The Haunted House

A few years ago my sister had an orthodontics practice in Salinas, California. My sister, being the sweet woman that she is, offered to straighten the teeth of my stepchildren. All I had to do was drive them the 259 miles each way for the office visits.

Ultimately, only one of my stepchildren, the oldest boy, took her up on the offer, and so he and I would drive up to Salinas every six weeks or so. I really enjoyed those drives. It gave my stepson and me some time together, and the drive between Ventura and Salinas is quite beautiful when compared to the drive between Ventura, and say, Los Angels.

When you drive between two destinations over and over again, you get to know the scenery very well. Landmarks become etched in your brain, and fast food restaurants call to you through your stomach as you approach them. But a couple of spots along our drive tugged at our curiosity so much, that after passing them more than a few times we decided to bring the camera with us on one trip, and take a few photographs. And so, here they are...

This old farmhouse is somewhere south of Salinas. I can't remember exactly where, but it isn't far from the freeway. To me, it's absolutely beautiful. This is the side of the house. There is a porch on the side that looks as if it were once enclosed. There are also two shacks in the back. One is made of brick, and the other is made of wood. There wasn't much left in either to reveal their original use. The front door. It looked so violated; ripped from its hinges, and even fouled by cow dung, yet it lay beautifully in the soft, green grass. I just had to have a picture of it. The interior was difficult to photograph because once we moved into a room beyond the reach of what sun light came through the front door, the house was pitch black. All the windows had been boarded up, and we actually used the pictures I took to navigate through some sections of the house! This is what I would call the living room. There were artifacts strewn about the house, but it was hard to discern what might have been original to the house, and what was brought to the site by adventurous young people looking for a place to, um, party. Or what have you. The kitchen. Not going to win any prizes from Good Housekeeping magazine. Right off the kitchen was this room. I think it's pretty evident which room it was. This shot is from the head of the stairs looking towards the front door. It's kind of dark, but if you click on it you will find a larger copy that might afford you a better look. Looking into one of the upstairs rooms from the hallway. Notice the transom above the door. The doorway was very narrow, and the rooms quite small. This is one of my favorite shots. I think I got it just right for color and composition. The only think I screwed up on is that you can see my stepson's jacket on the left side of the picture. I can crop it out, sure, but I think to do so would ruin the balance. Looking out of one of the top floor windows. Breathtaking view. And finally, proof that the house was indeed haunted. An actual picture of a ghost! OK, it's not a ghost, it's my stepson. This large house, at least I think it was a house, is further south, and is in fact just south of Pismo. It has a large gate with a sign attached that states in no uncertain terms that you really shouldn't trespass if you wish to remain in good health. I have been known to ignore such warnings, but there was a smaller house just to the left of this one, and it was inhabited, and those inhabitants were out working in their yard. I thought it might be a bit foolhardy to attempt a break in. Even for an experienced fool such as myself. So we had to settle for a few shots of the exterior. Zooming in with my modest little Olympia.

It was fun exploring the first house I showed you. We actually made two trips because on the first trip I had the settings all wrong on my camera, and they came out way to bright. The second trip garnered some great shots, and besides it gave me an opportunity to check out a decaying old farmhouse. I LOVE exploring old buildings!

Oh, and my stepson has straight teeth now. Thanks sis.

Posted by Jeff at February 16, 2006 10:44 AM