Hidden Character

I love exploring new places, especially small towns. And no matter how small a town is, I've discovered that you can always find something of interest if you just look around. Upon approaching a small town, the first thing I usually notice (and photograph) is its water tower and courthouse (if it's a county seat) ... and then I explore its "downtown" area. If it is mid-morning when I arrive, it may be difficult to find a parking space, and I have to go around the block a few times. It's these trips "around-the-block" that have made me aware that sometimes the back of the buildings are more interesting than the storefronts. Here are a few photos I've taken of things that caught my eye while "going around the block." The next time you have to circle a block looking for a parking space, look up at the backs of the old buildings. There you will find their character and their history ... in their faded old signs from days gone by, their rusty staircases, their vine-covered windows, and rickety old doors. What interesting stories they could tell, if only they could talk.

Old Stuff

I love old stuff ... not necessarily fine old antiques or collectibles, but just old STUFF. Things that have been abandoned and left to spend the rest of their days collecting dust and spider webs in old barns and houses and churches ... or left standing in an overgrown field along a roadside, hidden from view by tangled vines and tall grass.

During my ramblings, I always notice these old relics and buildings and try to preserve them in my pictures where they will forever be as they are -- sometimes standing proud, though battered ... sometimes "ramshackledy" and leaning ... and oftentimes, mostly "gone with the wind" ... but, always, always, so full of character and stories. If only they could talk.

I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves.

And my favorite "old stuff" ... the Windsor Ruins