Blog Archives

Building Permit and the Madonna

That’s a building permit taped into the window next to the madonna. The permit’s from a least a decade ago – it’s almost too faded to read but I was able to make out a few things: new roof, new ceiling, new floor, new plumbing were all listed. I am reasonably sure that none of those things have been done. I am less sure that there even still is a roof, actually.

Idalou, Texas
photographed 5.16.2021

Picture Show

I don’t know. Sometimes when I travel around my part of Texas it starts to get easy to believe that it’s all going to crap. These little towns, with their declining population and shaky economies, just look sadder every time I see them. Businesses go way leaving their now-useless husks behind. Yet out on the edge of town, dollar stores are sprouting up like weeds.

But on the other hand, if they were all precious little towns with wineries and boutiques and quaint overnight accommodations, I wouldn’t really have anything to photograph.

All of that is a sort of long way to get around to this photo of what used to be the Sky-Vue Drive-in Theater. It opened in 1948 with a capacity for 583 cars and seating for 320 walk-in patrons and remained in business until a fire destroyed the concession stand in November 2015.

Lamesa, Texas
photographed 5.2.2021

A bold claim

Apparently there is something industrial about three blocks down to the right. At least that’s the bold contention made by the sign; I didn’t see anything that led me to believe what I’d read.

Lamesa, Texas
photographed 5.2.2021

2024

I try to keep politics out of my blog posts, but here this is, anyway.

Lynn County, Texas
photographed 5.2.2021

Big Screen

I thought about making myself believe that the screen was turning into a cloud and floating away.

Or, alternatively, that the cloud was solidifying itself and becoming the screen.

Either way was equally likely.

Lamesa, Texas
photographed 5.2.2021