16 July 2010

Dear Friends of Spring Hill Cemetery,

Yesterday was another productive, delightful day at Spring Hill. 12 intrepid volunteers lent their labor to our endeavors under gorgeous sunny skies. Tasks tackled Friday included resetting yet more bases, our usual debris collection and removal, map verification, and path maintenance. Conditions couldn't have been more ideal, with a gentle breeze wafting through the trees as we worked.

I was hoping to largely complete the straightening and resetting of headstone bases, but despite our best efforts, two Robertson stones remain for next time. We were able to reset 3 bases: the bases for the two broken stones in the north west section of the cemetery (one is a William Lowery stone; the other has dates but it doesn't match anyone on our burial lists), as well as Elizabeth Robinson/Robison's base near the large fir tree. The second attachment shows Larry, Jeremy, and Bob attempting to lift Raymond Robertson's badly leaning stone, in preparation for straightening and resetting it. Unfortunately, when the team dug down to free the base, they discovered that an amazing amount of cement had originally been used in setting the stone, making it much too heavy to budge without a bit of mechanical help (see the cement in the third attachment). Next to Raymond Robertson's stone in pictures 2 and 3 is W R Robertson's stone. Sometime in the past this stone was broken off from its base and set behind it. We will be restoring it to its proper place - but didn't get to it this time. Hopefully we will have the people and equipment in place to finish off the Robertsons August 20th.

Carolyn, Evelyn, Rae, Candy, Jim, Sally, Dick and I set to work on our paths. We have been so busy with more pressing tasks on workdays, that our existing paths had become very neglected. We gathered a small dump truck of debris, but the paths are now again walkable. We have also begun replacing some of the most rotted out logs lining our paths with redwood logs.

Also of note, Paul Schoch dropped off a new map with corrections from last month. I will need to check it over again, but we are getting very close to having this important task completed. Many thanks, Paul!!

The final attachment summarizes to me the difference our Spring Hill restoration efforts have made to the cemetery. During the first couple of years of Spring Hill workdays, "visitors" to the cemetery routinely left trash and liquor bottles for us to clean up once a month. This month we were nearly trash free and, instead of trash, we were greeted with lovely wild sweet peas left on each marker. The last attachment shows the flower left at the base of Keziah Finley, but some kind soul left one on each and every headstone and footstone at Spring Hill. I can't help but think the Spring Hill inhabitants are smiling.

Our next workday is scheduled for Friday, August 20th. Please, mark your calendars and come and join us if you can.