The Abandoned: Spring in The Abandoned

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Spring in The Abandoned - Weekend Reflections

I am inspired by this bit of nature springing up through man's destructiveness. I love the reflection of springtime beauty in the broken glass. But if you look to the camera's left hand side--it looks as though someone, or something, is thrusting a fist up through the earth behind those flowers. Perhaps a wayward fairy? Or maybe a long lost dwarf? What do you think?

These walks with Sissy through the shards of vandalism are eye-opening to people's complete disregard for the property of others.

For more wonderful reflections from around the world, be sure to visit James at Weekend Reflections.

WARNING: Those who come here without permission risk arrest for trespassing.

7 comments:

Inger-M said...: Yes, someone is definitely trying to get through the surface there, looks like a masculine hand to me, so possibly a gnome? If it was in Norway it might have been a troll, LOL!

I love the vivid spring green of the new plants, and the reflection is great.
Hope you're enjoying your weekend!; March 5, 2011 at 12:50 PM
Zyzzyz said...: I think Spring is trying to come through; March 5, 2011 at 1:15 PM
Clytie said...: I think maybe it is a reflection of my forehead wrinkles caught in a shard of broken glass ... snicker.

It is amazing how Nature is reclaiming with beauty the ugliness that humanity has left behind. This shot tells the whole story.; March 5, 2011 at 5:59 PM
Janet said...: Probably the person who littered the ground with glass! :-); March 6, 2011 at 4:05 AM
Linda said...: lovely spring shadows; March 6, 2011 at 8:44 AM
Anonymous said...: It is always amazing to me how strong the will to survive is and how flowers, especially, we see them, as they grow around, under and over surfaces to blossom. The flower is the same. Getting there is the problem.; March 6, 2011 at 10:30 AM
Pat Tillett said...: Nature always finds a way!
Patrick Tillett, Extremely Overdue; March 6, 2011 at 2:21 PM

The Abandoned

Years ago, I dedicated this blog to The Abandoned, a huge complex of abandoned buildings in rural Oregon.

Surrounded by wetlands and old growth timber, The Callahan Center was built in the 1970's by the State of Oregon as a rehabilitation center for people recovering from injuries on the job.

In 1992, the property was bought by a mega church. However, the Living Enrichment Center closed in 2004, amidst financial scandal and the property was abandoned.

The buildings stood empty for many years. Over that span the property was vandalized and looted. Yet the beauty of its rare architecture shone through the shambles of abuse and disrepair.

In the summer of 2013, the complex was completely demolished. We were all sad to see the buildings go, but because of trespassers and vandals, it was necessary to take them down.

The area where The Abandoned once stood is filled with $500,000 mushroom houses (homes built so fast they pop up like mushrooms) built on postage stamp lots. There are sidewalks and tall lamps where I once watched the foxes of the field leaping above the grass, hunting rodents.

The surrounding woodlands still survive. It is my prayer the wetlands and forests with their pristine creeks, native trees and flowers, as well as the wildlife which shelter there, will be protected.