Dogs, Art and Decay

The road to the house.

I had planned on taking a trip out to my Family Farm this weekend and visiting the house my Grandmother and Father grew up in one last time. The house is scheduled, any day now, to be torn down since the flooding we had in the area, the past couple of months) covered the house's first story with water.  The water damage inside and outside the house is reported to me by my father as not repairable, leaving the house as a loss. "Just tear it down", my tear laden father told the man at the bank after walking the buckled hardwood floors where he had spent his childhood years. My Grandmother and her Brother (Rufus Branch Junior) were both born inside the house with the assistance of a mid-wife. Rufus Branch Senior (Great Grand Father) had discovered the farm after he crashed a plane there  in 1914 flying a routine flight from Millington Army Base in Tennessee. For what ever reason, after his plane crash he came back to the farm and bought the several thousand acres of  Black Cat Farms.  The farm is still going strong and still in the family today. I am still undecided about whether to go out there or not and shoot a few photographs. I was going to go yesterday but I could not find anybody that wanted to go. Also, how sentimental am I about the house? Not a whole lot. I have pictures of the house back in hay day of the 40's and 50's when the house was really in full swing. Why do I want to go rummage through a dank, nasty house for old memories? Some of my co-workers have tried to encourage me to go because they missed out of something similar.  What am I missing?? Dad reported to me the place has been looted many times over, that the 700 pound Mosler Safe (nothing in it) was also missing. I cannot even imagine how they accomplished moving that thing. Why again do you want to go for a last viewing before they bury her like some funeral? Its just a dam house.

The house is by the wing strut.

So instead I created another skate board and then went for a walk. On my walk I stopped and took a photo of a yard, down my street, that must have 10 German Sheppard's in the back yard and another 10 kenneled up  in or around the house. Some days when you walk by the smell of dog shit is stifling (sti-ful-ing), not to mention the constant  barking.. barking... barking. In this particular moment as I was walking by all ten dogs lined up in front of the fence barking and all taking a piss at the same time. I did not have my camera ready in time, what a shame. Why had all these dogs decided to re-leave them selves for the audience of just me, I was not sure if I should be flattered or insulted. After they had time to shake off the final bits I got my camera phone ready and snapped a single photo. I put my phone/camera away since the lady of the house came out to fill up a water bowl, plus there was another dude out on the side of the house- I have never met these people before. I was hoping to get a photo that I could later post on FB with the caption "Average security system in Memphis." Maybe its not even that funny, comedy is full of failures but I was only there for some selfish giggles and craptacular snap shots. I abandoned my photo shoot and get maybe two blocks further down the street when this Grey Chevrolet truck pulls up and rolls down their window. Its the dog lady and I am guessing her husband driving the truck. "Why are you taking pictures of my house?", she asks in a snarky tone.  "I wasn't, just one, it was a joke that is not going to work," I replied. She then explained to me that she ran a dog rescue, has an illegal amount of dogs and is fending off complaints from neighbors regularly. That she did not trust anybody and would appreciate it if I did not take pictures of her house. Wow, I had not meant anything by taking a picture and I had no intention of saying anything else about it but now she has pissed me off.  Come to think of it the house is a nuisance to the neighborhood. Go run your cash cow of a business in a place that is suited to house 20 dogs, not a 1000 square foot house that is on less than a acre in the middle of Berclair Nieghborhood. She said, "We run a dog rescue....",  and you don't have another job, neither does your husband. So for every dog you get there is money in your pocket and for every dog you sell, more money in your pocket. I was willing to look the other way, just another anomaly of a house in Memphis. But no, she had to chase me down and read me the riot act about taking pictures of her house. Does she not understand I have the right to do what ever the hell I want. I guess that is what she is afraid of, or maybe I should stop dressing up like a under cover cop and acting suspicious. What ever lady!!

Chickens in Front Yard

Dog Rescue

My latest creation, shape and art.

And here is a skateboard that I designed and did a little rip off Sheppard Fairy art work on (yes, I just painted over stickers.) Looks real nice dont it. Well, all I can say is this Memphis summer time heat makes us all a little crazy in the city. Will I make it to the house called Black Cat,  will you get to see pictures of a dead architectural structure  that once was the center of the universe?? I cant answer all these questions right now, to me it is insignificant to take pictures of something whose beauty is lost in decay. People will say that there is something artistic to come away with pictures of this old beast. To be honest, I have never liked pictures of despair and decayed ruins  that have bordered oak frames hanging in some sweet art gallery.  Maybe I am wrong after all, maybe I just need a helping hand or maybe, just maybe I have better things to do. Later.