M Day Is Approaching

Someone posted to a FaceBook group recently (I don't think it proper to name names as it could be considered a violation of rules if not propriety) about visiting an old cemetery very near The Warren. Specifically noted were the four graves of Patriots - men who served in the American Revolution. Being as how the whole cleaning headstones thing was current in my mind, this reminded me of the relatively pending Memorial Day.

Ok. So it is actually close to three months away. Sue me. In my mind that is right around the corner. And having been to the cemetery several times I am more than a little familiar with the condition of the headstones for these graves.

It is a nice day and I am in the mood. Plus, if I move now then there are about 2 and a half months remaining for the D/2 to do its thing before Memorial Day. So off I go, cleaning set in hand.

4 graves, but 5 stones as one individual managed to end up with two separate VA issued headstones.

Somehow Daniel Fones ended up with an old style upright marker AND a newer flat marker.

 As is obvious, these are seeing the effect of Mother Nature. After a wetting, spraying, soaking, scrubbing, and rinse. we have a wholly different situation!

Not to sound like I am channeling Yakov Smirnov, but 'What a difference!' The first three markers are pronouncedly better. Had I taken a wooden rod or opted to break out the toothbrush doubtless I could have achieved better results on the names and dates. Whitely came out the best. Fones was the least successful on this pass. His older marker looks like a damned Dalmatian. What you see is AFTER nearly wearing out a brush scrubbing. Well, wearing out my arm. Clearly that stuff is holding tight to the stone. The same thing is true for his flat marker. That green stuff is holding on for dear life! It will be interesting to see how the D/2 progresses over time. 

Something of a pattern there of late: See how this stuff reacts over the ensuing weeks and months.

Plus there will doubtless be some people wondering who did the cleaning. So I get to have some evil pleasure out of this, too!