I was a little aimless this weekend. I needed to get out of the house, but never found my true north and ended up simply driving around instead of deciding on where to go for my photo hike. I did several ‘pull over suddenly’ photo opps though, yet fortunately didn’t end up a traffic statistic.
An online friend (across the Pond), mentioned once how rare it was to find abandoned houses in her country. I guess I never actually thought about it, but there are a lot of old houses sitting, or crumbling, vacant out in the countryside. They still fascinate me, wondering what the backstory is – who lived there, why did they leave, why was the house left empty.
About had a heart attack getting the rail snap. The moment I sat my camera down to get the low angle, the crossing lights began to flash, the bells rang, the warning arms began to fall, and I got the hell out of the way. A whistle told me a train was indeed coming. I was never in danger, but day-um, all that warning stuff is very loud when you’re standing next to it.
Not as cold this weekend as it was last, I found far too many people at the beach to enjoy it, or want to take photos. Even a flock of geese decided to bypass the beach, perhaps on their way farther south.
(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)
For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream.
Thin spiral notebook 
Wonderful train rail photo. I bet that scared you to death, it would scare me! I enjoyed going on your photo hike with you and seeing it through your eyes. Great idea. The abandoned house is interesting. Oh, if those walls could talk. I pulled over the side of the road a month ago to take one in my area. I think passers by probably thought I was nuts but too bad for them. I enjoyed it.
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What a fabulous set of pictures…
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I recently had a very similar experience on a train track but I was well… not completely clothed shall we say. It was a fairly alarming moment I can tell you. LOVE the track picture the perspective on it is fabulous.
Mollyxxx
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That is priceless. I had to laugh. I can only imagine who was more surprised you or the train engineer.
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I would’ve got a shock of that bell ringing…but you got a great picture! 🙂
Have a good week ahead!
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The railroad shot is fantastic. I am glad the train was far away, and you are here to tell about it.
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I enjoy seeing the abandoned houses as well. We even have a few in the city although they are quickly snapped up and rebuilt. They do give us lots to think about.
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I’ve “met” some houses that LOOKED abandoned, but weren’t – – – they were just neglected instead, which I find even sadder because the people living there are CHOOSING not to love their old house.
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Sometimes I seriously worry that I’ll be outside snapping away and someone comes out of one of my ‘found’ houses, yelling at me for photographing their home.
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I told you that you would be the one to decide the abandoned house was safe, and that you’d want to take pictures ;P. The rail pic is GORGEOUS, and I’m very glad for all that loud warning stuff (but that you had the presence of mind to hit the shutter on your way the hell out of there.)
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I’m looking forward to the kids getting older where I can have days like this, just drive somewhere, park, and start writing,
great pictures
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I love the perspective of the tracks picture! Nice shot!
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