Whenever I travel I visit cemeteries. I am not morbid or do I have a fascination with death. I like stones that look like they are from the earth, have a good bit of lichen growth, and are sculptural.

Lichen Growth on Headstone in San Luis Obispo, CA

Yesterday I took some photos of a cemetery that is within walking distance from where I am staying.

Cemetery in Sparks, MD

Lovely misty and overcast morning with a flock of crows across the road from the cemetery. Or is that a murder of crows? Hitchcock came to mind.

I tend to experience the stones like I do sculpture. I want the whole to be addressed and to see the hand of the person who carved the stone. And I am fond of the use of nature–trees, flowers, animals. The best is when the stone is carved to tell the story of the individual.

It is interesting to see the same or similar imagery in cemeteries around the country. What does the imagery mean? There are numerous sites that contain lists of symbols.