Visit to Valley Falls, Kansas

I was thinking tonight about being at Susan’s farm at the end of March, when we went to tea in Hiawatha, Kansas. I realized I had not shared a number of the photos I took while there.

The morning before tea, we went and drove around Valley Falls, which is the closest town to where the farm is. One of the places we went was to the cemetery. I love to see old cemeteries. When did we stop being creative with tombstones?

I am always interested in the detail of various things so snapped a couple of close ups of features. I was also struck by a tombstone that said the person had been assassinated – that’s just not something you see these days.

Mr. Henderson was only 31, although in 1879, I guess that was middle aged. Nonetheless, it’s a hard way to end a life. We were drawn to the tombstone because it’s a tall spire. The medallion on the base tells the tale.

I’ve seen many tombstones for children that featured lambs, but I’d never seen a bird. I’m guessing it’s supposed to be a dove. Unfortunately, most older cemeteries are full of tombstones for children.

Seeing some of the older tombstones made me think we are losing a lot with the plain granite slabs we favor today.

We also just spent some time driving around the farm. It was still spring, so things weren’t very green yet, but it was a pleasant day.

Seeing the older monuments makes me think we’ve lost something by having only the typical marble slabs we have these days.

We also stopped to see a calf that had just been born the day before. The Mama wasn’t too keen on letting us get too close so I took a photo from a distance.

I also get to meet Susan’s horse. It seems horses are a recurring theme in my life.

It was a lovely weekend. Susan’s home is so welcoming and she is the ultimate gracious hostess.