Monday, August 2, 2010

A little roadtrip to the lake & countryside.




It's the last month of Summer, and I'm still hanging on with everything I've got. With temperatures in the 100's, everyone I know is wishing for scarves and layers.
All I want is to hang tight and slow down these sweet Summer days just a bit.

Yesterday we took a little roadtrip to the lake to go for a swim.









On the way home we stopped at our little fried pie spot that we swing by every time we're down that way. I regretted my fried pies three bites in, and spent the rest of the evening with a queasy stomach.



We decided to take the long way home, and skipped the interstate to take sleepy back roads. We found a few old, abandoned country houses to explore, and drove through tiny towns.





We took home a few treasures from this one.



Including a dress full of stickers, thanks to exploring through overgrown brush.
& a picture of one big, juicy spider.




Backyard Farming Week will be done, eventually. Unfortunately for people who expect things in timely manners, most people that know me well know that "eventually" is the only way to describe how things get done with me. Sorry friends, I have a wandering mind & inability to stick with one thing for too long. And like I always say, life tends to get in the way of my to-do's quite often.


This month I am getting ready for my 2nd Arts Market, and I'll be spending my evenings painting, sewing, and preparing for that.
Things might be a bit quiet around here, but I will still be around.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend.



42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Life getting in the way of to-dos is very very true! Have to say I love your bathing suit. and driving through back roads, ahh isn't it wonderful?

--Samaire*
www.samaireinvancouver.blogspot.com

Disneyland said...

Beautiful place. I love the water here;so transparent and translucent.

Travel BD said...

It is a cool place for a summer vacation and the beach is not a crowded one.

Valerie said...

Seeing your pictures of the abandoned house reminded me of the time my hubby and I stopped to look at an old house I'd been admiring since I was 15. The house was set way back from the road on the way to my grandparents house. I always liked to imagine who once lived there and what their lives were like. I'm so glad we stopped because the next time we were that way, the house had been torn down.

Anonymous said...

i like reading your posts, but please don´t show your feet a lot. its not pretty.

Anonymous said...

Those old houses were cool, I want to see the treasures you got from there!

Selena (Fran) said...

Imagens lindas e cheias de luz, irradiam a paz e o amor!
Lindo seu labrador!

Paz e luz!
\o/

Aura said...

Anonymous- I've been into photography for 10 years as a hobby. Along the way, my feet are something I have always photographed. If you have a foot phobia, you're in the wrong place.

Not to mention I don't really take well to people coming to my personal blog and telling me what I can and can't take pictures of. I think your attitude is ugly, and I advise you keep your own issues with human body parts to yourself, next time.

Selena (Fran) said...

Perdoe-me Aura por escrever em português, mas o meu inglês é péssimo...melhor não arriscar! :)

Algumas coisas eu entendo mas geralmente traduzo suas postagens que muitas vezes não precisam nem de palavras, são imagens tão belas!!!

Ah, que atitude feia do autor do comentário ANÔNIMO mesmo!

Ninguém é obrigado a vir na nossa página...se gostas de seus pés (eu também adoro o meus!!) quem não quer que não veja!!! hehe

Beijo de luz!
\o/

Aura said...

Obrigado, Selena! Eu tinha que traduzir os seus comentários, também.
Agradeço-lhe, ao longo leitura, e não tenho idéia do porquê que a pessoa se incomoda de vir aqui, se tiver um problema com as minhas fotos. Apenas não olhe! :)





Valerie- It's too bad when they rip old houses down. I love to see them just naturally fall apart with time. I was wondering who lived in this house, quite a bit. Their old books, art, dishes and sweaters were still everywhere. It kind of made me sad.


Jamie- We just took home some salvaged wood, cabinets, and such. I make signs out of them :)

Selena (Fran) said...

"That's it"!

Thanks for the words!
I will translate, if it is really strange is the fault of the translator! hihi :)

Beijo de luz!

Scott and Tabi said...

"please don't show your feet"!!! hahahahahah! i had to read that comment twice cuz i didn't think i read it right the first time! how mean and messed up!

anyways, those pix of the old run down house kinda make me sad too.... it's almost like the people that lived there, didn't actually move out... makes you wonder what happened to them.... :(

jdavissquared said...

I've always wanted to explore old abandoned houses, but never have! maybe i'll work up the courage one day.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I was going to comment on how I loved that your feet are in most of your photos. As a photographer, and when there are just to two of you, having photos together is hard, but with your feet in the photo, it makes the memory have you in it - if that makes sense.

I love reading about your adventures. I can't wait to one day be able to do that. And a big hats off to you for going into the abandoned houses! I LOVE abandoned houses more than almost anything - but I'm scared of trespassing, squatters, etc. Again, ONE DAY I will do these things!! :)

Barbara said...

I stumbled onto your blog and am enjoying reading your words and hearing about your adventures. You have a beautifully unique way of styling your photos. Very cool.

Love that you were able to go through some old abandoned homes. Sounds like a great day.

Peace!

Louis Duke Photography said...

sounds like such a wonderful trip.

Anonymous said...

What lake is this? The water is so nice for an Oklahoma lake.

Aura said...

Thank you every one!


Tabi- I know! I kept wondering where they went, and why they left everything. Michael thinks the house burned, but so much of their stuff was still completely in tact. It was almost creepy. Like they just disappeared.

Annie- I've ALWAYS taken pictures of my feet! Since I was a teenager. I guess some people are just grossed out by feet.
I was terrified at first. The entire thing looked like it could come down at any point, every doorway was closed off by huge spiderwebs, and I was also mostly afraid of finding a squatter. Or even worse, a dead body!!! Especially when I went to take a peek in the shed. Luckily we didn't find anybody :)


Anonymous- It's Lake Murray. Oklahoma actually has lot of beautiful bodies of water, you just have to be willing to drive, and explore for them. Up Northeast has a lot of clear, pretty water as well.
Really, the OKC metro (Draper & Thunderbird) are the ugliest lakes. Everywhere else has more clear water.
It's not the water, though. It's the land that you have to know. Around the metro there is a lot of red dirt, so the water is dark and muddy. Murray has more sandy soil, so the water is clear.

Melissa said...

your photography is always so beautiful!

a little black cloud in a dress said...

lol @ anon #1. What a turd. I've been so tempted a couple of times to go into an abandoned home, but I always chicken out. They're so frightening to me. I always think they are haunted. Who just leaves a house like that? with things in it? So strange.

Koa Dreams said...

I love reading your stories! I may be able to shed some light on why some abandoned houses still have belongings left totally intact. I grew up in a coffee shack and when my Mom's health turned bad we were forced to move into town. We left most of our possessions there and over time, critters moved in and vines grew over the shack.

It was more work to go and retrieve the items than to start over. My brothers and I eventually went and cleared the house out before remodeling it. It was a chore and a half and half of my Mom's clothing was just thrown away in the bags that they were stored in. Later we found out that she liked to hide her jewlery in them! Who knows what we actually threw away.

I like to think that maybe an elderly couple passed away after a wonderful life spent in their home, in which they kept all mementos of their children and life together, and when they passed their children took what they wanted and left the rest for the passerby that might enjoy it more.

That's my take on it.

And I like your feet. If someone doesn't like your feet then they should keep the comment to themselves instead of hiding behind an anonymous facade. Could you imagine having to be related to someone like that.

Dreadful.

Jenna said...

Aura,

Regarding Anonymous #1, you couldn't have said it any better. There's no place in this lovely little corner of the internet for ugly attitudes. I stumbled upon your blog three weeks ago, and since then I have read every single one of your posts, right from the start. It was almost like I had bought a new novel, and couldn't wait to race home each night, jump into bed and read the next chapter. Now, I check back nearly every single day in the hope that you've posted something new. You've inspired me to get rid of the static and 'simplify' my own life - and I'm now starting to do that one step at a time.
Life really is good.

Thank you.

vintage girl at heart said...

I saw you in Wally World today and just about fell down..haha! At least I think it was you....
Welcome back and did you see any bears on your trip?

siniann said...

What a beautiful place! I have spent whole summer without going to the sea or lakes, what a shame. I promised to myself to go now on August. Well, we don't have many places where to swim, and the beach with all tourists and holidayers doesnt make me feel like going..

And for the posting, I love it more when it's random and never know what is the next one :) I'm sending extra energy for the works you have, and good luck for the Arts Market!

Heather Iqbal said...

Aura - I saw your blog when it appeared on Blogs of Note - I categorically think it's the best I've ever read. The way you value the important things in life, and your expression of them in your writing and photographs moves me, I've talked to a lot of people about your blog, and it's help lift my clouded negative perception during a difficult time. Thanks so much, missed your posts while you were away. On the subject of abandoned houses, this is a blog that I like too :) http://kingstonlounge.blogspot.com/

Sarah Katie said...

painting, sewing, oh, how i wish i could spend my day doing that.

Nelly said...

:)

Nadia @ La Vida Aloha said...

I just found your blog - and have spent the majority of the afternoon reading it - and falling in love! This photo/blog journal of yours is so thoughtfully put together and it's inspired me to start taking photos and journaling again. Thanks!

Nerdcakes said...

Yay! So glad to see you're back!!

Kelly @ turned UP to ELEVEN! said...

I wish we had a lake that clean to enjoy! Ours are rather gross around here.

That spider made me cringe, but that's a lovely picture!!

Good luck with all your stuff for the Arts Show I look forward to hearing all about it! :)

RSA Online said...

That looks like so much fun! I just moved way inland (used to live right on the beach in Sunny California) and I'm missing the water something fierce!

Kara said...

Aura,

I just found your blog & I am so happy I did! It's so cute & I love all of your pictures -- this looks like an especially fun trip! Have a lovely weekend! xo, Kara

Anonymous said...

Aura,

I have followed you since the livejournal days! It's so good to read your words again. I always said I would buy any book you wrote! :)

You seem to be doing beautifully for yourself! Thank you for all the wonderful posts and photos. They are majestic.

Anonymous said...

Aura , cada vez me gustan mas tus imágenes , no pares de ver con el corazón.
Feliz fin de semana !!!!

Jenn said...

so wierd! my husband and I explore old abandon houses/buildings everywhere we go! We recently found one in Vermont...but it was a little too creepy to go inside...:)

Unknown said...

Beautiful Pics, Beautiful woman there.

Clochette said...

Dear Aura, you are fantastictastic.
Every time I visit your blog, my heart goes boom.
Your words and pictures are healing to me.
What the world, needs now, is love, sweet love ...
You inspire me to be my best. You inspire me to take care of myself and my relationships.
I sometimes go to your blog first thing in the morning, still in bed with crusty eyes and my iphone when I need a little boost and a little bit of magic.
It is hard to explain. I think because you are so sincere and honest with your words and your struggles, you shoot straight into people's heart.
I am an expat moving to a brand new town, your blog makes me feel like everything is going to be allright if I give it my best.
Merci merci !

angie on maui said...

Hi Aura,

New visitor here! I found your blog via Blogs of Note and was immediately hooked; you just seem so peaceful and so...centered. :)

I read some of your older posts and also wanted to comment on the beautiful relationship you share with your Grandfather; this really touched me. Your post about the story of the ring he "bought" for you actually made me cry! In some of your photos, your grandfather, clad in his slacks and his button-down shirts made me smile, because it was my grandfather's outfit of choice, too! I miss my Gramps---he's flying with the angels now, but I know he is happy, so all is ok.

Anyway, just wanted to come out of lurkdom and say hello. I hope you are having a happy week. :)

- Angie

Taylor Sterling said...

what beautiful photos! So dreamy! I wish I was there! xo

Melissa Coffey said...

Aura,

i just recently happen upon your blog and what a find! i truly enjoy your writing and your photos are stunning. As a novice blogger and photographer, you are so inspiring to me! just wanted to introduce myself!

a very faithful follower,
Melissa

Maleeka said...

beautiful water!and yummy spider..i bet that would taste yummy over fire eh! lol

Avec Amour

bless4u said...

Nice weekend story
God bless you and your family