Tomorrow I will join my brother's family at the
Mount Diablo Coalfield Descendant's Picnic.
You might ask why we are attending the picnic when we aren't descended from
any of those who lived in the coalfields. Well.. it's started years ago
when one of my sisters was at the cemetery on Mt. Diablo on a field trip.
While she was there she spotted a headstone with our last name on it. Our last
name isn't overly common, so when she got home she told our parents about it.
At some point after that my mom took a group of kids up to the cemetery to look
for the headstone, but they couldn't find it. They searched the whole cemetery.
After a while a man approached asking them what they were doing. Upon hearing
the story he said he though they should look in the back of his truck. He had
been picking up some headstones which had been vandalized, but his truck
wouldn't start, so he was waiting for someone to come help him.
Sure enough, the missing headstone was in his truck.
My mother took four pictures, one of each side of the headstone (in the days of film).
Each picture turned out clear enough to read!
After the pictures were taken, the man got back in the truck,
and attempted to start it. It started....
A few years ago my oldest brother decided to sponsor a new marker for them.
So now we get invites to the picnic.
I'm hoping to enjoy some picture taking, but we shall see.
In any case, I need a lunch!
Lunch consists of: a sandwich, some celery with tomato basil laughing cow cheese,
watermelon flowers, rainbow carrots, sugar snap peas, and some dressing for dipping.
