Monday, November 10, 2008

Ephemeral Reflection




For about 25 years growing up I went by this 19th century house fairly often, always looking at it as we went by, wondering who had lived there, and why whoever it belonged to was letting it get so run down, the windows broken out and gaping open, no varnish or paint on it, just disintegrating little by little. But it wasn't until 1987 that I finally stopped one day and took this picture of it, reflected in the creek near Port Republic, New Jersey. The next time I went back there, it was gone, bulldozed to make way for who knows what. What a crime. This house was an historical gem if there ever was one. And again, like the place in Guadeloupe below, what I would have given to have been able to see the inside of it. Hidden treasure for sure... Moral of the story : life is short, don't wait to take that photograph you have always been tempted to take somewhere, get out there and do it... because it might not be there the next time you go back...

2 comments:

ladydi said...

What a stunning photo - the reflection is awe inspiring. Your "life is short, do it now" message is a timely reminder for all of us. Thanks for sharing.

Lady Mondegreen's Secret Garden said...

Yes indeed. I finally stopped on the road to photograph an old farm house close to home. It had been part of my landscape forever. A week after I photographed it, it burnt down!