Sitting on the edge

 People are being rescued who have fallen from our many waterfalls these days. After Hurricane Helene changed the paths of many of our water courses, the falls and pools below them are much more dangerous. But the park service which looks after the grounds, paths, parking lots and restrooms are diligent and trying to keep things safe.

What about those who want a photo with the pretty scene in the background?

Did you notice this is a winter-time shot?

Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station. Who is taking this photo?

Granddaughters dangling their feet over the inland waterway in St. Petersburg FL.

Two granddaughters at the fort in St. Augustine FL

Second cousins about 10 years ago.

The many overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway aren't having as much traffic this year, as some of the road has still not been repaired.

Sharing with Sepia Saturday this week, where a young man doesn't look particularly happy sitting on the fake balustrade.

A studio photo of my youngest son at around 3. At least he isn't posed on a fake parapet! 

Today's quote:

When we’re feeling lonely, we’ve lost the idea that we’re all one, and none of us are separate from the whole

Groups of ancestors

 repost from 9/3/2022 When I Was 69 blog

----------------------------

 I'm going trolling through some of my ancestors, to see if any looked anything like these people! (not counting the dogs.)

Time to do a Sepia Saturday post again! Group of people (14 adults and one boy) and two dogs, one that looks like a wet rug. What on earth would match his strange photo. There's the interaction over on the left between a very angry looking man, and the woman turned toward him smiling...and the woman next to her also looking that direction, but not quite smiling.

Ok, here is Joseph Gresham, 1844-1895, from Alabama. He married "Mamie" Swasey (Mary Ann) 1849-1883, who was my great-grandaunt. Well that's a new relationship to me, never having heard of the term grandaunt until quite recently...and here I have many of them apparently.

Mamie was the daughter of Alexander G. Swasey, 1812-1866, ship captain and the Confederate blockade runner who spent most of the Civil War in a Union prison in Boston Harbor. Capt. Swasey was my great-great grandfather.

Anyway, Joseph Gresham looks like he could have stepped into that group photo from Sepia Saturday.

Alexander John Swasey 1853-1913 was Mamie's little brother and my great grandfather. I don't see him being willing to join the group, since he's posing stiffly in a Bartlett Photo Studio in Galveston, TX.

His wife was Zulieka Granger Phillips Swasey 1858-1935, was my great great grandmother. She's also in a studio portrait.

The photographer is indicated in the little adornment of H. R. Marks, Photographer of Austin TX.

But wait, there's another saved photo of my great great grandmother, known as "Dear Nan" by her family...here on a post card version of a candid pose.

Here she's holding Ada Mary, the only granddaughter born to my grandmother, after three boys. Unfortunately Ada Mary died very young, 1916-1919. But there is such joy in the smile given to that little baby in this picture, it is very precious. And my grandmother went on to give birth to two more boys, one of whom became my father.

I just realized this photo is the only picture I've ever seen of my great-grandmother Bette Bass Rogers 1860-1924 (on right) with her son, George E. Rogers, 1877-1960 (my grandfather) and his first son, Elmore, who was to die before adulthood, 1906-1916. Galveston TX.

But there was a family group photo also! I've been gradually getting myself ready for it. My grandfather George E. Rogers had a big birthday party (his 70th)...and many cousins came! This was at his home in Houston TX...and had to be held outside in August 1947! And I'm even in it, the little girl in second row leaning forward with chin on elbow, with curls thanks to home perms! But my grandmother and grandfather are on the far left in the back row. My mother is on far right in back row. And my father took the photo.

Today's quote:

If I can stop one Heart from breaking / I shall not live in vain / If I can ease one Life the Aching / Or cool one Pain / Or help one fainting Robin / Unto his Nest again / I shall not live in Vain. -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886)