Sunday, April 13, 2008

Random Thoughts on a Sunday Evening

For 21 years I have lived in my present home. Over the years I have taken photos of nearby sights that interest or intrigued me. Here are a few of them. Sadly, none exists any longer.

When my children were young we would creep down this one lane road with our van doors open. I would let them sit on the edge of the seat while I told them stories about the elves, fairies and gnomes that made their homes under the exposed roots of the trees that lined the road.

The road hasn't ceased to exist, but normal thru traffic is no longer allowed. There was a bad accident on the road involving teenagers. Since it was a private road the owners decided to close it to traffic. I miss early morning cruises down it. I loved to watch the cows and horses in the fields and you often could spot dragonflies near it's little pond.


This was the only working dairy farm in our end of the county. I think the owner got to old for the work. It has been replaced by a church.


You may not be able to make it out but, hold on to your hats....these are Fisher-Price toys nailed to the railings of this little house. Don't ask me why anyone would do this but, oh how I loved to look every time I drove by. Yes, you do see 4 Christmas stockings hanging by the front door. My question was always...what kind of people would do this!!!! Well, I never did find out but, the toys are all gone now although the house still remains.

Excuse the quality of this next photo. I didn't have a really good shot. I drove by this tree almost daily for years. I loved the shape of it. It reminded me of one of the trees in "Babes In Toyland" that came alive (or whatever they did...it has been a long time since I saw that movie). In my opinion, this tree had a very sad history. See the way it bends as if it feels pain? It has been replaced by a very nice new sub-division. I miss it.

This little fish pond was part of a very nice plant shop. They had lovely flowers and very artful landscaping. I used to go over there on Sunday afternoons to take pictures. A couple of years ago, we had a huge rainstorm (it may have been part of a hurricane as it swept northward from the Gulf, I don't remember anymore). The shop flooded. Everything was destroyed. The owners didn't have the insurance needed to replace everything. It was sold and turned into something similar but not beautiful like the original.


There is a local "character" who lives close by in a shack he inherited from his grandmother. According to friends who grew up in this community, he has never been "right" in the head. He does have a talent though. He is a sign painter. A few years ago he got some metal sheeting from somewhere and set up his own string of paintings on his property. On each one was painted a different scene. Since he doesn't like many people I was afraid to stop and take photos so I had to get one of my children to drive slowly past his house while I tried to take this "drive by shooting". There are a couple of these billboards still in the yard but they are faded now. The colors are no longer vibrant as in this photo.

Following my divorce, I attended a local college for a few years. I drove past this empty blue, rambling house every morning. Each day the house looked different to me. Sun, shade, winter, spring, in all the seasons it's bright paint, empty windows and trailing vines intrigued me. Finally, one morning I got out and took pictures. I think it would make a lovely watercolor, don't you? I really need to paint that. The house was torn down in the name of road improvement shortly after my picture taking morning.


Life is always in flux isn't it? I welcome the new, but I don't like change. It's a dichotomy isn't it.

6 comments:

  1. Once again, I am simply amazed...amazed at your imagination, creativity, ideas, thoughts....

    You live in a very interesting area, I thinks its absolutely remarkable how your eye sees things that others do not. The anecdote about driving down that lane telling the kids about fairies and gnomes sent shivers up my spine...how I would have loved to be one of those kids enthralled by the tales while in the midst of the setting.

    The blue house is so precious, what a pity it was demolished.

    The strange man painting the signs...things like that really make a neighborhood unique.

    The fish pond....I too am enchanted by little fish ponds...so sad that its now gone.

    What you've described in this post is living history. Real history, told in a most interesting way. Wonderful post, Steviewren!

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  2. What a fun post! I so enjoyed the pix and accompaning stories. I especially love that last photo of the blue house. Aren't you glad you got all those photos before everything changed? Funny how we think things will always remain the same and they never do.

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  3. Hi Steviewren,
    Your blog is filled with great pics and words. I think you do quite well on paintings. You're a Paccaso.. go for it! Thanks for visiting my blog and I'll be back to see what's going on here Alabama :)

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  4. I have said that the blogs I visit are like magazines. Every blog is a turn of the page. Your blog is indeed a page turner. Denise

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  5. Lovely writing, fun to read. Thanks for your comment on my blog.

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  6. I love your pictures and your stories for each one. It makes me sad to think of how much one little place can change so fast. However, I suppose that is the way life is. I am glad you to pictures of everything.

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I'm glad you stopped by and I look forward to your comments. As Dr. Fraser Crane would say, "Hello, I'm listening."