Easter at the Cemetery

Today was a gorgeous day, sunny with a high about 63F/17C. I decided the goal of today’s walk would be to get the phone to credit me with 50 flights of stairs and I set off at about 11:30.

I was surprised how crowded the cemetery was. Lots of people were leaving flowers by the graves of loved ones. In a firm grasp of the obvious moment I realized it’s Easter and wondered if visiting graves is traditional on this date. This is the first time I’ve spoken with anyone while walking, other than hello and thinking/being thanked when someone steps aside to maintain social distance. The first people I spoke with said something about the people 6 feet under being safe and, without thinking about it, I commented that they were appropriately socially distancing. Since the response was amused laughter, I reused the line with some of the others I encountered today. I finally had the opportunity to ask someone whether leaving flowers is an Ester tradition and their response was that it’s not specifically an Easter tradition but since they couldn’t spend time in person with living relatives they would visit deceased relatives. We chatted for a few minutes, at an appropriate social distance, and concluded that many people probably wanted a “good” excuse to be outside. I also had a nice chat with some of my neighbors who were also out walking, and with someone who works for the Downtown Beaverton organization. I even had a couple of phone calls, one with my father and another with a cousin who lives in the Bay Area (northern California).

Unfortunately, some dog owners aren't literate. There are "No Dogs Allowed" at each entrance but quite a few dogs walking their owners, not only today. Given the circumstances it's probably reasonable to bring well-behaved dogs here right now. But not reasonable to leave a "doggie bag" at one of the entrances. No, I did not pick it up, but it was the one disappointment of an otherwise wonderful walk. 

I didn’t pay too much attention to the flowers until I noticed one grave that had a nice bouquet and a bottle that turned out to be from a local craft brewery: Widmer deadlift IPA. Clearly someone has a good sense of humor.

Such a treat to walk without a deadline to return home to get ready for work. Clearly my health is improving because I wasn't coughing, though I did stop a few times to sit to catch my breath after a long or steep uphill, while talking on the phone, or just to admire the views. When I returned home, about 2:30, mission accomplished with 51 flights of stairs and 12,000+ steps. Perhaps when things return to normal I will continue to take walks there after work.