Wednesday, February 11, 2026

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Woodland Cemetery is Dayton's oldest and most historic cemetery. Many of the Who's Who of Dayton have their final resting place here. My yoga studio is just around the corner from Woodland and one day after class, I took a quiet, peaceful walk around the cemetery. The snow, the gray sky, the bare trees, the peace and quiet, the grave markers blanketed by the snow emphasized the reverence of the space and whenever my boots crunched on the ice, I felt as though I was disturbing the sacred rest. 

Whenever I go to Woodland, I always go to see the Wright Brothers gravesite. Orville and Wilbur are buried there along with their sister and their parents. The family plot is between the State of Ohio flag and Aviation History flag.

Another favorite grave marker is of Johnny Morehouse and his dog. Back in the 1800s, the Erie Canal ran through Dayton. The story is that 5-year old Johnny Morehouse was walking alongside the Canal, got too close, and fell in. His loyal dog jumped in but wasn't able to save Johnny's life. A local sculptor immortalized the pair depicting Johnny asleep with his dog protectively curled around him. People who visit his grave leave toys for both Johnny and the loyal dog.

We took off for Chicago to celebrate our grandson AJ's 2nd birthday. The big wind farm in Indiana goes for 20 miles and at the north end of the farm is where the time changes from Eastern Standard Time to Central Standard Time.



Birthday party time and a big Elmo Rice Krispie treat set the Sesame Street party theme.

All smiles with our two-year old little guy.

Q

Back home we woke up to hoarfrost on some branches and leaves. So pretty and delicate. As soon as the sun hit it, the hoarfrost melted.


After gray skies for a few days, this sunset was a welcome sight.

The grocery store is gearing up for Valentine's Day with strawberries and raspberries in heart-shaped containers. RIght now these fruits are not in season and even though they look pretty, their taste has little to be desired. Maybe a little Valentine's magic will make them sweeter for their recipients.


 

5 comments:

  1. Sounds like a busy few days. Old cemeteries are interesting places to walk and learn about those who came before us.

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    1. I love walking in old cemeteries. So many of the gravestones are works of art and would cost a fortune in today's world. The history is interesting, too.

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  2. I grew up in Quincy Illinois and there is a Woodland Cemetery there too. That memorial to Johnny is beautiful. Great family portrait and that rice crispy treat is very clever.

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    1. The Johnny memorial gets a lot of attention from people who visit the cemetery. The story of a boy and his loyal dog is heartwarming. The birthday party was so much fun. The girl who made the Rice Krispie just started out doing it for fun for friends and now it's grown into a nice little side business.

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  3. The cemetery has such a melancholy beauty. What a lovely family picture and memories you will have of AJ's big day. The Elmo treat is so cute.

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