Blog Archives
his wings as drifted snow
If you’ve been around here long, you probably know that sometimes song lyrics will present themselves to me when I am making a photo. And if you know that, you probably also know that generally these lyrics have very little to do with the subject of the photo.
But today’s song actually relates to the image in a way that people who aren’t me can get! Don’t believe me?
Ballinger, Texas
photographed 2.15.2020
Gloria Bautista
The map indicated a church out on this particular country road, and this is what I found.
The wooden letters over the front door are nearly gone; all I can make out is the top line – Gloria Bautista. The bottom line, though, is anyone’s guess.
Petty, Texas
photographed 2.14.2020
Methodist
Here I go again, shooting through dirty windows to see what’s inside an abandoned church…
House, New Mexico
photographed 5.25.2019
Church + Bell (with windows)
I’ve only been to Mobeetie a couple of times. The time before this was about thirty years ago when I went with my parents for some kind of an important church event (An anniversary of some sort? I can’t remember any more.) and this trip last month. Both visits were on cold days, with low clouds and mist and drizzle. I am having a hard time even imagining this town with sunshine and leaves on trees – it’s lodged in my mind as a gray place, and a summer trip there may not even make that image evaporate.
Mobeetie, Texas
photographed 12.27.2019
Boyhood Church
Most of the churches were built like this, with a sort of half-basement and a sanctuary up a set of stairs. According to the historical marker in front of the church, the Methodists “built the basement” in 1930 and began holding services there. In 1947, the sanctuary was added above it.
Today, according to that same marker, “the church continues to serve as an area spiritual center.” The United Methodist Church’s handy find-a-church tool indicates that the church has 36 members and a pastor named Claude Early. But then again, none of the buttons on the site to learn about worship, ministry, staff, or additional information return any information at all. This leads me to the conclusion that is either a currently-active church or it is not. But I’ll just go ahead and accept that is a spiritual center.
Mobeetie, Texas
photographed 12.27.2019
One Day | One Image 