Behind the little house in the canyon, a lone tree stands against the backdrop of a blue-grey sky, mid-trunk deep in a sea of prairie weeds. The grayed and brittle lichen-covered tree has a sort of quiet desperation about it; like the abandoned homestead, the tree is a victim of the elements that once nourished it. Just as the home, the tree still stands…it’s jagged and broken branches still reaching for the sky, in a futile (yet beautiful) plea for rain.
Spotted on a portion of fence that was still standing in the overgrown front yard of the little house in the canyon; a bright swipe of chartreuse-colored lichen, which stood out in lovely contrast against the aged and bone-dry fence posts.
Whereas the rest of the other windows in the little house in the canyon were at least partially broken, this window was completely intact. To further add to the intrigue of this window was the lace curtain adorning the interior and obscuring the view of the demolished and deteriorating kitchen within. This particular window is almost like a window into the past, and gives a glimpse into what this home may have been like long before circumstance forced its abandonment.
Outside of the little homestead in the canyon, this time looking in through an open window that almost looks as if it had been flung open with wild abandon ages ago, and now is just hanging on until the inevitable surrender to gravity. Although there is evidence of the sun’s light through the cast of shadows against the side of the house, the light doesn’t seem to make it in much past the window’s threshold.
Another view of the hard-to-spot homestead, on approach. It was fascinating the way the “feel” of this place could change based on the angle, the position of the sun, or your proximity to it. Makes one wonder about the many memories those slowly deteriorating walls must hold, and the secrets they keep.
This abandoned homestead was barely even visible from the road; it is a wonder we spotted it in the first place. Void of any kind of driveway, we parked the car alongside the road and forged our own foot-path through the brush to get a closer look. This was the view upon our descent…
A different view of the schoolhouse out in Eastern Oregon, near Dufur. Gorgeous day for shooting such a wonderful old building. The post-production really brings out the emotional context of the location and the economic circumstances that have brought these great buildings to their present status.
The desert sun and wind can wreak havoc on wood, but at the same time- there’s a beautiful quality to this natural erosion. The stark contrast fits the mood and the location uniquely.