Week 11

This week’s topic is darker than I normally prefer. I chose a couple different routes to interpret ‘decay’ and to turn decay into art.

My daughter and I recently visited a local orchard for their ‘kick off fall’ festival complete with sunflower and some picking. I knew I was bound to find some decaying flowers and fruit. The first set of photos are indeed decaying sunflowers and an apple. With being surrounded by all the beauty of a vibrant sunflower field and a flourishing orchard, it made me a little sad to take photos of a rotting apple and dead flowers! I then thought ‘well, it is a part of life’.

The next two photos were prompted by this idea of this ‘circle of life’ as I took a stroll through the town cemetery in search of an old headstone. At the entrance of the cemetery is a mausoleum atop a once grand stairway. It is so spectacular and somewhat set apart from the rest of the cemetery that I concluded this person or family must have been very important in their time on this earth. The next stone I found was so old and decayed that I could barely read it. This also looks like a multiple person site. The first dates are 1887-1908; only 21 years old. The last date is 1858-1951; a whopping 93 years old! Again, I pondered this family and how their time on this earth unfolded so long ago.

While I was feeling nostalgic, I decided to visit the site of the now demolished St. Joseph’s hospital. I had an emergency tracheotomy in 1975 at this hospital. I had one of my children at this hospital. All that is left now is the decaying parking garage riddled with broken windows and graffiti.

The last photo is an old bath I just thought looked cool!

My takeaway this week: I was reminded that life is ever-changing. We need to appreciate beauty and vitality while keeping in mind that everything changes with time and yes, even ceases to exist.

Ok, enough of the deep stuff! Next week will be uplifting with party pictures!

On a side note, before St. Joe’s was demolished, it was the subject of many ghost stories. It was even investigated by Trump-C Ghost Hunters! Here’s the link to their story. https://www.tcghohio.org/history-of-st-joseph-hospital