After recovering from cancer surgery in late 2019, I started the work of trying to build a freelance graphic design business. Which is when the covid pandemic started. My work was drying up and we as a global community were facing an impending lockdown.

So I got in my car and went on a cemetery tour of upstate New York. After getting pictures at Ward Hunt's gravesite, I headed to the famed town of Cooperstown NY. And I gotta say, my god what a beautiful town. I totally wanted to hang out there a bit, but I had a pretty big agenda for the day.

The sun was out, the sky was clear, and the morning air was crisp when I arrived at Lakewood Cemetery, which is completely covered with tall trees. It is dark in there! It is also bowl-shaped - or maybe amphitheater-shaped would be a better descriptor. Even further, there were a couple downed trees covering the main roads.

After pulling in and getting a read on the terrain, the cemetery's lone resident came out in his vehicle to see what mischief I was up to. It being the start of the pandemic, I introduced myself and said "I'd shake your hand, but I guess we're all going to die." I told him I was looking for the grave of Samuel Nelson, and he gave me a blank look, saying "You're welcome to look around on foot." I resigned myself to taking a long morning's search and mentioned he was a 19th century Supreme Court justice, and he went "Oh! Yeah, I know where he is!" and pointed me way way up to the left in nearly the top terrace of this cemetery.

Whew! I could have been there all day!

The cemetery being completely covered with trees, it was cold and the grass was covered in frost. But Sammy was right where the gentleman said he'd be!