Longtime CPR Educator Dies

L1010541, originally uploaded by edrahe.

I'm so rusty on my CPR that I killed the doll they use to teach it.

The American Bottoms

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This is a view from Eagle Cliff/ Miles Cemetery showing the Mississippi River Bottoms in Monroe County, Illinois, a few miles south of the big city of St. Louis, Mo. Stephen Miles, the early American settler for whom the cemetery is named, could once claim that he owned all the land as far as the eye could see from the cemetery on the bluff.

Lincoln's Tomb

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This is a shot of Abraham Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Ill. I didn't take the time to get a postcard shot because a construction fence is messing up the scene.

Honest Abe's coffin (a replica)

Honest Abe's coffin (a replica), originally uploaded by edrahe.

First though, I would like to acknowlege the 601st visit to my blog since I started keeping track of such things. I just wish somebody would leave a coment once.

Today's first offering is a replica of Abraham Lincoln's coffin, on display at the Museum of Funeral Customs in Springfield, Ill. The model in the upper right depects a scene from Lincoln's funeral in either Cleveland, Ohio, Chicago, Ill., or one of the many other stops Lincoln's body made on its monthlong journey back to Springfield. I can't remember which and its good that I won't be quzzed on it.

We learned how Lincoln's body was embalmed for the extended visistations along the way. His casket was last opened in 1901 and it is reported that the body was in almost pristine condition. It is very unlikely that he'll be seen again since Lincoln is now buried several feet underground surrounded by a few tons of steel and concrete.

A break from the death theme

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I thought I'd give my regular readers a break from the dreary funeral/ death theme. But not totally. The model here (Kristin) is a future funeral director/ embalmer.

This was taken at Abraham Lincoln's final resting place, Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Ill. I think it's a pretty good shot with nothing but my XTi and onboard flash. Maybe it would have been better with my Speedlites and a little thought, but that's all I had.

Cemetery view

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This is a view of Miles Cemetery looking west. The mound in the very back is the top of the mausoleum overlooking the Mississippi River Bottoms. When I was a youngster the cemetery was overgrown with a lot of brush.

I want my mummy!

I want my mummy!, originally uploaded by edrahe.

Another view of the Fisk Burial Case on display at the Museum of Funeral Customs in Springfield, Illinois.

One of the questions on or Orientation to Funeral Service midterms was: Describe the shape of a Fisk Burial Case. I wrote the address for my blog and for good measure described the shape as looking like an Egyptian mummy case.

A wall of car front ends

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I saw this interesting shot on our roadtrip yesterday. We were actually lost at the time.

In keeping with this week's funeral theme....

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Miles Mausoleum inscription

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More about the Fisk Burial Case

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A trip to the Museum of Funeral Customs

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Today a classmate and I took a short road trip to Springfield, Ill., -- the home of Abraham Lincoln -- to visit the Museum of Funeral Customs. We saw firsthand some of the old funeral equipment we learned about in class. The item on the left is a Fisk Metallic Coffin. The information on this one said the coffin and its occupant were interred for more than 100 years when they were unearthed during a construction project. No word on what happened to the occupant.

I haven't posted a cat picture in a while

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And I'll end the day's postings with a snapshot of our cat looking cute.

Mausoleum In Black & White

Mausoleum In Black & White, originally uploaded by edrahe.

This one printed out a very cool 8x10 suitable for framing. I'm going to have to go back soon with the wide angle lens to get some more and hopefully better shots.

Vandalized Mausoleum

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Unfortunately I was traveling light and didn't have a wide-angle lens for the shot of the vandalized crypts inside the Eagle Cliff/ Miles Cemetery Mausoleum. It was kind of creepy in there.

More Cemetery Info

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This sign has a little more information on Eagle Cliff/ Miles Cemetery.

A trip to the cemetery

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Halloween is drawing near. Purported to once be a place for satanic worship, Eagle Cliff/ Miles cemetery overlooking the American Bottoms in Monroe County, Ill., has gone through an incredible transformation in the past 15 years. Once grown over with weeds and brush the Eagle Cliff/ Miles Cemetery Association was formed several years ago to clean and maintain the grounds. The first burial in the cemetery was in 1806 and the most recent was in 1978.

This is a picture of the mausoleum which sits atop the bluff. It was once the resting place of the Miles family but vandals broke into it in the 1940s and pretty well trashed the place. It is empty today.

I took a lot of pictures here today and will post most of them over the next several days.

Rowing on the lake

L1010529, originally uploaded by edrahe.

I was at Creve Couer Lake Park for an event Saturday. These rowers were the only activity I saw on the lake. Even though it was a little chilly in the morning I would've thought it was a nice day for sailing.

I have coffee

Since my last post I got more coffee, a 10-pound bag of beans. I haven't had anything new to post because, well, I haven't taken any remotely interesting pictures lately. Things may pickup with this weekend's activities and on Tuesday some of my classmates and I are taking a roadtrip to Springfield, Ill. Hopefully there will be lots of phot ops on that trip.

We are out of coffee!

First product shot, originally uploaded by edrahe.

Searching my collection for something to post I found this product shot I made using my homemade light box. I think I've posted it before but we have a lot of new readers so I'll post it again.

I've also posted it because it reminds me we have nary a bean of coffee left in the house!

Working With PhotoShop

cemetarycard3, originally uploaded by edrahe.

I'm still not 100 percent happy with this rendition. Not bad for PhotoShop Elements. I think its a fitting tribute to our fallen military heroes.

The dog and her toys

L1010485, originally uploaded by edrahe.

Usually the dog's toys are strewn about the house but yesterday, similiar to how every so often the planets align, the dog managed to assemble all her toys in one spot.

The green toy is her beef-flavored nylon bone, which makes the most noise when she gnaws on it. The purplish toy, a gift from my mother-in-law, makes a squeaky noise when the dog bites or drops it. Or if you step on in in the middle of the night while you're feeling your way to the bathroom. The red toys are my favorites because they're usualy quiet.

Corn combining underway

Corn harvest is well underway in these parts. I got the chance to ride with my brother today while he picked corn.

Somebody lost a rowboat

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While walking along the St. Louis riverfront this afternoon I happened into this small rowboat, with the oars still neatly on the seat boards. It loos to me like the rowboat wasn't rowed to this location under any kind of human power. There was a Nebraska tax stamp on the boat, which means it made it down the muddy Missouri River and ended up landing on the St. Louis Levee about 100 yards south of the Eads Bridge. So, if anyboy in Nebraska is missing a rowboat, it was in St. Louis as of about 4:30 p.m. today.

Casino Queen Sold

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According to the river gossip line, which I have to say is almost always 99.6 percent accurate, says that the Casino Queen in East St. Louis has been sold and will be moved to New York. No details on the route it'll take to the Big Apple.

Corn Harvest Underway

Corn Auger, originally uploaded by edrahe.

At last, finally, I got out today and got some pictures. My brother was combining corn and I rode along for a little bit. It was a pretty day.