I'm coming up on my third week of living in isolation after being laid off due to the current crisis, and I think I would have lost my mind already if there hadn't been a specific carve-out in our governor's emergency declaration defining "exercise" as an essential reason for travel. While most of us have been utilizing this loophole to hike, bike, and generally pursue the outdoor sports that are so popular here, I've also taken it upon myself to include exploring as an essential form of recreation that I am free to pursue, while adhering to social distancing guidelines as a bonus.

To everyone's utter shock and surprise, I'm sure, the first new place is yet another beautiful and enormously old rural church, this one featuring one of the best pressed-tin ceilings I've seen anywhere:

1.)


2.)


3.)


4.)


5.)


6.)


7.)



I took some time early in the shutdown to climb one of the tallest mountains in the state, easily the most challenging hike I've done since graduating college but also by far the most spectacular and rewarding. This house sits on the road leading to the trailhead as a nice little post-trek bonus:

8.)


9.)



I'll finish up for now with another house in the middle of a small town. The entire time I was looking around the ground floor, the neighbor's dog obviously kept seeing me through the windows, but never once barked:

10.)


11.)


12.)


13.)


14.)



I've visited a few more houses during my drives, but those I shot on film, which I obviously won't be able to have processed for quite a while. Those drives also turned up a few larger, more involved locations which I plan to do while the shutdown keeps things so quiet, so look forward to those soon!

Quality shooting as always with you. You definitely have a nose for finding nice little rural churches.

Really awesome set. I've been digging these as you've been sharing on Flickr.

Good for you for exploring during all of this craziness. I'm all for exploring as a means of social distancing.

Sorry about the layoff man. That sucks. But, you're making the most of it!

Awesome work. There's something really interesting about UE photos taken during a time when the rest of the world looks much the same.

This is really beautiful work. Definitely time in isolation well spent. I'm particularly into the stairs!

Wow.. That church must have some really good bones to be in such a good condition.

This is so amazing!

Visiting some religious sites at this time I think should be a must if you can get in somehow. I'm really curious now to see someone post a picture of the big COVID affected churches from Europe or from other countrues.

That would be really neat to see

Nice shots man, sorry to hear you were laid off but glad you're getting out and seeing some fascinating spots.