Today I finally had a day off and while I spent most of it running errands with mom and dad, I was able to get out in the late afternoon for one last ride around Leelanau before things start to turn shitty up here for the winter. I’ve uploaded a bunch of new pictures to The Color Of Fall album on leelanauphotography.com so be sure to check them out. I had an interesting experience out walking around. I came upon a ruin that I had never previously seen before. Not far off the road there was an old wooden home that was hidden quite well. I walked right by it the first time. On the way back, I noticed a roof line and decided to check it out. Clearly it was unsafe so I didn’t venture inside, the walls were falling in, the floor was gone in many spots, there was graffiti on the walls and lots of broken glass. It would be interesting to know the history of the structure. It was obviously a home…but who did it belong to?
I was on public land under the control of the National Park Service so they’ve apparently decided to just let this home turn into dirt. Pretty neat really. I like ruins like this because it’s a glimpse into the past that you normally just don’t get to see up close. There are some great web sites out there about local ruins, one (which I can’t remember the name of right now) even goes into great detail about the Asylum in Traverse City when it was abandoned.
Tonight I’m going to relax and watch a movie. I recently acquired the first 5 Harry Potter films and I’m up to number 3 The Prisoner of Azkaban. Jirar never liked these sorts of films or at least he wouldn’t watch them with me so I’m revisiting them now several years after they have been out and I’m really enjoying them. I never read the books (although I am tempted to) but I would liken these films to the Star Wars Films that I grew up with as a kid. What I like about Harry Potter is that the story line is simple enough for a child but complex enough at the same time to capture an adults interest and keep it. I’ve always liked this sort of genre…the wizards and magic, and spells etc. The trouble with that genre is that it tends to be made up of really awful B movies with horrible actors and pathetic plots. Anyhow, if you’ve not seen these films, you really should rent them.
I took the picture below today and it’s in the leelanauphotography.com album. Look at the reflection of the clouds in the stream. Quite amazing that I’m able to capture that sort of thing with my camera.


I’m still heartbroken after happening on a website of pictures taken inside of Buffalo’s grand old train station.
I used to take the train out of there when it was down to two trains a day, but it was still a wonderful space. Then they closed it and opened a new “Train Station” in a double-wide trailer closer to downtown. The preservationists managed to open it a at least once more for a huge polka party fundraiser, but now the trespassers’ photos show it to be in ruins, much like the home you found.
OOooo…creepy!! Have you ever seen “The Blair Witch Project?” There was a house like that in the movie. Creepy!