Tag Archives: abandoned
Abandoned
Abandoned cabin cruiser sits in front of a derelict shrimp boat. Both have been abandoned for several years.
Along the Bon Secour River, which flows into Mobile Bay in southern Alabama, there is a large fleet of deserted shrimp boats. Some are huge, some rather small, but they all have been abandoned. Hurricanes or tropical storms have severly damaged most of them. Speculation is that they are too damaged to repair (repairs will cost more than the boat is worth). Other possible reasons are that the shrimp fishery is too depleted and competition too intense, the boats have paid for themselves and owners are no longer interested in the grueling work of shrimping, but then who knows.
Regardless, The Alabama Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Fund, established June 2018 and managed by the Secretary of the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency, is for payment of the seizure, removal, transportation, preservation, storage, advertisement, appraisal, and disposal of a derelict vessel. Effective June 1, 2018 Act 2018-179 relating to derelict and abandoned vessels, authorizes the removal of a vessel from the waters of Alabama under certain conditions by a law enforcement officer or a private property owner. Previously, a property owner was responsible for legal fees, and litigation required to remove a derelict vessel from his dock. The costs were prohibitive.
Cracked and peeling paint, mold, and slime shows the typical condition of the abandoned fleet.
A smaller derelict craft lists to one side, tied to a crumbling dock.
Eight Forty Eight
Poverty
A peek into the sorrow, desperation and humiliation of poverty in the U.S.
Wilted African Violet
Too long the African Violet had been waiting for just a bit of fresh water; finally, the spirits of houseplants came to claim it.
Downtown Taiban, NM
Abandoned home in Taiban, NM. Most of the town has crumbled and disappeared, although there is still a functioning U.S. Post Office on the main highway, U.S. 60/84.
Abandoned Church, Taiban, NM
Abandoned church in Taiban, NM. The building once served Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist congregations at the same time.
Lucky
Big Lucky Lotto Store, Alamo, Texas.
San Juan Hotel
Historic San Juan Hotel in downtown San Juan, TX. It was home to fabled Texas lawman Tom Mayfield during the last years of his life. The hotel opened in 1920 and is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a prostitute murdered on the second floor.
No One Plays Here Anymore
She was a little girl then, she had dolls and tea parties. But that was then, before the door and shutters were broken, when the window boxes were tended and pretty little flowers grew. She’ll be leaving home soon, to go to college, begin a career, start her own family. Then she’ll buy a cute little playhouse for her own daughter to play in…during the summer…for a couple years.
September Rain
Fallen leaves
Late September rain
The last swim has been swum
A wet cherub attends the pool
supervised by
an empty chair
Ghost
A ghost of time
Long past
Broken down
A volunteer
Holds a key
An anachronism himself
He offers a tour
An unmarked building
Broken down
A hidden Museum
Ancient ghosts
And fine Texas dust
Autumn Beside the Pond
It’s where they sit in the moonlight
early afternoon.
They don’t come down here much anymore
moonlight fades.
The children and grandchildren visit
not much anymore.
It’s autumn
moonlight fades.
Orange Towel
A visual cliche, perhaps. The kids, home for the summer. How else to explain it?
They are careless, carefree. The parents…obsessive compulsive neatniks.
The towel nonchalantly draped over the railing, the Mom unaware.
Soon, she will see. Neighborhood appearances restored to their normal order.
Los Ebanos, Texas
Surprisingly, the place is still open, although with a very limited stock of cigarettes and liquor. It is the last “Duty Free” shop operating in Los Ebanos, TX, an historic border village, where the last hand-pulled ferry in the U.S. still operates. The Brady shop, just down the road, did not open this season. There is a new, multimillion dollar Customs station at the river crossing, but tourist shops and the only restaurant have been closed the past several years. It is a shame; with a little investment, a few improvements and this could again be a thriving tourist destination in the Rio Grande Valley.
An Old Texas Hacienda
An old hacienda stands in sad disrepair down by the Rio Grande River in Willacy County, Texas, USA.
Day-To-Day Photography 