Dolores, through the gates of never-never-land.

Monterrey Cemetery

I went to Monterrey last weekend and spent four nights. I disregarded the recent violence involving the 40 headless bodies that were found on the highway between here and there. Again I took the bus. I don't think my car would survive for long in Monterrey. If I am not hijacked on the highway, the car would be stripped overnight where ever I park it.

I was telling someone about the buses to Monterrey. They really are better than the Greyhound. The seats are nore spacious and the rows are not as crowded. There is a restroom for the male passengers and a separate one for the female passengers. The trip is about 4 hours long and this allows for two movies to be shown.  These are usually American movies that are subtitled or dubbed into Spanish.

Cerro de la Silla (Saddle Mountain)

My grandfather died in 1973 and my aunt - his daughter - in 1992. They are both buried in the same plot. Although I found it unusual, it is a common thing in Mexico.  I needed to know where they were buried.

The cemetery is "Panteon de Dolores." It is adjacent to "Pateon El Carmen," and it is important to know where to look because they are huge. Here is a Google Earth image.

The red line is the path to the gravesite. From the entrance all the way to the back and then all the way to the right. I don't know why something closer to the entrance was not purchased. The office gave me an "address" for the grave, but the land mass is not marked in any way.

The entrance to the cemetery looks like the entrance to never-never land - well yes! After you go to the office for directions, there is a group of older gentlemen who would gladly take you to the general area and help you find the site and they work for tips. I chose to go it alone.

 Although it was early in the morning it was starting to get hot. The shady street past the entrance helped.

Half-way to the back was the chapel.  I was immediately struck by how clean the grounds were. 



















There is no dirt to step on. The area between the rows are paved "sidewalks." I also found out that they do not use any dirt in the graves. More on that later. Also in the picure below notice the brown-roofed enclosures with the windows.

So I finally find my relatives' resting place. On my next trip I need to find out under whose name it is and change it. Else it will be taken over by the cemetery and resold.

Unlike other cemeteries, this one is orderly. The names were etched but the groves did not have any paint. I decided to return the next day with a permanent marker and the image below is the result.

I took pictures with detailed instructions on how to find the site. If there is anyone interested in going there, they will have an easy time.

No Dirt

The plots are sold and dug according to the owners instructions. The norm is to have 5 compartments.

This is a grave that I assume caved in. Each "ledge" going up to the sunlight would be where the cement lid is placed over the coffin. It then serves as the base for the next occupant, hence, no dirt is needed.

 I am sure that this method of burial is common in other parts of the world, but I had never seen it or known about it.

In my experience, a distant cousin needed to bury her son and could not afford the real estate. She asked my mother if her son could be buried with my greatgrandmother. The hole was dug and whatever was there was collected and re-enterred in the side of the grave, making room for the new coffin.  I wonder what happens in the graves with 5 occupants and the family needs room for a 6th?

Back to these structures.

It is not enough to spend the money on a marble topper. Some folks have extra cash to spend. These are as wide as the gravesite. The interior varies a little. It can simply house the marble topper. Or it is a marble floor with artificial flowers in large vases. Some have a prayer-kneeling-thing. What I found over the top is the structure itself.

The windows are etched glass. The lower part of the window is louvered.

Notice the window cranks on the inside. Yes and the windows and the door have steel bars for protection or safety?

I don't make this stuff up. I am an observer and a reporter.

Gus

What have I done?
     On March 12, I adopted Gus, a Lab mix, from the Humane Society. He was 3-4 months old, according to the info card on him.  He was one of 4 in the litter at the shelter.

     I had been looking for a dog for a while at the local shelters in the area. I was undecided on getting a mature dog or a puppy. I figured that a mature would come with "issues." On the other hand, I would be able to train the puppy and in time he would adopt my "issues." I finally decided on a puppy and began looking for the right one. I did not know how I would know, but I knew that I would.

    I took him to the vet the following day to initiate a relationship with the local vet and to have Gus's eyes look at. He was oozing stuff. That vet said that Gus had a congenital defect in the eyes. The bottom folds into the eye, causing the hair to irritate the eyeball. This of course could be remedied with surgery, similar to an eye-lift. There was also a concern about distemper and parvo virus. Yikes. Color me scared.

    That night he started coughing and gagging  I was close to taking him to an all-night clinic. Early the next morning, I took him to a different vet. I did not care for the first one. Again there was great concern about Parvo and distemper. I had already read up on these and was very concerned. The vet wanted to keep Gus in the hospital with IV, antibiotics, and isolation. I picked him up for days later. The symptoms for distemper and parvo never developed.After 2 weeks of antibiotics, he seemed recovered. His appetite recovered and his behavior seemed more normal to a puppy.

I want to make sure that he gets enough exercise to allow him to develop as he should. The vet predicts a large dog. The daily routine is an early breakfast, a 3-4 block walk, some freesbie fetch, some yard roaming and cat pestering. The he goes back inside for a nap. There is another walk and yard play in the late afternoon. He does not seem to understand that I have a bad knee.

For now he has been spending much of his time indoors, because of his size and maturity. Although I don't think he will run away, he cannot be trusted outside without supervision. Is he chewing on a plant, on paper, on bugs?  Will he challenge the cat to within an inch of his life and maybe lose an eye? Once he gets older and has found his boundaries, he will have more time alone.

 House training seemed to be in his genes. He has his spot for #2 in the yard. He is now on a semi-regular schedule of when he needs to go. I am still getting up in the middle of the night (3-4 a.m.) to allow him to pee. I am thinking he could hold it but I have not dared to take a chance. I know he won't poop.

If I was advising someone on adopting a dog from the shelter, I would ask more questions about the birth mother and home of origin. I would ask about the other members of the litter.

Gus keeps me moving. I am not a walker and certainly have no need to walk four blocks twice a day.  I now know that people are meant to grow old with their pets. Old people should not adopt puppies. He is good natured, well behaved, and has now started barking. He may be a good guard dog. I will keep you posted.

Family Tree

I began my research into the family roots last year. I posted about my Aunt Bea and the nuclear family. I have also mentioned the story about my grandfather and finding my grandmother's tomb in Matehuala. So far I have 185 names on the tree, most verified through official documents. The oldest date is 1835 - that of my great-great-grandfather on my mothers side. I have one generation older than that on my maternal grandmother's side, but I have not been able to verify the data.

                                                                     What is new to me?

Who are the Monterrey Folks?

     Those folks in Monterrey (the well-to-do), with whom I stay on occasion, I knew were related, but I did not know how. Now I know that they are 3rd cousins. My grandmother's mother and his grandfather's mother were sisters. These are Carlos and Javier.


         Javier                                                                             Carlos

Missed Opportunity

My friends in the poor colonia in Monterrey told me that there was a lady in the neighborhood that was always asking about my Aunt Bea and that she had a family resemblance. I was told where she lived and I went a-knocking.

The moment I saw the house, I knew that I had been there as a child. The woman's name was Aurelia Villanueva, unmarried. Her father and my paternal grandmother were siblings. Aurelia ((80) was not home when I went looking for her. She was hospitalized and was due to be released in a few days. I was greeted by the youngest of the sisters, who told me that Aurelia was indeed the one to talk to. She knew all of the family history. I was scheduled to return home the next day. I promised to return on my next trip.

The next time I went looking for Aurelia I learned that she had died 2 week prior.

This side of the family continues shrouded in darkness, but I continue to look for the light switch.

                                                                            A new cousin

     My last visit to the relatives was in December. The newly discovered Vidales cousins - their father and my father would have been cousins - presented the youngest brother, Eduardo. My sister and I think he bears a strong resemblance to my father.

Eduardo                                        my father                                                       my grandfather

 

I also saw a resemblance between Eduardo's sister and one of my aunts. I am wondering if Eduardo's grandfather and my grandfather married sisters.

The search continues.

ALOHA - Back again - Catching up

I could not believe that my last post was almost 4 months ago. Time flies when you pick your nose.

       Today's post is all about Hawaii. I had an amazing time there, thanks to my friends who were gracious enough to host me, feed, and tour me. Although I had been to the Island of Oahu several years ago, that trip was a "postcard" trip. Oahu and Honolulu is the where the tourists land and where many stay. The sight-seeing and island information is pre-packaged. My impressions of Hawaii were wonderful, but they became deep and meaningful after this last trip to the Big Island.

       I will not post all the picture I took on my trip. My memories of each image are still vivid and if you come by the house and enjoy a cocktail or two I will tell you all about it. Here is just a sample.

Although I don't get any commission from Hawaiian Airlines, I associate this image with the Islands - the colors, the hibiscus in the hair, and the beautiful people.

Without lava, there would be no Hawaiian Islands. You encounter it on the beaches of the island, the massive lava fields, and of course the active "Caldera," with it billowing plumes of steam.

What is amazing is that when you have lava, and add many years, and bucketful of rain, you get such beautiful vegetation. On the Hilo side of the the Big Island, the annual rainfall is over 100 inches.

I am trying to follow my friend's example and grow pineapples in my yard - in Southtexas. This plant was in the front yard of their house in Pahoa. Although my plant has not sprouted any fruit, it continues to be green and has not died - a good sign of things to come.

The "Ttraveller Palm" was fascinating. It is supposed to grow in one direction, telling lost travellers their compass direction. Since I did not know which direction was which, the palm was not much help to me.

 The "taro plant" is the source of poy. I continued to see these plants as "elephant ear plants"

Another of my favorite plants was the "fern tree." The branches are gigantic and resemble other species of fern, but there is a "tree trunk" in the middle.

The history and mythology of Hawaii is something that most visitors to the Islands do not hear about. I do not remember hearing anything about it on my first trip. I saw a variety of dancers and performers thinking all were Hawaiian, not knowing that I was seeing Fiji and Samoan. From this trip I walked away with an appreciation and an interest in the history of Hawaii.

Pele

                                                                                City of Refuge

Rainbow Falls

Plantation House

Last, and certainly not least are the indescribable vistas. My camera did not do these justice.

ALOHA!