My traveling partner and I had a discussion about the appropriateness of opening a closed (but not locked) gate to gain access to this abandoned church and similarly disregarded graveyard.

Argument One: It’s a gate. It’s shut. With a chain hooked on it keeping it shut. We should stay out.

Argument Two: The gate also has a sign that says “Please close gate” which implies that someone has granted us permission to, you know, open it.

Anyway, here’s an old church.

near Sapello, New Mexico
photographed 11.9.2025