"My cat and I will _not_ be going out."
23.02.2026 19:30
π 26
π 7
π¬ 0
π 0
"My cat and I will _not_ be going out."
Two gravestones surrounded by moss, trees, and other graves. The one on the left is short, dark, and almost entirely in shadow; the one on the right is tall, partly in shadow, made of grey stone, encrusted with lichens, and carved with roman lettering, scrollwork borders, and a winged skull. Brick walls, buildings, and bright blue sky are visible behind it.
Photographed at Salem Street Burying Ground in Medford, Massachusetts, on a sunny morning in December 2025.
A gravestone, partly in shadow, surrounded by moss, trees, and other graves. It is made of grey stone, encrusted with lichens, and carved with roman lettering, scrollwork borders, and a winged skull. Photographed from the right, the gravestone is shown at an angle and framed by bare trees branches in the foreground, which partly obscure the shorter gravestone to its left.. Brick walls, buildings, and bright blue sky are visible behind it.
Here lyes Buried
the Body of
MΚ³Λ’ EΚΙͺα΄’α΄Κα΄α΄Κ Wα΄Ιͺα΄α΄
widow of
MΚ³ RΙͺα΄Κα΄Κα΄
Wα΄Ιͺα΄α΄
who departed this Life
march 25α΅Κ° 1771 In yα΅
79α΅Κ° Year of her Age.
Lettering, grapevines, and three faces carved into weathered grey stone, blotched with lichens.
There are three faces carved into this stone, but only two names visible. Itβs like that thereβs at least one more line of the inscription than whatβs visible above the ground.
The top part of a gravestone with a step-like outer shape shape. Grapevines, three faces, and lettering are carved into the stone, with a star-like hexafoil shape above them. Other graves, bare trees, blue sky, and long shadows on dry grass are visible in the background.
Photographed at Black Point Cemetery in Scarborough, Maine, in golden hour, January 2026.
A large gravestone with a step-like shape at the top and carvings of grapevines and faces. It leans to the right. Other graves, bare trees, blue sky, and long shadows on dry grass are visible in the background.
MEMENTO MORI
Mr. Andrew Libby died
Jan. 5th 1773 in the 71ΕΏt
year of his age.
Mrs. EΕΏther his wife die[d]
Oct. 1ΕΏt 1756 in the [...]
A large gravestone with a step-like shape at the top and carvings of grapevines and faces. It leans to the right. Other graves, bare trees, blue sky, and long shadows on dry grass are visible in the background.
MEMENTO MORI
Mr. Andrew Libby died
Jan. 5th. 1773 in the 71ΕΏt
year of his age.
Mrs. EΕΏther his wife die[d]
Oct. 1ΕΏt 1756 in the [...]
The Mac was seized and sold at auction in Bath, Maine, in 1799. www.masshist.org/object-of-th...
Detail of roman lettering carved into grey stone.
The voyage that John Boit was preparing the Mac for was a secret and illegal voyage to transport enslaved captives from Africa to Cuba: βonly 206 of 244 enslaved captives survived the Atlantic crossing and almost one third of the survivors were children.β
Detail of winged skull at the top part of a gravestone. Lettering is visible below it.
And the Wikipedia article on John Boit brings together some contradictory accounts of how teenage Zhou Libei ended up in Boston, the first known person of Chinese descent in the United States: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bo...
Thereβs an Atlas Obscura entry about this one: www.atlasobscura.com/places/chow-...
A grey gravestone, leaning slightly to the right, featuring a winged skull and a lengthy inscription in crisp roman lettering. It stands in a puddle, surrounded by dirt, twigs, dead grass, and snow. Other graves, trees, a fence, cars, and buildings are visible in the background.
Photographed at Central Burying Ground in Boston in the middle of a sunny day in January 2026.
A grey gravestone, leaning slightly to the right, featuring a winged skull and a lengthy inscription in crisp roman lettering. It stands in a puddle, surrounded by dirt, twigs, dead grass, and snow. Other graves, trees, lamps, a fence, cars, and buildings are visible in the background.
Here lies Interrβd the Body
of CHOW MANDERIEN
a Native of China,
Aged 19 years; whoΕΏe death
was occasioned on the 11α΅Κ° of Sepα΅
1798. by a fall from the MaΕΏt head
of the Ship Mac of BoΕΏton.
This Stone is erected to his Memory
by his affectionate MaΕΏter
JOHN BOIT JunΚ³
Detail of roman lettering, mostly capitals, and flowering vines carved into a gravestone. The surface of the stone is splotched with pale green and grey lichens.
Photographed at Bell Rock Cemetery in Malden, Massachusetts, on a cold, windy afternoon in December 2025.
Detail of roman lettering, mostly capitals, and flowering vines carved into a gravestone. The surface of the stone is splotched with pale green and grey lichens.
The letter t in βα΄α΄α΄α΅β looks like an β upward-facing arrow.
Top part of gravestone featuring a winged skull and a winged hourglass. Other gravestones and long shadows are visible in the background. Trees, buildings, powerlines, traffic lights, and blue sky are visible behind them.
Excited to see a stone with a winged skull _and_ a winged hourglass.
A pale grey gravestone featuring a winged skull, a winged hourglass, flowering vines, and roman lettering. It is surrounded by dirt and patches of dead grass. Other gravestones and long shadows are visible in the background. Trees, buildings, powerlines, traffic lights, and blue sky are visible behind them.
Κα΄Κα΄ Κyα΄s α΄Ι΄α΄Κ α΅α΄
yα΅ Κα΄α΄
y α΄κ° α΄α΄α΄α΅
α΄α΄
α΄‘α΄Κα΄
sα΄Κα΄Ι’α΄α΄
α΄‘Κα΄ α΄
α΄α΄α΄sα΄ yα΅
14 α΄κ° α΄α΄ΚΙͺΚ 1715
α΄Ι’α΄α΄
32 yα΄α΄Κs
Detail of lettering at the bottom of a gravestone, surrounded by dirt and moss.
I enjoy that the italic text paraphrases Psalm 77 in a way that makes it feel even more ominous.
The full verse from the KJV version: βThy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.β
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?sea...
The top of a grey gravestone, leaning to the left. Other graves, bare trees, and buildings are visible in the background.
Detail of lettering carved into stone. Faint horizontal guidelines are visible in the surface of the stone, which is spotted with lichens.
Photographed at Old York Cemetery, in York, Maine, on a somewhat cloudy afternoon in January 2026.
A grey gravestone featuring a winged skull, scrollwork borders, and a lengthy incription with roman and italic lettering. The stone leans slightly to the left. Other graves, bare trees, and buildings are visible in the background.
The remains
of Sα΄α΄α΄Κα΄Ι΄ CΚα΄sΚΚ A.M.
A Gentleman of virtuous morals,
And highly eΕΏteemed,
Who died
On board yα΅ letter of mark brig Vα΄Ι΄α΄s,
Near port,
July 19α΅Κ°. 1780. Aged 28 Years.
Are here deposited
till the reΕΏtituΕΏion of all things.
βThy way is in the Sea, thy footsteps are not knownβ
Detail of an ornament resembling a fleur-de-lis carved into the top part of a dark grey gravestone. Roman and italic letters are visible below. A rock wall, trees, and other graves are visible in the background.
Photographed at Brush Hill Cemetery, Sherborn, Massachusetts, on a dank grey morning in September of 2025.
A dark grey gravestone, leaning to the left, surrounded by green moss, fallen leaves, dry grass, and dirt. A small American flag is planted to the right. A rock wall, trees, and other graves are visible in the background.
In memory of
MΚ³ Luther Perry, Son of
Capt. Amos, & MΚ³Λ’ Patience
Perry. who died FebΚ³ 22α΅
1785 in yα΅ 21Λ’α΅ year of his
age.
Behold & ΕΏee as you paΕΏs by,
As you are now ΕΏo once was I:
As I am now you ΕΏoon ΕΏhall be,
Prepare for Death and follow me.
Erratum: Just one "In" on the first line
