Bloomfield contd

There are many small towns around this neck of the woods (more that I want to get out to with my camera as long as the weather holds) BUT Bloomfield boasted  having a Quaker cemetary.

And for some reason - god only knows why - I LOVE cemeteries especially old ones.

I wandered around Bloomfield - poking into almost all the small shops - before I went looking for the cemetery.  The tourist information had said it was on the main street.  I had walked it from one end to the other (or so I thought) without finding this cemetery.  I finally gave up got in my car and decided to zig zag my way back to civilization.  I drove down the main street for a bit - just checking there was nothing more I had missed...... and spotted this small sign between two houses that said simply "Cemetery".    I did a U-turn and came back.  

The sign was there - but honestly no sign of any cemetery.  I stopped the car.  There was a driveway -- which appeared to belong to one - if not both of the houses - and I shrugged and thought what the hell - if anyone questions me - maybe they know where this cemetery is........ 

Slowly I made my way down the windy driveway - and there - behind the houses - was an iron gate -- and just beyond that the cemetery!!

I drove slowly in............ it was a cemetery alright -  but all the headstones looked newish........ I followed the car tracks around - and there on the far side of the cemetery - under some very old trees were obvious old headstones.  I pulled the car off the car track as much as I could - and got out.  I wandered over ............ and yes - the neat rows of headstones dated back to 1820's ............ 

I wandered up and down the rows - reading as many of the headstones as was possible - it's amazing the history you can learn from headstones.  Whole families buried together - side by side.  That doesn't happen too much anymore.

I think the thing that amazed me the most -- was the longevity of these folk.  I don't know the average life span back in the 1800's but I sure don't think it was as long as today..... yet headstone after headstone proved me wrong.  There were more 80 and 90 year olds buried there -- then young folk.....

For some reason - in all my visits to old grave yards - I always feel a deep abiding peace.  My soul feels quiet - I feel comforted and safe.  Weird eh???? 

Anyway - here are some pics of the Quaker cemetery..............