many hands make light work

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 3 April 2021].}

fall at your feet

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 2 April 2021].}

the crucifixion

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 2 April 2021].}

(not a) good friday

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 2 April 2021].}

rent asunder

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 28 March 2021].}

untitled #8384

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 21 March 2021].}

Another new image from my late bloomers series, this time a diptych.

crown of thorns

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 14 March 2021].}

cædmon's cross

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 7 March 2021].}

I took this photograph in February 2012, in St Mary's churchyard, Whitby, and only just found out about the poet it was erected in honour of, Cædmon, tonight.

I've got quite a few things still left to do before midnight as today was an exceedingly lazy one, but I will have to read more about him when I get those things done.

Once again, my photography leading me to more learning and discovery :)

cemetery gates

Here's a lesson for all of you: don't go wandering around taking photos in a cemetery on a Saturday afternoon when you're still vague and vacant from your various indulgences of the night before. That's just what I did one afternoon in November 2005.

It didn't occur to me the security guard driving around Melbourne General Cemetery blipping his horn was alerting visitors to it being closing time. I thought he was just ensuring he didn't run over any old biddies who might not notice him coming. Amused at the potential irony of being run down in a cemetery, I continued on my wanderings, photographing angels.

My Nikon D50 battery had run out, and I'd used up the remaining shots on the black and white roll in my FM3A. So I headed back toward the Lygon Street gates via a friend's father's grave.

On reaching the gate, it came to my attention that it was locked. About that time, I also realised it was actually about 18:00. Daylight savings had only recently started, and my internal clock was out of whack from the previous night's antics. So I hadn't noticed how long I'd been there or how far along the day had progressed.

This was the point at which the proverbial penny dropped. I made my way to the main gates hoping they still had something as old-fashioned as a caretaker. Unfortunately, not after hours...

At this point, amusing as it was, it was also a little disarming. I nosed around the office entrance hoping to find a number to no avail. I then spied the phone number on the information board and rang that.

Strangely enough, it was the number for The Necropolis in Springvale. The recorded message told me all about reflection walls, informed me that my call was valuable and that an operator would be with me shortly. I found it equally strange that there would be a queue of calls for The Necropolis at this time of night. I also wondered if the times read out just after the number connected referred to their office hours, which I was currently calling outside of?

After a couple of minutes, I hung up and tried calling my friend Alie. She wasn't answering her mobile, so I called her home number. She had just gone out, so I explained the situation to her brother, Bill, who had answered my call. We both laughed heartily at my plight. I asked if he could find out the number for the Carlton Police Station and call them to let them know to come down and bail me out. He very kindly did so, and I sat down to wait.

After a little while of quietly laughing to myself and glancing about, I noticed a small sign just in the bottom corner of one of the office windows near the fence. On closer inspection, I saw the 'after-hours gate' number was on it. I quickly called the number. Thankfully, the security guard who had been driving around earlier answered. He seemed a bit annoyed but said he would come back to let me out.

He seemed less peeved when he found me there. He obviously recognised me as the girl who had been photographing an imposing statue earlier. We laughed at my foolishness, and he released me from the cemetery.

As I was walking back towards Lygon Street, Tracey from the police station called. She had been about to drive over with the key they keep in the station, but I informed her I was safe and sound and outside now, and we again laughed at it all.

What a day!

Despite the situation at the end, I'd had a pleasant afternoon just wandering and pausing at one point to relax and talk to Alie when she called me on my mobile.

There's a small church in one part of the cemetery that I circled at one point. Nearby, many varicoloured birds were flitting about. It was a pleasant area. I still don't know if I'm the marrying kind, and I'm definitely not the religious kind. But I remember thinking to myself, "Would it be inappropriate to celebrate the start of a new life with someone in a place devoted to death?"

^{This is an edited version of a LiveJournal post I made on the day in 2005.
I mentioned it in my Day 23 of The 100 Day Project post, and a Flickr friend encouraged me to share the story.
This photograph was taken that day.}

double-crossed

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 15 January 2021].}

faded love

Happy Valentine's Day, lovers xx

with open arms #153

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 7 February 2021].}

untitled #43

^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 31 January 2021].}

late bloomers is a new curated series of my sepulchre images that you'll notice start to creep into my Sepulchral Sunday posts from now on.

This curated series focusses on artificial flowers adorning final resting places.

I feel they can be equal parts beautiful and pathetic (in the arousing pity, especially through vulnerability or sadness definition of the word).

with open arms #105

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 24 January 2021].}

untitled #123

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 17 January 2021].}

with open arms #152

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 10 January 2021].}

star-graving

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 24 December 2020].}

This is the final season’s grievings image I’ll be sharing to my blog in 2020.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this festive mini-series.

decorating the tree

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 24 December 2020].}

deck the halls

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 24 December 2020].}

untitled #147

^{[I originally posted this image as early access for my Patreon patrons on 22 December 2020].}