Angel Eyes

After attending the monthly local Hearing Loss Association of America meeting with Phil, which offered an interesting program today on the relationship between hearing loss and Alzheimer's disease, we took a side jaunt into nearby Bayview Cemetery. According to its website, the cemetery "is dedicated to preserving the natural beauty and transcendent atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest for present and future generations" -- a lofty goal indeed.

We've lived in Bellingham for 14 years, but we've never been in this big cemetery before. Founded in 1887 and owned by the City of Bellingham, Bayview Cemetery lies on 234 acres -- only 50 acres of which are currently being used -- within the Bellingham city limits, and is open daily from sunrise to sunset.

As Phil took a slow, meandering route through the cemetery, I caught glimpses of interesting tombstones, but none that made me want to stop until we saw this life-size angel. I felt very drawn to her; Phil stayed in the car while I photographed the angel from several angles. She looked like a teenager, not a cherubic little child nor an adult, and I found her hands especially compelling.

Succumbing to a Google search this evening, I learned that "There supposedly is an apparition that is said to wander around the grounds, connected to the 'Angel Eyes' monument,"and that some locals swear that tears fall down the angel's stone cheeks. You can read a little more about her and see her in full length about halfway through this article.

I'll definitely be going back to Bayview Cemetery to look at other memorials and the many varieties of trees there, noted on this map -- and to up the step count on my Fitbit!

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