A small celebration of the the Day of the Dead, held in a local cemetery. Fun and poignant, people gather to remember loved ones, bring them presents, and build altars with the deceased’s favorite objects. Colorful marigolds brighten everything. Skulls and bones, face painting, dancing, costumes, ceremonies.
The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is a Mexican tradition from the more southerly parts of the country. Â Such days are celebrated in various forms throughout the world. Â As populations migrate, so do their holidays, and this holiday is much better than Halloween!
Yesterday, there was Dia de los Muertos in a local cemetery. Â There were altars for lost ones, with photos and memorabilia and objects they liked; remembrances, some poignant, some funny; there were marigolds everywhere; and there were booths, dancing, cultural events and more.
The cemetery itself is new; there are no fancy headstones and rusting gates.  Tucked against a mountain with vistas of the plain below, it is a rather pleasant place to come.  Ranchland  spreads out to the city and hills beyond.  Last night’s remaining rain clouds filled the sky.  Altogether, it was a beautiful day, for the living or the dead.
A couple of friends and I got to the cemetery around 11 in the morning. It wasn’t crowded, but still had enough people to make it busy. For me, the most interesting subjects to photograph were the people, especially the kids. Â Click on a picture below to start a slide show.
This is a re-work of a photo I took last August on our trip through the Olympic Peninsula. McLane Creek is a nature preserve some miles outside where we stayed in the area of Olympia, Washington. The trail takes you through rain forest with moss-covered trees, along muddy paths, and onto boardwalks to keep you safe and the plants safe. Here, there is a viewing platform which looks across this pond into the neighboring mountains. We came here as there are beavers rumored to building ponds – sadly, we did not see any – but the beauty of the trail made up for that! My problem with this photo is there is soooooo much green!
Ink, Yarn & Beer 