Some of my favorite things came together here: a wide gravel parking lot, a lonely building, some good clouds. Add in a U-Haul trailer, and I am a happy photographer!

Lubbock, Texas
photographed 3.29.2013

I can’t argue with my pal Ehpem, who recently pointed out that I tend to shoot a lot of rectangles; it’s possible I overdid it a little bit here.

It’s a rectangle overload.

Lubbock, Texas
photographed 4.7.2013

I am guessing that Patio 2 (and its counterpart, Patio 1) probably serve as smoking sections when the place is open.  It’s sort of hard to imagine now, but back when I went there as a kid, the smokers got to stay inside, letting us skaters get doses of second-hand smoke as we wheeled by.

Lubbock, Texas
photographed 3.29.2013

When I was a kid, this was THE place to roller skate. I can still remember the smell of dust and feet, the sounds of wheels rolling over the wooden floor, the way I’d get a blister on my right foot from never varying the counter-clockwise circle.

Lubbock, Texas
photographed 3.29.2013

This back of this closed-down gas station in the industrial part of town absorbed all the light that day.

On a side note, there’s a lot more traffic in that part of town than I expected. And, judging from the stares I got from truck drivers, not many photographers show up over there. I don’t know why: it’s only a few blocks from where I found this place a few months ago.

Lubbock, Texas
photographed 3.29.2013

Life. Water flowing over the dam. A philosophical graffiti artist? Or an opportunistic one?

At any rate, those ten birds are keeping an eye on the place.

Canyon Lakes
Lubbock, Texas

photographed 3.29.2013

The 2000 census reported a population of 88; the 2010 census plead ignorance on the matter. The day I stopped, there was a steady thrum of highway noise, but I was the only one who pulled off Interstate 20 to look around. After all, it’s only thirty more miles to Abilene.

Other than this building – which is quite lovely, if you ask me – the only other notable thing about the place is that Larry L. King, author of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, is a native son.

Putnam, Texas
photographed 3.20.2011

On this afternoon, I had three passengers in my car.  Two of them I had just met.  And one of those had just asked me what sorts of things I liked to photograph.  I said, “That.  Right there.  The old building.  Oh!  And that sign!  The old building AND the sign!!”

Maybe I just imagined that I caught them exchanging worried glances at each other.

At any rate, I didn’t stop.  But I did come back later….

Canyon, Texas
photographed 3.20.2013

Two things, really.

First of all, it seemed like if the very reason I made a u-turn across a highway to take a picture was because this old place had a red desk in front of it, then I just had to post it in color.

And, that it happened to fall on April Fool’s day was just a happy coincidence.

But please don’t worry: back to b&w tomorrow. And sorry if I startled you.

Marathon, Texas
photographed 1.19.2013

I have the perfect job (my real job, I mean – the one with a paycheck) which enables me to travel to various small towns across the Texas high plains to visit our agency’s offices.  And, every now and then, take a few photographs.

This visit was exceptional; in this town, our agency leases the ground floor of an old building.  After our real work was done, we explored the vacant second floor of the building.

Good thing I had my camera with me that day….

Tahoka, Texas
photographed 6.16.2010

In contrast to yesterday’s post, at least this signage is legible. But that doesn’t necessarily make it understandable.

Am I right?

corner of South Nevill Street and US 90
Marfa, Texas

photographed 1.18.2013

There is a lot of information on the front of this place. Unfortunately, I have no idea what any of it says.

All I can say with any certainity is that it is roughly halfway between here and here but all the way across town from here.

corner of South Austin Street and West El Paso Street
Marfa, Texas
photographed 1.18.2013

The front of the Napa Auto Parts store has a shiny sign with the logo and corporate colors. It’s all tidy and business-like.

I don’t really like it.

But this? The back? Oh, yes, I like this.

The back of the store
Alpine, Texas

photographed 1.18.2013

If you like compound words, you’ll just LOVE this place: the Shallowater Trustworthy Hardware store. And, as a bonus, it’s just across the road from the Goodpasture grain elevator.

The town is named Shallowater. The town-namers were pragmatic folk; in addition to Shallowater, we’ve got Plainview, Levelland, Brownfield, Littlefield. Of course, there are also several Lakeviews, none of which do; so I guess some of them were wistful instead.

Shallowater, Texas
photographed 3.16.2013

The enlisted men’s pool was what it was called when I went there in high school with my friend Sara, whose dad was one of those enlisted men.

Reese Center
formerly Reese Air Force Base
near Lubbock, Texas

photographed 3.16.2013

Side door.

That is all.

Except to note that this is on the former Air Force base here in Lubbock. Part of the facilities have been redeveloped for private and municipal use, but the side of the base that had all the housing looks much the same as when the Air Force locked the doors and left, in 1997. When it was a base, access was limited, and even now it didn’t feel quite right to be able to drive in without being challenged, walk all over the place, and take all the photos I wanted.

But that’s not to say I was left alone: a sign at the entrance said the area was under constant surveillance. Hope whoever was stuck monitoring the surveillance enjoyed my meandering path as much as I did.

Reese Center
near Lubbock, Texas

photographed 3.16. 2013

Something old, something new (if you go right to left).

And – this is the best part, really – the other side of the old building had this:

Along Guadalupe Street
Austin, Texas

photographed 3.10.2013

That sign behind the light? It says, “We are not responsible for products condemned by the state inspector.”

OK.

But wait – here’s the front of the building:

Think about it…

Now, go eat a salad.

Colorado City, Texas
photographed 3.13.2013

Back by popular demand (I am looking at you, Oneowner and Ehpem!): entry number four in the white on white series.

Other shots in the series include:
Alpine, Texas.
Alpine, Texas, again.
Marfa, Texas.

Who knows? Possibly in the future I will leave Texas in search of more entries.

A county building.
Colorado City, Texas

photographed 3.13.2013

To be honest, the only way I knew this was a steam laundry is because the building told me. I am not even sure what a steam laundry is, exactly. I get the general idea – dirty clothes go in, something happens that involves steam (and, possibly, detergent), and clean clothes come out.

But at any rate, it doesn’t matter: the place is out of business and the building is for sale.

Colorado City, Texas

photographed 3.13.2013

Someone who follows my blog recently commented on another photograph, “Many of your shots are of highly symmetrical subjects, but framed asymmetrically.” And look: I did it again!

The former Baker Hotel
Colorado City, Texas

photographed 3.13.2013

I had about an hour to spare. An hour in a town like Colorado City might have felt like an eternity to some people. To me, though, it was barely a start: I am already planning a return visit.

For one thing, I found this fantastic place – an abandoned building just a few blocks from the courthouse. All the windows were gone; so was most of the furniture. But the refrigerator was still there. Most of it, anyway.

West 3rd Street, between Walnut and Elm
Colorado City, Texas

photographed 3.13.2013

Evidently, this place has been out of business since around 2003, when the long-time owner Byron Crider passed away.

But the chairs are still here, carefully arranged along the porch.

That’s the kind of place Johnson City is, I guess.

Johnson City, Texas
photographed 3.9.2013

*Sorry for the lame Led Zeppelin reference. I couldn’t help it.

In addition to carpet and alarm clocks, each room also comes with outdoor seating. And an electric meter (just above the air conditioner). I wonder if guests got a bill for electricity when they checked out.

Johnson City, Texas
photographed 3.9.2013

I had a feeling that there’d be something good to see in Johnson City. And I was right. Crider’s Motel was exactly what I was hoping for.

The sign by the lobby entrance used to say “Weekly – Monthly – Carpet – Alarm Clock – Budget Rates” making this the first time I’ve seen carpet AND alarm clocks featured as selling points for a motel. One or the other, sure. But both? That was completely unprecedented.

I also like how the big sign says the motel is 1/2 block away, when clearly it is RIGHT THERE.  But I guess that was a way to lure people in from the highway which is (you know what I am going to say), about a half a block away.

Along South Ave F, just south of Main Street
Johnson City, Texas
photographed 3.9.2013