Time Passages

I almost always have a camera with me these days. It is my modern version of Paladin--you know "Have Camera--Will Travel". Actually, if you are younger than 50, that probably doesn't make sense.
I passed one of those little dirt drives that I have noticed before and knew I would eventually explore. So I made a u-turn--I mean legally turned around--and drove up the drive to find this little gem.


I took several pictures of the front of this old house but intentionally chose this angle because it captured the interesting tree on the west end of the house and mostly because it showed the cell tower about 50 yards behind the house. Can you imagine explaining to the original occupants of this house what a cell phone tower is?

Even with the clutter and dilapidated condition of the house, this chair by the window looks like some old guy was just watching the Sun set and got up to feed the dogs before dark.

I wonder who looked out this door and tried to imagine how big the world is outside the house. What would they think if they could come back now?

This room made it obvious that somebody has used the house as home recently. The carpet remnants are neatly patched together to form insulation against the cold drafts. Is there a woman's touch here? Who is so estranged from family and friends that they need to sleep in this collapsing house?

The faux brick asbestos siding reminds me of the houses near Doles, Georgia where I first learned the joys of exploration. The first house I lived in had siding similar to this but it was a little higher off the ground. How far away do you have to be to think this is really a brick house?

Out back, old Blue's house is in about the same condition.

It was fun to poke around and take some pictures. This represents a departure from my "raisin". My parents taught me to respect other people's property. Not just refraining from taking what does not belong to you but staying off other people's property. We did not even cut across yards and my dad was quick to challenge those who came on his property uninvited. That was difficult for me to overcome when I began delivering mail in Capital Heights in the 1970's. Mailboxes by the door meant walking across EVERY yard and onto porches--even right past open windows. It tool a LONG time for me to feel comfortable with that and there were some embarrassing moments along the way. I am still respectful of private property and recognize that fences exist for a reason. My years and white hair have given me a look of trustworthiness that allows me to plunder within reason and I have the integrity to leave things as I found them. But I am becoming bolder about going places to look and take pictures. It is fun to me. This old house and its occupants will cross my mind several times over the next few days as I wonder what their life was like and what they would think about being in the middle of a fast growing city rather than out in the country. This morning I posted famous quotes. When I uploaded these photos to Facebook, I added a quote that will be famous some day; "If you never plunder or trespass, you are not a serious photographer." Remember, you heard it here first.