This is my favorite picture. This comes from Grandview Cemetery in Allentown, PA. This was one of the three private mausoleums in the cemetery.
As I was strolling through Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, CA the other day I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Off in the distance I could see the Met Life blimp. I thought it would make a good "Thing" for this week. I have no idea what it was doing in the area. Normally it cruises the nearby Oakland Coliseum and arena but to my knowledge there was nothing going on there that day. I have more posts to follow on this cemetery but it is pending research so I will not be able to post it just yet. I can tell you that once I get the response I'm looking for that the next post I have on this cemetery will be very interesting. In the meantime I took a closer pic of the blimp but it was so far in the distance that everything else came out a little blurry. 
It was way on the other side of the cemetery and then some. I've always thought it would be cool to take a ride on one of these airships. It used to be that I'd see the Goodyear blimp more often but I haven't seen that one in quite some time. It's always Met Life now...and I guess they can thank me for the free plug here...Met Life if you're out there reading this I accept Paypal...
From what I understand. This picture was taken roughly6 or 7 years ago at a Jewish cemetery in Colma California. I'm not sure exactly what the light streaks are in the picture. It just seems awfully spooky that they'd show up in a picture taken in a graveyard. The girl in the picture is my girlfriend and this is back when she just hung out in graveyards for the fun of it. She really wasn't doing any exploration. More likely it was just a nice quiet time. In any event this picture has fascinated me since the first time she showed me. The scanned image doesn't really do it justice but it's the only thing I can show to the masses. I can't logically explain what this could be. The strange thing to me is that it has depth. It seems to come from the back where she's sitting toward the front where the camera is. I guess we'll never know for sure what it was but it's definitely an interesting picture...
I first heard of the circle of lights from Cheryl over at Heritage Happens.
I've always wondered what a Gothic Chapel actually is. Looks like I'll have to ask the cemetery personnel but it is my understanding that it serves as a regular chapel would serve, hosting several funeral services as well as a few weddings. Now I've been married before but had no idea this existed when I got married. I think it would take a special lady to marry me in a cemetery. I'm going on record right now and saying I'm not getting married again unless these conditions are met. I get married in a cemetery, there is a little person dressed like Jimi Hendrix playing the wedding march on an electric guitar and the wedding cake will need to be made off bacon. If all these conditions are met we can proceed with nuptials. Ok back to business...sometimes those thoughts up there stay in and sometimes they squeak through the cracks. Looks like that one squeaked through. So after we got done looking at the lights we noticed security patrolling the cemetery grounds behind the barricades. So we took a stroll over to the chapel and pretended to be intrigued with the lights on it. We sneak around the back and we're in the Jewish section...allright!! 
So my first night shots of Mountain View. Finally something to be excited about. Unfortunately my camera takes really crappy night photos. Please take the time to buy me the camera I want. Anyway we get home and start noticing pictures with bright and lighter colored orbs in them from the one section we could visit without security getting us. My girlfriend is all excited saying it's ghost energy etc. I say it's dust and the argument begins. She says "How could you not believe in ghosts?" and I say "Because I've never seen concrete evidence that there are ghosts." Now I'm not saying they don't exist. I'm just saying I can't really say that I have seen a ghost. I have seen things I thought were there maybe out of the corner of my eye but cannot say for sure if I saw a ghost or if something was a figment of my imagination. I'm more of a feel the energy sort of guy. But you can definitely see something in the picture above. 
I always look for a logical explanation for something and to her it seems everything is a ghost. But in these pictures I cannot dispute that I see orbs. Now what is an orb? Is it just dust reflecting light back at the camera? Or is it a piece of energy from the other side? I guess everyone has their own opinions on it. Overall this was a fun trip and I would like to thank my kids for not being too much of a pain in the butt as Dad cruised the graveyard at night. Happy Holidays everyone...
Friends of the Catholic CemeteryThe freshly manicured, rolling grounds of Mobile's historic Catholic Cemetery today contrast dramatically with the scene a decade ago, when the oldest section of graves was overgrown with weeds and grass as tall as thriving corn.
Catholic Cemetery, formerly known as Stone Street Cemetery, was established in 1848 by Bishop Michael Portier (although some graves date as far as 1813). Additional acreage was added in 1866, 1903, 1910, 19
21, and 1948, including a mausoleum. The 150 acre cemetery with ove
r 18,000 graves, which includes the graves of Admiral Raphael Semmes and Father Abram Joseph Ryan, was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 199
1, and had a historic marker dedication only recently, on December 19th, 2009.
Starting in 1848, the cemetery was purchased in three sections in what was then rural Toulminville. As Mobile expanded westward, Catholic Cemetery became isolated from these growth areas. Declining revenues and other factors restricted its upkeep. Facing further decline, Friends of Catholic Cemetery formed in 2006 to revitalize this active cemetery to honor past dead and our newly deceased. Burial lots are available in the cemetery's newer section.
Friends of the Catholic Cemetery is an Association of the Faithful that is restoring and maintaining Mobile Catholic Cemetery. FOCC operates not-for-profit under the Archdiocese of Mobile. Our IRS 501 (c)(3) status makes all dues or donatues to us tax deductible.
FOCC has made solid progress and needs your continued support. With the Archdiocese's cooperation, we are preserving this sacred group to honor our beloved dead including many priests, nuns and brothers who devoted their lives to serve us at the alter, in the schools, hospitals, and homes for the aged and poor.
In 2008, a new front gate was installed and the carriage gates were restored. Seven-foot wide perimeter fence sections with a dedication plaque are now available. For more information on supporting the fence project, please contact Michelle Mayberry at m_mayberry@bellsouth.net.
Your are invited to join us to concretely show that our Catholic respect for life literally extends from the womb to the grave. Annual dues are just $25.00 per family. Membership is not limited to Catholics. We invite all people and groups including those interested from a civic or historic perspective.
Please visit/join us on Facebook!
The style is called Tilt Shift Photography. I guess they actually make lenses that do this. Since I neither have the correct camera nor the correct lens, I decided that I'd see if I could fake it in photoshop. Please click the picture to see the larger image. What it's supposed to do it make the scene appear miniature. What you see here is a shot of Millionaire's Row at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA.
There is nothing real freaky about this tombstone. It did make me do a double take when I went by it. Something about the white lettering made it stand out. I thought, Wow, at least I know who he is and when he died.
Yes these are just normal benches to everyone else. But to me they seem to give off this strange vibe. Many people have sat on these benches to mourn the loss of a loved one. Unlike a regular grave where most people come to one individually. Many different people have sat here crying, reminiscing, etc. I don't know if it's just something in the back of my mind as I'm taking pictures but I'm always half expecting that I'll get home and see the picture I thought was an empty bench with someone sitting there. Ghosts to me are much like bugs. If I don't see them they probably won't bother me. 
