The Abandoned: Heart on a Rail - Guest Heart Thursday

The Abandoned has many pathways, some cleared, some not. One of my favorite places to walk is a forgotten foot path where a rustic wooden bridge crosses the old waterway. It leads to the strawberry trees just beyond. It is a truly magical and lovely place. I don't know of anywhere else where strawberry trees grow.

As Sissy and I walked that lonely path, I found this green mossy Heart on a Rail.

For more heart art, photography and altogether fabulous heart stuff from around the world, visit Clytie at Random Hearts for Guest Heart Thursday!

WARNING: Think twice about visiting The Abandoned without permission. You risk getting arrested for trespassing.

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.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Heart on a Rail - Guest Heart Thursday

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