I am based in Arcata on California's redwood coast but I love to balance this environment with time in the desert southwest (specifically in the area of Signal, Arizona). Because my mother spends the warmer months in Montana's Bitterroot Valley I also spend time in the intermountain west. I have loved walking cemeteries as long as I can remember, but the deep sociology and history of these landscapes was first awoken in me by Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California, where I lived as a young woman. Ever since, I have looked at each cemetery as a storied community. Because I am also a genealogist with a broader socio-historical bend, I enjoy spending time perusing primary sources. The digital revolution has been amazing for finding the stories of people who are literally buried in the past! Obituary hunting lead me to the story of the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire, and thinking how this story of a mass-death is also the story of nearly 400 individuals. Not all of their memorials have been identified and it is one of my ongoing, longterm projects to do so.

If you are family or friend, I have no problem transferring.
If you offer corrections, I appreciate source citations.
If you use my photographs, including from my own collection of family photos, I shouldn't have to say this but PLEASE CITE ME if you repost them. I appreciate a personal note that tells me about your interest in my photos, as I probably share your interest.

Peace, love, & happy graving,

Julia