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 faustian pact
   
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Gender: Male
What time is it?
 |  | Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
< on 10/30/2013 7:32 PM >
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Last weekend saw me driving about, running errands for the wife and kid and while I hadn't intended on an impromptu exploration, one of them found me as I'm sure has happened to all of us at some point.
So I'm driving down a country road outside *redacted*, WI and as my gaze wandered about the empty road I happened upon what looked like an abandoned nursery off a short, paved road...the glass in the "shop" portion had all been smashed out and the decaying hulks of multiple greenhouses stood just past the tree line, beckoning me closer.
So I obliged them and pulled off the road, turned down the driveway, and parked the truck in front of the "shop."
Grabbing my camera I began circling the exterior, peeking inside where the glass was gone and finding, well...the usual decay of a place forgotten but not yet gone. As I went around back I saw the greenhouses, several within view and the existence of more in the woods being hinted at by flashes of peeling blue paint.
Being fall in the Midwest the trees had shed their leaves and the dried flora underfoot made for some rather loud exploration, much to my chagrin...because it happened to alert a gent who apparently still lived on the property.
"Who's out there!" he yelled from some unseen vantage point, "Where are you?!"
I debated turning and booking it for my car but figured (foolishly) nothing ventured, nothing gained, and called back to him; "I'm over here, just taking some photos. From the road this place looked abandoned, sorry for having bothered you."
He yelled back "Come out to the driveway so I can see you," and, having already admitted my presence, I did just that.
As I came around the corner, squeezing past the beaten hulk of an RV planted in the middle of the path, I saw him...a man in his late 90s brandishing a shotgun that probably weighed more than him and wearing one of the one-piece thermal underwear deals you always imagine old men wearing in cold climates.
"Hello! As I mentioned from the woods, I apologize if I disturbed you, just wandering about and taking some photos is all."
He coughed several times, his shotgun never wavering from my general direction, and asked if I was going to rob him. I laughed at the idea and showed him my bulky DSLR in one hand, the other hand empty. "No sir, as I said I thought this place was abandoned and was only taking photos."
"Work for a real estate company, do you?" he asked; obviously I don't and said as much.
Anyways, this conversation went on for some time, his concern slowly ebbing away into delight as I regaled him with stories of other recent explorations, photos of my wife and kid, etc.
In return he told me a bit about himself and this property...apparently his wife passed away about a decade ago and right around that time his business ended up folding. At first he continued working, trying to keep the place looking respectable and doing side jobs for spending money but eventually age and lack of vibrancy led him to admit defeat and retreat into his home.
Right now? He lives out of 2 rooms in a massive, rambling structure deep in the woods at the corner of his acreage, piling logs on the fire when the cold weather intrudes. He's been robbed and vandalized numerous times and was concerned for his safety, thus the gun.
20 minutes passed and we ended up parting ways with a smile and handshake, as well as his offer to return anytime to take photos or just chat for a few minutes.
"Just call out to me that you're here, and I'll leave you be," he says as he walks away, closing the front door with a quick glance and nod back at me.
Here's a few of the photos I took there and elsewhere that day (I apologize for the jaggies from rescaling) but for the sake of the gent and his livelihood, I won't be sharing location info. All in all though? This is one of the reasons I do this kind of thing...one can sit in a library or county official's office all day poring over documents and seeking history but a chance encounter with a elderly man provided a far more personal glimpse than musty papers and dusty shelves ever could.
[last edit 10/30/2013 7:33 PM by faustian pact - edited 1 times]
"Fight the control image. Fight the control machine"
www.flickr.com/docbenway84 |
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Steed
     
Location: Edmonton/Seoul
Gender: Male
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Race Traitor
| |  | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 1 on 10/30/2013 7:56 PM >
| | | | Interesting story. Sounds like you handled the situation very well.
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relik
Location: 44.26126°,-88.41502° (Appleton, WI)
Gender: Male
There is no truth, Only a perspective.
| | | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 2 on 10/30/2013 8:14 PM >
| | | | Great story! I've never had a gun pointed at me, but i await the day.
"When it rains, just find bigger drains." |
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handy
Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Gender: Male
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 3 on 10/30/2013 9:36 PM >
| | | | Beautiful photos and priceless story. It's stories like this that continue to fuel desire to explore. How was it inside?
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cdevon
Location: west county
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 4 on 10/31/2013 12:41 AM >
| | | | It's never fun to look down the business end of a shotgun (or any gun for that matter). Indeed, you handled that event well..
Nice pics! The cross is my favorite.
When I say I'm 'clean and sober', it means I've showered and I'm headed to the liquor store. |
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faustian pact
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Gender: Male
What time is it?
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 5 on 10/31/2013 1:36 AM >
| | | | Thanks for the kind words and it was a rather unique experience...but I figure that I'm a harmless enough and rather jovial guy, and the old charm and beaming smile can work one out of more quagmires than might be expected, haha.
And the cemetery is a small one immediately across from the corrections facility in Franklin, WI. It's surrounded by apple orchards and open to the public, if anyone was interested in going. There are perhaps 7 graves with exquisitely carved but heavily weathered in-ground tombstones.
It's an interesting site, bordered by a literal white picket fence. I recommend a visit, it can be rather scenic.
"Fight the control image. Fight the control machine"
www.flickr.com/docbenway84 |
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MonoxideChild
Location: Rockford, IL
Gender: Male
~creeper~
| |  | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 6 on 10/31/2013 1:37 AM >
| | | | Great pictures, and truly enjoyed the story that went along with them.
~Quote By Thomas Edison~
I have far more respect for the person with a single idea who gets there than for the person with a thousand ideas who does nothing.... |
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DawnPatrol
Gender: Female
| | | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 7 on 11/2/2013 1:01 AM >
| | | | #2 is awesome! Interesting story too, not sure I'd be able to stay as calm in such a situation haha. Would be interesting to see more photos of the place. I took some photos of a nursery during the summer one year and it looked really cool with all the overgrown weeds. You might want to try visiting that place during different seasons. Seems like the old man in your story would probably enjoy seeing you again. Can't imagine he gets many visitors around there.
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Cosmic
Location: Minneapolis / St. Paul
Gender: Male
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 8 on 11/2/2013 7:26 AM >
| | | | That looks like a very cool place. Very nice pictures. And great story!
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faustian pact
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Gender: Male
What time is it?
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 9 on 11/4/2013 9:25 PM >
| | | | Thanks for enjoying the story and photos, all. I'll try and find some more verbal adventures to regale you all with if I can. I'm hoping to visit the Old Main building at the VA in Milwaukee off National. Not to get inside...I don't have the balls to try and penetrate that building, but to do some external photos and maybe chat up a few local and elderly residents for interesting stories.
You never know where you'll find it and besides, I've always been more of an academically inclined explorer; I like the structures and love the stories, real or imagined.
Hell, I'll take corny slogans scrawled on peeling wallpaper in abandoned homes if I have to, haha.
"Fight the control image. Fight the control machine"
www.flickr.com/docbenway84 |
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Watchfire
Location: Indianapolis
Gender: Male
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 10 on 11/4/2013 11:36 PM >
| | | | Very nice photos and great story, you have a touch of the poetic about you. Do you write much? If not you should consider picking up the hobby you have a good deal of natural talent.
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faustian pact
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Gender: Male
What time is it?
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 11 on 11/5/2013 2:09 AM >
| | | | I do indeed write, but nothing professional...more rambling posts and status updates than short stories and novels, haha.
"Fight the control image. Fight the control machine"
www.flickr.com/docbenway84 |
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Watchfire
Location: Indianapolis
Gender: Male
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 12 on 11/5/2013 2:48 AM >
| | | | Posted by faustian pact
I do indeed write, but nothing professional...more rambling posts and status updates than short stories and novels, haha.
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Try a short story some time. I don't have the courage personally. Reading these posts has made me think that it would be cool to write a short story about an exploration gone bad.
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HotSoup
Location: Minneapolis
Gender: Male
Something profound.
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 13 on 11/5/2013 3:58 PM >
| | | | Great story, looks like a great find. I might be a little cautious in taking him up on his offer though :p
Thanks for sharing!
This'd be a cool place to drink. |
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faustian pact
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Gender: Male
What time is it?
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 14 on 11/6/2013 4:00 PM >
| | | | Posted by Watchfire
Try a short story some time. I don't have the courage personally. Reading these posts has made me think that it would be cool to write a short story about an exploration gone bad.
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Maybe I will give it a try one of these days...perhaps UE in fiction is an untouched market, the next big thing to replace Urban Fantasy as top dog?
I've only read a single book with UE as the basis, back in my Navy days. What was the damned name of the book though? I can't recall.
Ah yes, here it is: http://www.amazon....rell/dp/1593153570
"Fight the control image. Fight the control machine"
www.flickr.com/docbenway84 |
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faustian pact
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Gender: Male
What time is it?
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 15 on 11/6/2013 4:01 PM >
| | | | Posted by HotSoup
Great story, looks like a great find. I might be a little cautious in taking him up on his offer though :p
Thanks for sharing!
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Haha yeah, I'm thinking the same thing. As innocent as someone seems, I don't want to end up like Marcellus Wallace sans a Bruce Willis savior a la Pulp Fiction.
More like Pulp Friction, amirite? Sorry, horrible pun.
"Fight the control image. Fight the control machine"
www.flickr.com/docbenway84 |
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faustian pact
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Gender: Male
What time is it?
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 17 on 11/6/2013 8:58 PM >
| | | | Posted by shotgun mario
Pretty neat place. Can I ask how far out of milwaukee this is? When I was a wee explorer, Milwaukee was my stomping ground. Never found this place.
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The nursery or the small graveyard?
The nursery is maybe...know Southridge Mall? Perhaps a half an hour from there. The graveyard is approximately 10 minutes from that mall.
"Fight the control image. Fight the control machine"
www.flickr.com/docbenway84 |
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kenfagerdotcom
Location: Madison, WI
Gender: Male
American Urbex... yeah. That was me.
| | | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 18 on 11/6/2013 10:13 PM >
| | | | I thoroughly enjoyed your story. It sounds like life has been hard for that man since his wife passed away. He'll probably pass unnoticed due to old age or the elements. At least he warmed up to you.
Flickr: http://www.flickr....os/kenfagerdotcom/ |
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splumer
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Gender: Male
| | Re: Turning a frown upside down...or having a gun no longer pointed in your general direction.
<Reply # 19 on 11/21/2013 2:50 PM >
| | | | Great story! Does the old man have kids or any other family? I was just thinking, with the holidays coming up, maybe you could have him over for dinner, or take dinner to him if he didn't have any family.
“We are not going to have the kind of cooperation we need if everyone insists on their own narrow version of reality. … the great divide in the world today … is between people who have the courage to listen and those who are convinced that they already know it all.”
-Madeline Albright |
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