In the south there are more abandoned houses then anywhere else I have ever been.

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Near the old general store, where I worked some years ago, it occurred to me we should do some exploring. Old Indian relics had been found in many a field and there were traces of an old Spanish Mission that was located on the edge of the lake less than a mile away.

I don’t like to trespass so after asking permission and getting the thumbs up, we set out for a late morning walk in early spring. In Florida you take your chances with snakes at all times of the year, but they move a little slower when the weather is cold. It was a crisp morning yet the vines and undergrowth were already returning.

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My boss was from a small tobacco growing town about 20 miles down the road. One day while feeding the cows with her grandad he was bitten by a rattle snake. It was the dead of winter and she literally watched him die right in front of her. There she was trapped between the snake and her only escape route.

Back to the story.... so we grabbed our walking sticks and started off to the 3 old abandoned houses we’d seen previously. With camera in hand we set out to capture the beauty of the of tree canopy and the architecture of the past.

The first house we came to was like a museum. The tenants had abandoned it as if they intended to return and never did. There was a row of old wooden movie chairs on the front porch which I can only assume was placed there for hot days to catch a bit of a cool breeze while chatting with a neighbor. An assortment of junk blocked the front entrance forcing us to poke around to look for an open window or the back door.

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There was the usual debris in the back yard which contained a few collectible old coke and grape soda bottles . A plastic ET toy from the movie was sitting on the outdoor window sill as if watching over the place. Amused, we noticed the back door was ajar and worked our way carefully into the kitchen. The old screen door slammed behind us, letting anyone who might be inside know that visitors were at large. The tiny kitchen was sparsely appointed with a mish-mash of dishes, pots and pans, and assorted trinkets. There was a skunk complete with a dead plant hanging out of it, an old radio, sitting upon a tiny table pushed into the corner.

Others had come here before, us but not for many years. Boxes once packed with toys and clothes were now strewn around on the floor. The furniture was in decent condition, what furniture had not been stolen. As I made my way into the bedroom the flash on the camera awakened a nest of bats that began circling my head. I screamed bloody murder which only produced more of the winged creatures. My heart was racing as I covered my neck, and any bare skin fearing I be might be attacked by the tiny silent flyers. They soon found a temporary place to hang.

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Shaken by the furry winged creatures I noticed a pile of old vinyl records in the corner of the bedroom next to an old phonograph. It was old jazz and gospel which is one of my favorite genres, so I took a few minutes to thumb through them. Roaches scampered out of the mix including Palmetto bugs also know as a giant roach that really stinks when you smash them. I grabbed a few good albums that weren’t ruined from humidity and rain. My cohort had found 4 old tennis rackets that were made for professional players in the bedroom lying on the floor.

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What did these people do and why had they left in such a hurry? I couldn’t wait to ask about the history of the old place. Over all the house was decent. Good bones. With some work it could probably be lived in again. Yet it had been vacant for more than 30 years. No wealth but education was abundant according to some books piled on the floor. A teacher? Musician? Artist?

A piano blocked the front door. I banged on the keys like Liberace before noticing the carcass of a dead raccoon behind one of the chairs. Yikes we had taken a few more photos and the place was starting to feel kind of creepy. The bats were infiltrating again and wanted their roost back. I covered my head and ran out the back door screaming I am outa here!

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Later after returning home and uploading the pictures nearly every one of them had orbs of different sizes floating around in the house. I checked the camera lens for dust or water. Nothing! There was definitely a presence at the old house, no doubt we got out before something bad happened.

Hope you enjoyed my walk today. 🐓🐓