#1. BRING A BUDDY I cannot emphasize this enough. Many older abandoned cemeteries are unstable ground. Many older cemeteries have unstable headstones. July 5, 2012 a 4 year old boy was crushed by a headstone at the Glenwood Cemetery in Park City Utah. Bring a buddy. Be Careful.
2. Bring your cellphone charged up and ready and the car-charger. Smart phones are fantastic!! it's a phone, it's a camera, it's a GPS, and an emergency beacon in case someone gets hurt. Keep it ready.
3. Dress sensibly and protectively. Long pants (trousers) and long sleeve shirts. Walking shoes or hiking boots, depending on the terrain.
4. Bring A hat, regardless of the season.
5. Water for drinking and water in a spritzer bottle. Wetting down old stones sometimes makes them more readable.
6. Snacks important note: while fruit is generally a good idea, DO NOT bring bananas or pears. Many people don't realize that the smell of a banana is similar to isoamyl acetate, a pheromone that bees release when they believe their hive is in danger. It is not uncommon for a bee or hive of bees to misinterpret the smell of banana (or pears) as a signal to attack.
7. Gardening / Work gloves for pulling weeds or brushing away leaves and other schmutz off headstones
8. Gardening Clippers (little nippers in case you get stuck in the thorny bushes and the briars. Its happened to me!)
9. Trash bags. Just in case the place needs a little extra care.
10. Pencil & paper to note any details about the cemetery, or if you want to transcribe a hard-to-read stone on the spot. Also, a small book to keep as your cemetery diary, noting what dates you visited which cemeteries, perhaps what the weather was like, or whatever details you find significant.
11. Map. If its a large cemetery I like to print a map out online. Then highlight or shade in as you complete each section so you don't repeat an area on your next trip.
12. Soft Broom or soft brush for cleaning off headstones
13. Insect Repellant. Some people like Off spray. Burts Bees Herbal Insecticide? Avon Bug Guard? I like Cedarcide Best Yet. Its made from natural substances, smells nice and is safe on people and pets.
You'll never know what to expect. In the late 1980's I visited a cemetery in Monmouth County, New Jersey and in just a few minutes found myself pulling 27 ticks off my arms and legs. Then more off my husband and children. Be
prepared.
14. A hankie. No matter how long you've been doing this you can never be jaded. Somewhere out there is a stone, a picture, a momemento left on a grave or a set of dates date might bring a tear.
15. I always like to bring grave pebbles. I can leave one as a memento on the ancestors grave I came to visit or I can leave one on any grave that I find touching. Alternate to grave pebbles might be flowers. Many many people these days leave silk flowers, like the kind you can get at craft shops.
2. Bring your cellphone charged up and ready and the car-charger. Smart phones are fantastic!! it's a phone, it's a camera, it's a GPS, and an emergency beacon in case someone gets hurt. Keep it ready.
3. Dress sensibly and protectively. Long pants (trousers) and long sleeve shirts. Walking shoes or hiking boots, depending on the terrain.
4. Bring A hat, regardless of the season.
5. Water for drinking and water in a spritzer bottle. Wetting down old stones sometimes makes them more readable.
6. Snacks important note: while fruit is generally a good idea, DO NOT bring bananas or pears. Many people don't realize that the smell of a banana is similar to isoamyl acetate, a pheromone that bees release when they believe their hive is in danger. It is not uncommon for a bee or hive of bees to misinterpret the smell of banana (or pears) as a signal to attack.
7. Gardening / Work gloves for pulling weeds or brushing away leaves and other schmutz off headstones
8. Gardening Clippers (little nippers in case you get stuck in the thorny bushes and the briars. Its happened to me!)
9. Trash bags. Just in case the place needs a little extra care.
10. Pencil & paper to note any details about the cemetery, or if you want to transcribe a hard-to-read stone on the spot. Also, a small book to keep as your cemetery diary, noting what dates you visited which cemeteries, perhaps what the weather was like, or whatever details you find significant.
11. Map. If its a large cemetery I like to print a map out online. Then highlight or shade in as you complete each section so you don't repeat an area on your next trip.
12. Soft Broom or soft brush for cleaning off headstones
13. Insect Repellant. Some people like Off spray. Burts Bees Herbal Insecticide? Avon Bug Guard? I like Cedarcide Best Yet. Its made from natural substances, smells nice and is safe on people and pets.
You'll never know what to expect. In the late 1980's I visited a cemetery in Monmouth County, New Jersey and in just a few minutes found myself pulling 27 ticks off my arms and legs. Then more off my husband and children. Be
prepared.
14. A hankie. No matter how long you've been doing this you can never be jaded. Somewhere out there is a stone, a picture, a momemento left on a grave or a set of dates date might bring a tear.
15. I always like to bring grave pebbles. I can leave one as a memento on the ancestors grave I came to visit or I can leave one on any grave that I find touching. Alternate to grave pebbles might be flowers. Many many people these days leave silk flowers, like the kind you can get at craft shops.