An ode to a beloved statue: this one has been sitting in my files for a bit, as it seems a bit goofy to go soft over a statue, but here it is:
Civil War: 90th Pennsylvania Monument
Petrichor. I love the sound of the word and I love what it means: The smell of the air when it rains after a long period of hot dry weather. I always try to associate another happy memory with this fragrance, and today’s reminiscence was a particularly happy one.
I arrived in Gettysburg at the tail end of a particularly hot spell, so that the air still had a bit of the burn in it. Fortunately for me, with autumn fast arriving, the evening would cool down just enough for a light dew to form, lending to the night that “just rained” scent. My first excursion onto the battlefield was going to be under the cover of night, a slightly misty moonlit one, so that the silhouettes of the monuments would still be visible, be we would remain anonymous.
My initial encounter with “it” was rather startling: a large monolith that not only seemed out of place at first glance, but it did not seem of this world, altogether! Nothing prepared me for a monument shaped like a tree trunk, nor would I suppose that I would likely see one again. Since I am comfortable in the dark, I set out to “see” the monument as I have learned to do with limited vision: with my fingers. To my delight, it “felt” just like a tree, as the surface had been contoured to feel like bark. I discovered a sack, pouch and what felt to be a rifle, too. It was a solo experience, but intensely satisfying, nonetheless.
I was fortunate enough to visit what I learned to be the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry monument two more times in the daylight, and each time was just as delightful as the one before it. I am not a collector of chachkies, but in this case I would make an exception and proudly display a replica of this unique statue.
PS I already have an itinerary for June2017 that includes a reunion with this beloved statue