Yep, It's Monday

I had a banana for lunch today. I eat them now and again because they are so good for you. But the truth is I hate bananas. I can sometimes tolerate them if they’re green enough to be crunchy. Then they don’t have much flavor, nor are they squishy. Today’s was closer to yellow than green and it was awful. I don’t mind them in banana bread. And I can even manage a piece of banana cream pie on occasion as long as there aren’t any sliced bananas in it. Plain though, they’re disgusting. I’m going to need something ultra yummy for dinner tonight to make up for it. A Cuban sammich might do it but there’s no place in Reading that makes really good ones. Oh, would anyone like a banana? I have a second one that I intended to eat tomorrow but there’s just no way.

I went for a walk in the cemetery yesterday. Other people go to visit friends and relatives. I go to wander among the trees. It was a perfect day for me, cool and misty. Okay, raining mostly but I enjoyed myself and my sneakers should be dried out by next weekend. I picked out a tree that I’d like to have, should I ever have a house with a yard big enough for a tree. Hopefully by then I’ll know what variety of tree it is. And I found some pretty flowers too.

I tried to go to the kite festival but as I said, it was raining. There were only a handful of people there, mostly standing around not flying their kites so I didn’t stay very long. Perhaps I’ll have my own kite festival. Anyone want to join me? Bananas will not be available so if you want one to snack on while you’re flying your kite you’ll need to supply your own. Maybe it’ll be a kite and barbecue event. Yep, I think grilled stuff would go well with kite flying, don’t you?

A Curse

Gamboling ghouls with spiked pikes
Deke and thrust
Thirsting for blood
Bold and cold
Holding out for souls
Torn and twisted from severed heads
Slaughtered herds of blind fools
Foolhardily following blindly the soul snatchers into the darkness
Harkening no warnings
Hearing no grumblings
Garnering no churnings from the undercurrent of consciousness
No conscience do the unconscious have
Through the gloom
To their doom they go
Sensing nil
Seeing naught
Stepping nearer to the steepest slopes of deepest death
Pied piper leading society’s lemmings to the edge
Sending them soaring in to the roaring rages of hell
Waging war on sagely sloths
That spoil the sacred soil with their oily souls
Better dead, I say
So slay them where they fall
Before their fate befalls us all


In case you're wondering, yes, the picture is mine. Taken Saturday at Charles Evans Cemetery in the rain. To see more of my pics, go here. Please leave a comment on something if you visit.

Lost It

My mind, that is. Or what little was left of it.

Why? I made corn pie today. Baked it and everything. I do that once a year and it always seems to be on the hottest day. Yeah, today qualifies. But damn, it’s good! Worth the mess and added heat.

I went for a wander in Charles Evans again yesterday after I decided it would be better to save climbing around under the bridge for another day. It was weirdly peaceful yet noisy as hell. The cicadas were out full force, loud enough to drown out any of the street noises that can usually be heard there. It was also deserted. Just me and the spirits.

I let them lead me in my strolling and they guided me to some pretty cool trees. I think they must like them too. There is a most amazing oak grove. I swear one of the trees is at least twelve feet around. If you’re ever in Reading, you really should go for a meander.

It was surprisingly cool there so I hung out in the gazebo for a bit. I really need to start carrying a book in the car because it is the perfect spot to curl up and read. I can’t decide if people actually have some respect due to the location or if the grounds crew just does that good a job. Probably both.

Even so, it was too hot to head back there today. It’s too hot to do much of anything so I’m not now that I’ve got dinner for the week taken care of. I started True Blood yesterday. Yep, I get why my friends can’t miss it now. Maybe I’ll watch another episode of that.

Stay cool. It’s going to be a very bad week.

Wandered Again

Last night was hot and I was too restless to stay at home so I went for another walk in the cemetery. With all the huge trees and grass it was surprisingly pleasant.

Since I’ll be going back I decided it might be time to do a bit of research. In 1846, Charles Evans donated 25 acres of his estate to be made into a garden cemetery. It was the third one established in the country. Prior to that, all burials were on church grounds or private, family land. In 183, the first such cemetery was designated in Boston. The idea for it was to be a place for public, non-sectarian burials in addition to a beautifully landscaped area to commune with nature as well as deceased loved ones. On pleasant days, people would go for strolls and often picnic by the graves. In other words, garden cemeteries were a precursor to public parks.

At the time it began the Charles Evans cemetery was one mile from Reading. Now, it’s part of the city. Upon his death in 1847, he left three-quarters of the rest of his estate, bringing the size of the cemetery to 127 acres. Due to the act of the General Assembly incorporated in 1846, no street, lane, or road can ever cross the grounds, nor will they ever be subject to taxation.

Last night I walked around the end opposite from where I was last time. From there you could actually sit on the hill and listen to the Reading Phillies game in the distance. I found some awesome angels and went for a stroll with four deer. They weren’t at all concerned that I was there. They let me get so close I forgot all about taking pictures of them. I will next time. I found a doorway in a tree. I tapped, meaning to introduce myself, but no one seemed to be home. Then I came across the gazebo. There are benches inside and I can imagine spending an afternoon reading there. Perhaps on a rainy day. This angel is nearby. Want to join us?