My Secret Garden, er, Dog Park

There's a magical place that's only about eight blocks from our house: the Congressional Cemetery. First established in 1807 by private citizens, it now spans 35+ acres, has 14,000 headstones and is the final resting place for 55,000 people. The middle has a quaint, beautiful chapel surrounded by different bushes of flowers. Large trees grace the grounds, some with trunks larger than any I've seen in DC. Oh, and it's also a dog park... which means playful dogs run among the headstones and bring a sense of cheer to the hallowed grounds.

I first visited it about two weeks ago before the heat got oppressive. I went there to clear my head, pray and discover the cemetery I had only passed by while in a car. There were quite a few benches that had called my name last time, but my agenda was one of walking rather than relaxing.

Tonight I returned, this time armed with bug spray and a book. I plopped on a bench that's under one of the largest magnolia trees in the cemetery and read for about an hour with only a few friendly puppies (and their owners) to act as interruptions.

Can you see my reading bench nestled under the tree?

As the evening began to cool (yay!) and the wind picked up a bit, I decided it was time to explore some more. I snapped some pictures with my new camera phone (which apparently doesn't have much better picture quality than my last). Enjoy my new hiding place!

The best last name I came across this evening...

John Smilie (who was also a Congressman from PA)
The most unfortunate name I came across in the cemetery this evening...
Fugitt

The only vice president buried in the cemetery

who was also one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence!
Elbridge Gerry, VP to James Madison

The headstones of Mary Hall and her sister, who were madams of a house where
"elite citizens" and government officials frequented.
Now the Museum for the American Indian sits where their home used to be.
Some beautiful headstones and sculptures...

A fairy?