This One's for Toad

Okay, Folks.  I, along with hundreds of others, follow the Blog of  "Toad" at  To The Manner Born.  You can learn all manner of things just by pouring your morning cuppa caffee and heading on over to see what he's talking about on any given day.  Since he is such a voracious Fact and Story Gatherer, especially about the South, this one's for Toad:

This photo was posted by Stephen A. Nicklas in 2005.

This is a monument at Colbert County, Alabama's Coon Dog Cemetery.  It is the only Coon Dog Cemetery in the world, and is only a few miles from the house where I grew up.  It's on a mountain top that we passed by every time we went to visit my Grandparents, and is legendary.  

From The Encyclopedia of Alabama

Only Certified, Champion Coon Dogs can be buried there, and there are over 250 graves, at last count.  I only went there once, and was impressed by the emotion and love directed to these deceased Coon Hounds.

You can visit the cemetery website and view all the Coon Dog Grave Markers HERE.


For your edification, this past Thursday, October 20, 2011, over 400 mourners gathered to bury Coon Hound Bo,  from Southern Illinois.  The funeral procession spread out to almost a mile from the cemetery...which is not far from the cemetery where my elders are buried.  You can read the entire story - you MUST read the entire story, HERE.

I'll leave you to your reading...