Facebook page.
For years and years if you mentioned my hometown to anyone they would know 1 of 2 things about it - The automobile history - or the fact that it had a McDonalds (short story long: the stretch of I-69 from Indianapolis up into Michigan for many years was relatively undeveloped. My hometown was one of the first to have a thriving business based upon people travelling on this stretch of I-69- we had more eating establishments/gas stations/etc than any other exit for a long way and all visible from the Highway). Also, Auburn, IN, was home to many early automobile companies. The more famous were the Auburn, the Cord, the Zimmerman, the Duesenberg (where the word "duesey" comes from. ...Started in Indianapolis and moved to Auburn), and many others.
But... I digress. ...only slightly...
I grew up with 1/4 - 1/2 - Million + dollar vehicles just driving around town. ...
Labor day weekend is huge in my hometown. When I was a kid the town had about 7,000 people and for the holiday weekend 100K people would show up for the festival and the auction.
This weekend and the County Fair (last one each year in the State of Indiana) are also the two biggest weekends for people to come back to town to visit. ...which is why I'm here this weekend. Taking a long holiday weekend also means more time to play with the dogs.
...
My brother moved recently.
The dogs had to give up the well fenced back yard with a pool ... they gained a cemetery and the county fairgrounds within a block. I miss not being able to just let the dogs out the back door to play! We have found a new playground - though it is a little macabre. The oldest grave I've found so far is from the 1780's. Probably 75% of them are from 1830's to 1930's. The newest grave I've found is 1990.
Many military graves without dates on them. A lot of small sections with family names that I knew were old in Auburn ... but NOT this old!! Plus there are sections that look very old where you can tell there is "something" there - but you can't see any stones or you can just barely see the stones...
When mom was still alive she used to get upset with me for taking the dog's to play at the Catholic cemetery in town (much closer to their last house). My "anti-dog" father would just tell her that even the dead loved dogs.
___
So... how about some pictures/video of the dogs. Cino is just ripping around - at first I was a bit stressed with all the stonework - until I saw him leaping over some!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7538501@N0 ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7538501@N0 ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7538501@N0 ... otostream/
...
Pictures to follow...
I kicked one over by accident and I thought I was going to get dragged away by ghosts! Nothing spooky happened thankfully and I felt much better about cemeterys after that.