Footprints in the snow

There is a cemetery near my house in Dover NH that is stunning. Especially at sunrise after fresh fallen snow. I also think it is gorgeous in the fall and I can't wait to share some of those images with you! New England in general is breathtaking. Take it from me, someone that was raised in the Dirty South. Yes, I've seen trees, and water growing up, but not like this. The water here is so clean and clear, not muddy like it is back home. And the trees here are the tallest that you will ever see. You can really feel just how small you are in this universe after taking a hike in the mountains in New Hampshire. You also gain a sense of just  how old this area is. Not only are there established dates clearly marked on the signs of each town, but its quite likely that you will come upon a tiny family plot in the middle of the woods on a hike, or as you drive down the highway or even as you pull your vehicle into the gas station. Signs of how long this area has been inhabited are all around you here.

Which leaves me to my most recent discovery in this small sleepy town. I was taking a sunrise walk one morning, which during the holiday season was the only time I could walk as I quickly learned that holding down two jobs meant that my "me" time was extremely limited... This morning I walked though my favorite cemetery, Pine Hills Cemetery in downtown Dover NH. This little charmer seemed extra peaceful this chilly New years day. As I walked along admiring the way the snow sparkles against the sunrise, I came upon an area that had visible signs of a recent disturbance. The snow had fallen though out the night, so finding this was quite interesting. Suddenly I found myself pausing my walk as I stared down the fresh path of footprints in front of me that led straight through the snow.

Well my morning routine was suddenly disregarded as I could not resist the temptation to follow the footprints. I had to see who they led to. Wouldn't you want to know? Because it snowed the previous night, seeing this meant that there must've been something very important here. I mean, it couldn't wait until the next day? Of course, I never enter into a cemetery without at least my camera, so I was ready to follow these footprints. The path they took stopped shortly after I started following them  leading me to think that they are either very familiar with this grave marker and knew exactly how to find it, or that they had planned their evening investigation to include this spot. Either way I was intrigued!  The footsteps circled around a very historical marker in the cemetery, one that I had never located before this morning.

The gravestone is engraved with the existence of one Ezra Green. He was once a surgeon during the American Revolution, and afterwards appointed Postmaster of Dover NH, by George Washington himself. Ezra lived to the ripe old age of 101! He had thirteen children and also created a variety of apple known as “The Pecker.” I can only imagine what other interesting information he was sharing that night in the freezing cold. Anyway. I'm detailing this little story with you now because I was delighted to come across this. You never know what secrets are lurking in your own small town. I was surprised to find that someone other than myself had an interest in the macabre!

I am still very interested to learn more about what drew someone out here in the middle of a cold snowy night. I get that the investigation is always on, and that some hauntings never rest. Is Ezra Green one of those types of hauntings, or was New Years Eve particularly special for the person(s) visiting his grave this evening?I hope to learn more about this as I continue my research. I also hope that the footprints will continue. Who they will be visiting next? This is just the beginning of our winter after all. And if there's one thing that I've learned in my three years of living in New England, it's that they have snow. And plenty of it! My chances of stumbling upon an interesting find like this one I assume are 50/50, unless of course the date was synonymous. If that is the case, I may have to wait another year before I truly understand the mystery behind this find. Which means that I will definitely need to do all I can to be prepared for next New years Eve. This is too interesting to just leave alone..