My Heart-pounding Adventure

I’ve been loving photography lately. I’ve been loving adventure too. The two work so well together. Like last week when we went off the beaten path during a camping trip and discovered this old abandoned farm house that was so mysterious and so alluring – I just had to go in and take photos.

My husband and kids waited safely in the car while I ran with my little heart pounding towards the forsaken dwelling. I chuckled to myself at my silly misdemeanor as I crawled through the open window and my foot landed on a broken piece of glass and it cracked under my weight. Don’t get injured, I said to myself – the husband will never let you do this again!

The house was well lit from all the open windows – I was momentarily disgusted by all the bird poop that littered the floor – then disgust was quickly displaced by anxiety, seeing all the many hornets nests nestled on the walls. A quick look over and I regained my composure when I saw that they were currently uninhabited.

The wind was blowing through the house from all the broken windows and open doors, creating an eery feeling while the curtains blew outward, giving the illusion of life. The textures were deep, the colors muted, from the years of vacancy and neglect. I began to snap photos.

I moved carefully through the rooms, taking it all in. If these walls could talk…I wondered what type of people inhabited these walls and the stories they would tell. Despite the decades of decomposure, it was obvious that it was a beautiful home in it’s prime.

One of the more dangerous looking rooms was the bathroom, so I kept my distance while taking photos. Then I heard a startling rustle and my heart about leaped out of my throat – and I saw a large creature scurry across the floor and disappear in a dark hole. My hand flew to my heart in some instinctive attempt to calm the beats. I was relieved it was an animal, not a human that was fixing to shoot me for trespassing on their private property.

I rushed through the house, trying to be fast since my escape car was waiting for me with my family inside. I heard my name being called. I took one last shot and exited where I came in. This time avoiding the glass.

I broke in to a run and at the same time noticed the sound of  a herd of hooves coming my direction. I looked over my shoulder and sure enough, the farms only occupants, a couple dozen head of cattle began running towards me. My pace quickened across the field of grass, dodging cow patties as I went. I scaled the metal gate and flipped my body around to see how close they had come. They had stopped in a full afront and were now quietly staring me down as if to bid me a somber farewell and let me know that I would not be welcome again. And of course, I took a photo.

I think this stay-at-home mother of two needs to get out more.