#AtoZChallenge - Taphophilia

 

Welcome to Day 20 of the April A to Z Blogging Challenge!

My theme this year is things that entertain / inspire me. 

Today is Taphophilia.  There are many different definitions, but this is basically the deep interest of cemeteries & headstones. 

So I am a taphophile.  Or "tombstone tourist".  I see some places describe it as an "unnatural" or "morbid" attraction to cemeteries.  I don't think so.  I enjoy going to cemeteries because they're peaceful.  I enjoy the art and history that goes along with them.  And judging by the number of Facebook groups I see out there, I'm definitely not the only one out there!

I've never been scared at a cemetery, either.  There's been a few little things that have happened, like one time I was out with Sis1, very early in the spring.  The only thing growing was a bunch of daffodils (which don't have much scent) on the other side of the small cemetery.  We were looking at some stones when I suddenly caught of whiff of perfume as if someone walked past me.  There was no breeze and neither Sis1 or I had any on.  So I feel that the someone was maybe thanking us for stopping by to visit.  Other times I've been drawn to certain stones, where I feel the need to stop for a moment and wonder about their lives. 

I do listen to gut feelings.  If I get the feeling to not touch something - I don’t!  I was recently at a cemetery in Ohio and went to pick up a small stone that was laying face down… stopped right away and left it.  Another time I was at the cemetery that belonged to a “Home for the Feeble-Minded” and made sure I thanked everyone out loud for the visit and asked that no one followed us (Sis1 was with me).  

Here are a few of my favorite stones. 

Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston SC

Post Cemetery, Mackinac Island

The earliest burials likely date to the mid-1820s.

One of only 5 in the world authorized to always fly their flag at half mast - 

due the sheer number of unknowns.  Of 108 burials, 69 are unknown. 

Sacred to the memory of Col John Patterson, aged 52 years

Mary Young, his daughter, aged 19 years and 6 months

Charles Young, son of Mary Young, age 18 months

James Batcholer, aged 17 years

John Morris, aged 8 years and 9 months

Relatives of the above. 

All born at Philadelphia, state of Pennsylvania and fell victims 

within a few days of each other to the yellow fever of 1801 at St. Mary's, state of Georgia.  

This marble is erected my Francis Young and Lewis Levy, sons in law of Col John Patterson. 

Oak Grove, St Mary's GA

Col Patterson was a Revolutionary War vet.  

I visited this cemetery for the first time in 1992 or so and this grave always stayed in my mind.  So when the Spawn's dance team went to Nationals in Orlando in 2018, we flew into Atlanta & drove the rest of the way, just so we could stop here and pay our respects. 

Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit

The Polar Bears Memorial, White Chapel, Troy MI

Oak Hill, Pontiac MI

Congregation of Moses Jewish Cemetery, Kalamazoo MI

Miss Myra is one of those who I felt drawn to. 

Mountain Home Cemetery, Kalamazoo MI

I haven't seen too many veteran stones with ships on them.  

The Queen City was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the Civil War and used as a gunboat to patrol the Confederate rivers to prevent trade.  In June of 1864, she was disabled by 2 regiments of Confederate cavalry and blown up.  Henry appears to have been 14 when that happened. 

Do you enjoy cemeteries?

#AtoZChallenge - Search & Rescue

 

Welcome to Day 19 of the April A to Z Blogging Challenge!

My theme this year is things that entertain and/or inspire me. 

Today it's all about search & rescue.  Specifically, what it takes to become a member of my team. 

 

Yes - we look for people!!  You wouldn't believe how many times we've been asked ~what~ we look for! 

I joined the Lapeer County Search & Rescue team when it was first being put together by the Lapeer County Sherriff's Department back in 2018.  Sis1 went to the informational meeting and I tagged along for moral support.  For shitz & gigglez, I applied and was accepted, even tho I don't live in the county. 

Most SAR teams follow guidelines set down by NASAR, the National Association for Search And Rescue. We also belong to MiPSARC which is the Michigan Professional Search & Rescue Council which means we are willing and able to deploy anywhere in the state.

My team has to pass a background check and an interview from the sheriff's department. We do not deploy on searches without approval from the sheriff's liaison and our director.

The following is some of the qualifications we need to get and maintain in order to keep our certifications.

We start out with 6 FEMA courses in the first 90 days

*Intro to Hazardous Materials

*Intro to Incident Command System

*Basic Incident Command for Initial Response

*Intro to Community Emergency Response Team

*Intro to the National Incident Management System

*Intro to the National Response Framework

Then in the first year, we're required to have

*CPR & basic first aid

*Wilderness first aid

*Bloodborne pathogens

*Crime Scene Awareness

*Land Navigation

*HAZMAT Awareness

*NASAR SARTECH II certification

*Amateur Radio License, Technician or higher

*K9 First Aid

*Equine First Aid

and this is just the basics! Everyone starts out on the ground team, but you can eventually specialize in other units. We have a K9 unit with their own set of qualifications & certifications and also we're hoping to get the equine unit back this summer (the darn team lead, aka ***ME***, needs to get a darn horse!!) which means the horses also have to complete almost the same training as a police horse. We also have encourage people to pursue other things - kayaking, man tracking, drones, etc.

And because I am a team lead, I'm SARTECH I qualified, which means I'm a crewleader and once I get my own horse, I'll be in charge of training.

We also have covered Lost Person Behavior and SARIA (initial actions) and do regular refreshers. 

Me on Kisses (right) and Sis1 on Remington (RIP)

doing a public relations outing on the local rail trail.

I did quite well at a 'SAR Olympics" that another team put on a couple years ago.

It was fun - they need to do that again!

Other teams are always welcome to attend our training sessions and a lot of times they do!

Drills in all weather

brrrr we are having FUN.  

Wrapping up a teammate in a 'hypothermia wrap"

Conducting a "building search" at Crossroads Village in Flint

and finding their Halloween decorations!

Kisses is now retired and is a professional Pasture Ornament.

The plan is for Sis1 to rehome one of her other horses so I can have his stall of a horse of my own!

We also get calls to assist with other teams - this was our first assist.

In January, way up in the northern part of Michigan.

Some of our fantastic K9s & their handlers. 

Another drill!

I might not be the most knowledgeable when it comes to the technical side of radio, but I am quite proficient operating one.  

Securing a "victim" in the stokes basket for safe transport.

We're pretty honored to be included among the First Responders for the annual Halloween "Truck or Treat" event. 

We also attended the Lapeer County Emergency Services Gala this year.  

This is about 1/3 of our team - we clean up nice!

Oh, in a nutshell... in 2023, we were called out on 20 searches, got 7 new members for a total of 28 people, drove more then 39,500 miles and spent 4,500 hours of our time. 

Looking forward to what 2024 continues to bring!

#AtoZChallenge - Octopus

 

Welcome to day 15 of the April A to Z Blogging Challenge!

My theme this year is thing that inspire and/or entertain me.  This post falls directly in the "entertain" category!

The Legend of the Detroit Red Wing's Octopus.

(the following pics were taken at Hockeyfest in 2009, which is why you see Joe Louis Arena instead of Little Caesars Arena)

(text below)

There are few traditions in sports that compare to those in the game of hockey.  One such tradition is the throwing of octopi onto the ice at Red Wings games.  Ever wonder how it started?

The octopus first made its appearance on April 15, 1952 during the Red Wings' Stanley Cup playoff run. 

Two Detroit brothers, Pete & Jerry Cusimano - storeowners in Detroit's Eastern Market - threw the eight-legged cephalopod on the ice at Olympia Stadium.  Each tentacle of the octopus was symbolic of a win in the playoffs.  Back then, the NHL boasted only six teams, and eight wins (two best-of-seven series) were needed to win the Stanley Cup.  The Red Wings swept the series that year, and the octopus has come to be the good luck charm ever since. 

The tradition carried over to Joe Louis Arena on opening night in 1979 when several made their way onto the ice. 

During the 1995 playoffs, Bob Dubisky and Larry Shotwell, co-workers at a meat and seafood retail company near Detroit, tossed a 38-pound octopus onto the ice during the national Anthem prior to game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.  The year after, the duo struck again with a 50-pounder in the Conference Finals.  Although the feat received no airtime on the nationally broadcast game, the octopus was proudly displayed on the hood of the Zamboni between periods. 

As of the time I'm writing this, the Wings are currently playing.  So the last time I can confirm an octopus hit the ice was... 2 days ago!