Life (and death) on the ranchos

The story I posted about peyote was fiction but the setting is a real rancho not far from here. The owner let me visit the pantheon. The family has occupied the canyon for over 5 generations. One of the patriarchs must have been a great man because they took care to follow his wishes to be buried above ground. He lies in a crypt made of concrete that came from the arroyos, not from a sack and it has withstood the years with little damage. If you look closely on the left he seems to still be reaching out to keep in touch.