Each year we set out usually around Memorial weekend and visit a good number of cemeteries. Over the years I've developed a list of items I like to take along. I've been in some cemeteries and found stones of my ancestors completely covered in foliage or flat stones almost covered by grass. Especially during memorial weekend when people frequent cemeteries I want the stones to look nice so I take the time to clean, prune, and decorate them. I also might be in a cemetery just for research purposes. So I include some of the items I like to take for that purpose too.
Here's a before shot of the stone below. completely covered. If we didn't know it was there we'd never be able to find it. The past couple years the cemetery finally realized there were stones there and have taken the time to prune it back.
My list of items:
- Silk Flowers- Always be mindful of cemetery rules
- Floral Foam- I always have all sizes since many flower holders are different shapes
- Knife- this is what I use to cut floral foam with. The one I have is serrated and works great.
- Wire- This is to help hold any flowers or decorations
- Plier's- used to cut wire or cut stems of silk flowers
- Garden Shears- Like the photos above. Sometimes the graves get over grown and you need to trim back foliage.
- Gloves- sometimes there are sticker bushes and so having some gloves is handy when pruning.
- Scissors- I find flat stones and I like trimming back some of the grass and don't want to haul a huge weed eater with me. Scissors work nicely.
- Jugs of Water- stones get muddy or have bird poop on them. I like using just plain water to rinse them off.
- Shop towels- These are stronger than paper towels and are good for cleaning stones off.
- Scrub Brush- for more tough dirt stains (but be careful not to damage the stone so no wire brushes)
- Old bath towels- When working on a stone you might need to get on hands and knees and sometimes the ground is wet. Always nice to have a towel to lay on the ground to keep clothes clean.
- Hand wipes- Help clean your hands off after cleaning stone
- Trash Bags- Nice to have to put old flowers, shop towels, trash you might find in cemeteries, etc. Some cemeteries have trash cans but usually are over flowing during memorial weekend.
- Bug Spray- lots of walking in grass during spring and summer helps keep the critters away
- Sun Screen- I always forget this and end up a nice shade of red after memorial weekend.
- Camera- I always have my phone or camera to take photos. Here's a great blog post from Amy Johnson-Crow about what photos you should take at a cemetery.
- Paper or Journal- To take any notes about what you find
- Phone Charger- I use Find A Grave a lot when I'm in cemeteries and my camera too and I always run down my phone. Always have a charger in your car so you have access to your online tools out in the field.
- Cash Money- Occasionally during the Memorial Holiday weekend cemeteries have volunteers taking money for cemetery upkeep. If it's a cemetery that I have people buried in I always like to donate so that they are able to keep the cemetery mowed and cared for. Sometimes they might have envelopes, donation box, or address to where you can send money.
No comments:
Post a Comment