Dead and NOT Buried

 I was reading yesterday about a man who died of heat stroke at the Arches Natonal Monument in Utah.  His father who had recently passed away wanted to be cremated and his ashes scattered at the national park.  The temperatures at the park exceeded 110 degrees.  As the son was carrying out his father's last wishes, the son died at the park from heat stroke.  Which brings me to day's subject of cremation.  

Both my wife and I feel that cremation is more ecologically sound than burial.  She once asked me if I had any last wishes about what I wanted.  I told her she can just roll me in a hole.  But maybe I'd like my ashes scattered over the forests here in upstate NY.  But it got me wondering how cremation is even a thing.  

Well, in modern times it began in Italy in 1873 by an Italian professor.  The practice spread here to the US in 1876 by Julius LeMoyne who built the first crematorium in Washington, PA.  The second was built in 1888 in Lancaster, PA. By 1900 there were 20 crematorium across the US mostly in small towns that didn't have access to the modern embalming procedures of that day.  

 Cremation has become a cheaper alternative to burial, with many who favor cremation over burial as a way to keep the loved one close by.  And with burial plots becoming so expensive and cremation being a much cheaper alternative many are choosing to be cremated over burial.  Some religions forbid cremation due to a belief that an intact body is needed for the resurrection.  

Neither my wife or myself do not have such beliefs and think that having our ashes scattered might be more prudent than the expenses of a traditional burial with a plot of land and a headstone.  There are so many laws now aboit how burials are to be handled that a family can't have a body buried on just a plot of land land.  City laws often allow for burial in a cemetery that is zoned for burial with the property maintained by the city or a caretaker hired by the cemetery.  

And if one wishes their ashes to be scattered in certain places a permit is often needed for such scattering of ashes.  But some people like having the ashes of Uncle Albert in an urn displayed on the mantle of the fireplace in their home.  In making out a will for last requests an attorney can assist the family in making out one's last wishes and the living being made sure such requests are carried out according to local laws and ordinances.

I have no such requests of family, but my family will want to know what my final wishes might be.  Some people want to buried with their Mercedes, for example, as one lady in California requested.  Burials often have final requests including being buried next to a pet.  There are all kinds of weird burial requests.  But even the scattering of one's ashes needs permits according to local laws and customs.  But ashes like those of an Uncle Albert could be accidently disposed in a fireplace.  

One never knows what will happen after one dies.  But it's often best to let the famiky know if one has special wishes. Or one's ashes could accidentally end up in the local land fill.  I have no special wishes.  But I do feel that cremation is the way the family can save on expenses.  

We are in NY today and we will be here for a week.  It is overcast with a light drizzle here in NY today, but it's nice to get away from the Florida heat for awhile.  I am here in the garage this morning smoking some Prince Albert, which I found in a can stored in a cupboard with some coffee.  I saw the can and wasn't sure what was in it.  But this Prince Albert is about a year old and has aged nicely still with a bit of moisture. I brought three pipes with me, with one being my Gettysburg pipe i'm smoking today.  

So, I'm enjoying my Prince Albert and the rather cool weather.  Thank you for your time and Peace to each one of you.

Dave