ashes

spreading the ashes

Luckily we have a few acres of woods to spread the ashes, they will eventually disappear and go back to the earth. 

After a long week of very cold weather, the temps warmed up and the rain washed away all the snow and ice. The roads are clear and I can finally get outside, the prescription for cabin fever.

But a few housekeeping chores first. Wood heat is very warm and very messy. Time to clean the ashes out of the wood stove, get the 5 gallon bucket and shovel and shop-vac for the spilled ashes, bark and sawdust. 

Pouring out these ashes reminds me of a story...

Out on a Limb: A Smoky Mountain Mystery by Carolyn Jourdan is one of my favorites. Long after reading it, I would think of the funny situations the national park ranger got into. One of the stories that stuck with me after reading this book was the part about park visitors bringing their loved ones' ashes to scatter in the national park.

"You wouldn't believe what kinda stuff they {park visitors} get up to. Like throwin out a bag of ashes on the upwind side of a full picnic ground and getting little flakes of granny all over people's tater salad." ~fictional Park Ranger Henry in Out on a Limb -A Smoky Mountain Mystery by Carolyn Jourdan.

When there is nothing left of your loved one except ashes, the question is, what to do with them?

There are a lot of ideas of just what to do with the ashes, but they are not all good ideas. Some people want to forever be at their favorite place on this earth, whether it be a National Park or Disney World or in a coffee can high in the Himalayas.

Actually doing just that is much more popular than you might think. For example the Smoky Mountains National Park has over 500,000 acres of woods and streams, a beautiful peaceful place to leave your loved ones. Surprisingly, that is okay with the Park. They even have this nice letter to that fact on their website filed under 'plan your visit', with a list of reasonable rules of course.

Just look at that view, isn't that where you would want to spend eternity?

Burial or Cremation, what do you want? 

Things to think about. But for now, make your final plans, communicate them to your family, and once you are gone they might even abide by them.

Hmmm, the Smokies, a nice place to spend eternity...

~Carolyn Jourdan has written several books about the Smoky Mountains, Bear in the Back Seat, Heart in the Right Place, Medicine Men - all excellent books, on the Best Seller lists, fiction and nonfiction.

~photo view from Mt. Leconte in the Smokies 2006