Rookery

I have visited a good amount of cemeteries in the United States, but this one definitely surpasses most I've seen so far. Not only is it filled with ornate Victorian crypts and monuments on hillsides, but there are two old abandoned Gothic chapels, one having a receiving vault and the other being a crematory... all very fascinating to me.

During the winter, the cemetery fills with hundreds of thousands of crows, creating a surreal tapestry of noise on all sides. This is my favorite time to visit; I was lucky enough to arrive just after a heavy snowfall one evening, and played around with a little camera I like to use for quick infrared photos. Most of the snow was undisturbed, as most people were deterred from walking in the biting wind and subzero temperature. This allowed a casual peek inside the newer chapel; the old crematorium was much more exposed however, and needed to be seen in the dead of night...