There's a cemetery nearby the center of our town. It is relatively small as far as cemeteries go, and it's not exactly out there on a major road. I have come to this cemetery maybe three times and each time I find it to be one of the most peaceful places to be. It's not creepy or morose. Instead, it's rich in American history, and many ancestors of those buried there are living nearby. In the springtime it is spectacular in that the trees are in bloom, and the creek that runs along one side starts to come to life. I've never been during the winter, so while the snow continued to fall, my driver and I went on an excursion. Here's what we found...

~My driver says to me, 'Go get under that tree and take a picture looking up.' So, I waded through the snow and snapped away. I'm so glad I took his advice.

~This isn't really a gravestone. What I learned is that it was placed in this cemetery as a commemoration of the events of Colonial History which took place within the period beginning with the settlement of Jamestown, VA, May 13 1607, and preceding the battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775. Here's a snippet of info from a webpage I found describing its intent, "...This Society was instituted to perpetuate the memory of those events, and of the men who, in military, naval, and civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by their acts or counsel, assisted in the establishment, defense and preservation of the American Colonies, and who were in truth founders of this nation....to inspire in its members the fraternal and patriotic spirit of their forefathers, and to inspire in the community respect and reverence for those whose public services made our freedom and unity possible."

~The following picture is a bit difficult to see, but the snow along its outline helps. The bird was carved into a piece of stone that read 1787