Bonfire.

Recently we celebrated my college roommate and dear friend's 23rd birthday!  I couldn't go down to Charlotte for her night on the town, but for her actually birthday she had a quiet bonfire at home with her family and friends.  Of course every bonfire must also come with smores, so we spent the night roasting marshmallows and telling silly stories about the 23 years of Jessi.  It was so nice to keep warm by the fire and laugh with old friends, while Abbey, the golden retriever, held my hand all night.  I'm so glad she had a great birthday with a cozy way to start off the year!

Henkelite Cemetery

Henkelite Cemetery in Mount Pleasant, NC (which is the rival beside my hometown of Concord)  is the resting place of many confederate soldiers.  It is also known as a haunted area site where, supposedly at night, you can hear the sound of marching and gunfire. Some people have even seen confederate soldiers standing guard in their military dress and pictures have developed with children playing in the grass.  

We had heard of this cemetery in high school, but could never find it, or had passed the road and never realized where it lead, but a friend of mine started dating a local firemen who knew exactly where it was and took them to visit, so when I came home for the holidays we ventured back to the spot and took a moment to remember the past.  Half a mile down a dirt road, surrounded by forest and fields was a small fenced in plot of land, with confederate flags are still flying to remember those who fought in the battles before.  Most of the headstones are cracked or broken, and many have eroded down to become unreadable.  However they tell a story that cannot be heard and leave a mark for others to come.

The steeple is from the old Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, from 1878, but it has been deteriorating now for years, yet the weathered boards and bolts show their age and their history.

I don't know why I've always thought cemeteries were kind of beautiful.  Maybe it's the idea that these people once saw the place I am now in a different way, in their own way, and while separated by time, I still feel a connection to who they once were.  So I hope you enjoy these pictures that capture a place of a different time and a different space.

Textures

One year ago yesterday, I published this post on Frank Liske Park in my hometown.  After looking back on 2012, I thought it would be fun to go back to the park the same day one year later and take some new photos!  I can tell how much I've learned about my camera since then (which was around the time I had first purchased it) and I can see so many new things that I had overlooked the first time.  Growing up, my Dad and I used to go to the park on countless Sunday afternoons when the sun was shining and the sky was clear, just to get some fresh air and have a little adventure.  So we took the opportunity to go together again and see where the trail would lead us this time!  

Going to the park in the winter is always more interesting to me, because without all the pretty flowers and sprouting grass, the texture of nature is more prominent than the decoration.  Every where you look you can see vibrant colors and bold patterns in the hot pink berries, periwinkle fungi or the red speckled bark.  It's hard not to find the beauty in a tiny mushroom or in the mint green moss catching the sunlight with so many small elements attracting your attention.

Walking through the last stretch of trail we stopped to visit the dock, which is home to paddle boats in spring time but during the winter month becomes home base for the flock of Canadian Geese.  Leaving the park after three hours of strolling through a bit of nature, I had so many pictures I could barely choose which ones to post, which probably explains why I included so many, but I hope you enjoy them!

I've also started posting several of these photos, and a few extra ones I didn't include, with free color schemes attached and available for use on my page here.   Happy Adventuring!