Road pics

This is pretty much all that keeps Patillo, TX going. This store was opened in 1951 by a young couple. He died 7 years ago and she's now 86 and still running the store.
Fascinating lady. Store is way cool too. She doesn't have much inventory anymore, sells feed to the "5 acre" farmers that have moved to the country from the city to get away from it all. LOL
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/95969024/sRoad%20Pic%20004.jpg

[/QUOTE] Wullie....looking at that store reminds me of what America was supposed to be all about a quieter more honest and simpler time...rest of the pics are awesome. I love storm clouds ! Cool man !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MickR

On the way home from the farm the other day (Sunday). Took the long way home with a group of fellow motorcyclists. Took this quick snap on a short smoke stop. The photo can't do it justice. On another trip through this way in the early hours of the morning, looking into this cut away, all I could see was pitch black. When I came into it from the daylight, I found I had to take sudden evasive action as there was a cabin sized boulder on the road.


Attachment 106583


Mick

---

The more you show of Austaralia, the more intrigued I get...but you keep teasing with these little windows. You know how we Seppos are...more,moRE,MORE !!:p



https://dl.dropbox.com/u/95969024/sR...Sept%20008.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/95969024/sR...Sept%20011.jpg

Broken dreams I guess. Was a HUGE "L" shaped partly two story house at one time. Not much left but the walls.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/95969024/sR...Sept%20026.jpg

QUOTE] When I see parts left of old houses like that i.e. the fireplace or a stone wall,it makes me wish I could rebuild on to'em and bring back the warmth of that said homestead. Liking the neat old graveyard too ...respects to our resting settlers who forged our country through blood,sweat n tears !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

holy crap,sounds like my kind of country,sorta like amerika used to be
Hope to visit one day.

---

You said a mouthful there my friend....wish we could go back to that greatness.Kills me it does.

Well not the most recent, but the request was made to post more, more, more. So here's a few more 'Windows" into Australia...

The billabong where the Swaggie from the song Waltzing Matilda reputatedly drowned himself. It must have been a wetter season at that time, because all he would have done if he tried it now, would have been to wallow around face first in a muddy puddle, making all the rich Squatters and the bloody Troopers fall off their bloody horses larfin'.
Attachment 106611

This shop has seen some days. I don't know how old it is, but the local school has celebrated it's 130th year. This little country town once boasted having the rail line pass through. It passed by across the road from the shop. On the same side and right beside the rail line once was a Butcher shop no longer in existance. The bakery is still there though, but has gone through a rebuild and no longer has the original building. I used to live on a property outside of this town, and even when we moved away to a nearby city, I still rode my pushbike the 15 miles to come back and visit with friends here.
Attachment 106612

Then there is this scene from the Thompson river out near Longreach...

Attachment 106613


Table Top Mountain on the edge of the Great Dividing Range near Toowoomba, Queensland.

Attachment 106615

And yes, there is an actual Black Stump, and yes I have been 'Beyond the Black Stump'...More than once!

Attachment 106616


Mick

Some of my mates on the road in the early 90's...

Attachment 106617

Wife and I went on an afternoon jaunt out to Gordon, TX, thence to Mingus, Thurber, and Ranger, Tx. Those little towns are drying up and blowing away.
Downtown Gordon, TX Main Street at 3:00pm. Waiting on them to roll up the sidewalk.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8046.jpg

The old Masonic Lodge, built in 1880 or so. Masons moved out in 1960. Lower floor was used as movie house in the 50's and 60's. Bought for use as an Antique store and never got off the ground. Quietly falling in on itself. Sides are of tin.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8033.jpg

Old Gordon Volunteer Fire Dept WWII weapons carrier converted to a small fire truck and obviously derelict.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8041.jpg

http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8043.jpg

Headlight with "black out light".
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8044.jpg

No pics of Mingus, not much to see other than the Mule Lip Bar.

On to Ranger. At one time Ranger had nearly 30K population due to the oil boom of the teens and 20's. Might be a couple of thousand there today but I doubt it. The downtown is falling down. Empty houses all over town. Sad really.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8076.jpg

http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8077.jpg

Inside of the above building.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8079.jpg

http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8083.jpg

http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8082.jpg

Wife's car and the old bank which has been bought and is being converted into a residence upstairs and retail downstairs. No idea what they're going to retail but they'll have a new spot to do it from.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8089.jpg

Thurber's smoke stack. Built in 1908.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8049.jpg

http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8050.jpg

Thurber was the first city in the US to be totally electrified.

1930 population was around 10K. Today, 8.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wullie

Wife and I went on an afternoon jaunt out to Gordon, TX, thence to Mingus, Thurber, and Ranger, Tx. Those little towns are drying up and blowing away.
Downtown Gordon, TX Main Street at 3:00pm. Waiting on them to roll up the sidewalk.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8046.jpg

The old Masonic Lodge, built in 1880 or so. Masons moved out in 1960. Lower floor was used as movie house in the 50's and 60's. Bought for use as an Antique store and never got off the ground. Quietly falling in on itself. Sides are of tin.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8033.jpg

Old Gordon Volunteer Fire Dept WWII weapons carrier converted to a small fire truck and obviously derelict.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8041.jpg

http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8043.jpg

Headlight with "black out light".
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...5/100_8044.jpg

---

Looks like my town, in a decade or two, it's not even a stop anymore, the highway people go through, but, no reason to stop, except, the best, still running, roadside burger stand around! The Gridley Ice Burgie! Gotta stop and have a artery clogging burger once in a while!
I'll look, and post a pic

Here's my home town, a railroad town, they used to stop here for sheep and hay. Colorful past, dark future. Just a bedroom community or people working someplace else. But, it's home to me. thanks for the pictures Wullie, makes one think, so many futures started, so many dreams, to go the way of the dust and wind.

Attachment 106756

Looks like good places to go for the Zombie apocolypse....why stay in the big cities where all the zombies will be ?!Warm up the bacon wullie...I'll see ya soon. I'll even bring my own castiron :)