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Tag: photo essay

Cemetery Symbols: B is for Books

What do books signify on a headstone? BOOK:Books are a common feature in historic graveyards, but they rarely have actual words carved into them, as the one you see in the photo above. When books are open, it indicates that a person’s life was cut short, in mid-story, so to speak. A closed book acknowledges that a person’s story on earth has reached its end. Books may also represent The Bible or other holy scripture. (How to comment: Please comment about this post on Facebook: B is for Books. Leave your link in the comments, and I’ll drop by your…

Cemetery Symbols: A is for Anchor

What does an anchor signify on a headstone? ANCHOR: Anchors often refer to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. As a symbol, anchors represent hope in troubled times. During the Roman persecution of Christians, the anchor served as a secret symbol, a covert referral to the cross. (How to comment: My blog comments are broken, but I’m trying to get that fixed! In the meantime, please comment about this post on Facebook: A is for Anchor Leave your link in the comments, and I’ll be sure to drop by your blog, too. You can also tweet me at @TuiSnider.…

Unexpected Texas: Building Made of Salt

The following is an excerpt from my upcoming quirky travel book, Unexpected Texas: Salt Palace in Grand Saline While the French equivalent of “window shopping” translates as “window licking” this is something that literally occurs every day at the Salt Palace in Grand Saline, Texas. The unusual building, which houses a visitor center and museum for the town and the nearby Morton Salt Company mine, is built entirely out of salt crystal bricks held together by a salt/mortar mixture. This strange combination proves tempting to many visitors who satisfy their curiosity by taking a tiny lick of its walls. The…

Deep Creek Cemetery in Boyd, Texas: From Pioneers & Comanches to Mickey Mouse & Folk Ballet

Researching Paranormal Texas The following is an adapted excerpt from my travel guide to haunted places, a book called Paranormal Texas. To see a 5-minute info-video I made to accompany this story (with even more photos) watch the video below: And here’s a more recent video I made about Deep Creek Cemetery, in which I explain the meaning of several tombstone symbols: I don’t know why so many cemeteries are reportedly haunted, but here’s what we found on our first journey to Deep Creek Cemetery near Boyd, Texas: Pretty Country Drive to a Historic Texas Cemetery Deep Creek Cemetery is a short…

Florida Flashbacks & How Writing Research is like Gambling

I’ve got Florida on my mind Why am I posting a photo essay about Florida all of a sudden? My pal Morgan Dragonwillow recently vacationed there, so now I’m  daydreaming about a road trip down the Intercoastal Highway… I snapped these shots while dining near Key West. I can’t recall the name of the place, but it was a beachfront restaurant on a pier jutting into the clear, blue water. The joint was jumping, and the servers did a great job keeping up with the frenzy. They didn’t just have humans to wait on, either. Shortly before sunset a school of…

Z is for The Zimbabwean

The Trillion Dollar Campaign Today’s post features a photo I took at the British Museum. It’s a poster that is printed on actual African currency as part of an advertising campaign called the Trillion Dollar Campaign. This ad campaign was launched in 2009 by a newspaper called The Zimbabwean to call attention to rampant hyperinflation. Understanding the economy has never been my strong suit, but this poster really stopped me in my tracks. The clever ad campaign even won an award at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. Wow! We made it all the way to the letter Z! Phew!…