Driving to Cobourg on Saturday I began noticing a number of abandoned homes. With the leaves off the trees it was much easier to see further in from the road. I couldn't see the house that was with this falling down barn.
The house in the photo below has been empty for a long time. It sits quite close to the road and I've noticed over the years the trees and vines growing up and over it.
What happens that makes someone walk away from their home?
This old gas station has been empty as long as I can remember.
This farm was one I never noticed before. Cute little house. I like all the windows.
Saturday we popped back to Cobourg to visit a Record Store that we missed going to on Friday. Very windy that day.
We parked at Victoria Park which is right on Lake Ontario. It was REALLY windy down at the beach. Of course I forgot my hat but once I got down there I didn't even notice. It was so beautiful!
This gentleman was trying to wind surf with not much success. He surfed only a few feet at a time and then fell over.
He did manage to get a little farther here but scared all the geese that were floating on the other side of the pier. It was a sight when they all took off. It seemed like there were thousands of them.
Sunday started off dreary but was mild so Chuck and I did our 10k walk down to Brighton Bay. Many geese and a few swans were enjoying the open water. By the time we got home we had shed our hats and mitts and it was sunny.
Love the old farm machinery!
Butler (Proctor depending on the day!) Creek was quite frozen except in the middle due to our recent cold snap. All sorts of different tracks along the edge.
I assume these are dog paws!
I have been enjoying the continuing presence of the Mourning Doves. A pair seems to be around quite a bit. Hopefully they are nesting nearby.
While we were in Cobourg we stopped in at one of our favourite stores called "Nessie's Pantry". It is all British, Scottish and Irish products. I love these "HobNobs"! They are delicious! I am glad the store isn't too close by as I would be constantly tempted by these biscuits.
Quiet time here this week as Chuck is working all his hours for three weeks in this one week. He was off last week and then will be off next week. At the beginning of April he will be heading back for another 5 month contract but full time this time around.
Take care and enjoy the rest of the week!
Robin
Hi Robin, I always wonder about buildings that sit abandoned for years, too. That first house is huge. I love seeing the old barn and the farm equipment, too. What an exceptional photo of the mourning doves. The Hobnobs would be tempting to me as I love chocolate! Glad you two could get out and about for a walk. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteHi Mildred, I always want to have a good look around inside these houses. Growing up I always loved to pone around my grandparents barns. You never knew what you were going to find!
DeleteWe had a wonderful day and hope to go back in a few weeks when the weather is warmer.
Take care.
Hello, wonderful collection of photos. I love all the barns. The shots of the wind surfer and geese are amazing. It looks so cold. Cute Doves. The Hobnobs sound yummy. Happy Wednesday, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteHi Eileen, it was pretty cold that day, I couldn't imagine willingly going into the water but the surfer seemed to be having a good time.
DeleteEnjoy your day too!
I wonder about abandoned houses too, what an interesting post. This is such a nice area of Ontario. Glad I stopped by.😂
ReplyDeleteHi Geraldine, thanks for stopping by! We do love living here, it is very rural so peaceful and quiet.
DeleteHave a great day!
Oooh, you know I want to trespass the heck all over those abandoned properties and explore the old barns and homes! :-D
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Robin, and the shots down by the water, with the geese and windsurfer, are terrific.
Mmm, chocolate covered biscuits. If only I were eating grain....LOL. I'd eat almost anything covered in chocolate. Not insects, no, I wouldn't eat chocolate covered ants or grasshoppers or some such. :-P
Hi Kim, I would be right beside you poking around! Maybe a Spring trip down here is in your plans? 😜
DeleteI could have stood down by the water for awhile longer but as I wasn't properly dressed it will have to wait until it is a bit warmer.
You know me and chocolate too! Although I am with you that I wouldn't eat chocolate covered bugs!
Have a good day!
those doves are so beautiful and sweet. I think those are raccoon paws, not dogs for sure. beautiful view of the water... abandoned buildings make me sad... maybe they were foreclosed on.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra, I do love watching the doves, very sweet and peaceful.
DeleteThanks for letting me know what the paw prints are. There were so many different ones that day.
It is sad to think these beautiful old homes are slowly rotting away.
Take care.
All abandoned buildings are so sad. I wonder if the homes/farms are empty, because the heirs can not agree on the terms of sale? Who will get what, and how much?
ReplyDeleteEmpty business are probably the result of the owner, just walking away, for some reason.
Regardless, they are all sad. Sad to look at, because they are slowly going to ruin. Also sad, because they remind us, of the impermanence of life. All of life, eventually ........
And this last, is probably, what bothers us the most.
Back to something happy!!!!! Walking along Lake Ontario! Ohhhhh how marvelous. Look as those waves! Look at that power and majesty. Lucky you!!!
Gentle Spring hugs,
Luna Crone
Hi Luna, I imagine some are empty because of the reasons you suggest. Nothing is permanent!
DeleteIt was so wonderful walking along the shores of Lake Ontario. I wish I had worn boots so I could have gotten closer to the water. As it was my shoes were a mess by the time we were done!
Take care.
These are such wonderful photos. I could almost feel that wind at Victoria Park. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHi Robin, thanks for your kind words. We had such a wonderful day! Once I got down on the beach I didn't even feel the wind, it was just so exhilarating to be down there.
DeleteHave a good day!
these are great photos Robin; I enjoyed them and this post; thanx for sharing. too bad
ReplyDeletesomeone can't buy those houses/barns at a reasonable rate and restore them some how; though it
may be too expensive to do so ~~~ the barns would make nice little "shops" ! ☺☺♥♥
Thanks so much!
DeleteThe way house prices are shooting up in this area is crazy! A few years ago you probably could get these houses for very cheap. The empty gas station is right on a main road but is in such poor condition. It is sad to see them sitting there.
Enjoy your day!
Beautiful photos, thank you so much for sharing! I always wonder about abandoned homes...who lived there, what made them abandon it. I really enjoyed this tour!
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, glad you enjoyed the photos! I wonder too what happened in the owners life that made them just leave their homes. And I want to have a snoop around!
DeleteEnjoy the rest of the week.
Hello Robin, how lovely to have a nice cup of tea and a hobnob! Lovely photos, Always wonder about old and derelict buildings, if walls could talk, they must have so many old stories to tell xx
ReplyDeleteHi Cheryl, Hobnob's are perfect with a cup of tea! I do so enjoy them.
DeleteBack last Fall a friend and I snooped around an old abandoned hospital. It was very interesting!
Enjoy the days,
To me there's very few things sadder than an unloved home. I so hope someone will save them one day.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Hobnobs, but they look yummy :)
rue
Hi Rue, it is very sad when these beautiful old homes are left to just rot away. I imagine someday someone will buy them for the land they sit on and tear the houses down.
DeleteHobnobs are delicious!
Take care.
Sad to see homes and barn falling down. I've noticed a few times that there is a new barn not far from the old falling down barn. Maybe it's easier to rebuild than repair, but that seems crazy to me.
ReplyDeleteDon't look like dog prints to me but raccoon prints because they look like little hands.
Hi Karen, it s so sad to see these beautiful older homes left empty. When my Dad was no longer able to do yardwork they hired a man to take care of all the outside work. He lived in the town where my Dad was born and raised. Eventually we learned he had bought the farm where my Dad and the rest of his family had lived for a time. It had an old house on it which had fallen into a state of disrepair so it had been torn down. The hired man and his family had wanted a new house. My Dad was rather sad to hear what had happened to the house but was glad that someone was farming the land again.
DeleteAnother commentor thought they were raccoon prints too.
Have a nice evening Karen!
Ooh, I've never heard of HobNobs -- probably a good thing -- except you've ruined all that. Bad influence! I love your photos. The windsurfer looks like he's taking off with the geese.
ReplyDeleteHi Mitchell, I don't think in my life I've ever been called a bad influence! It's taken me to age 53!
DeleteI wouldn't be surprised if the wind surfer wasn't covered in geese poop. I took a few photos and then we ran up the beach.
Take care Mitchell.
I think we would all like to have a good poke around in that big white house. It looked to be in fair condition so we wouldn't fall through the floor or anything. I wonder if any furniture was left or anything at all interesting!!
ReplyDeleteI hope your Mourning Doves nest near to your house so you can hear them all summer.
Hi Granny Marigold, if Kim comes down for a visit this Spring she is always up for an adventure, maybe we will peek in through the windows!
DeleteI do love to listen to the mourning doves. I hear them early in the mourning cooing away up on the roof.
Have a good day!
The wind surfer looked as though he was trying to join the flock! lol. Love it!
ReplyDeleteThe mourning doves are so pretty. They look gentle and docile, like sweet little homebodies.
Hi Marcie, it must have been beautiful surfing amongst all the geese flying over. It was quite a sight for us.
DeleteEnjoy the day!
Nessie's is the reason we started going to Cobourg. Love your photos from by the water
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, isn't Nessie's a great store??? There is so much to see and do in Cobourg. We find we head there now instead of going into Belleville.
DeleteEnjoy our sunny day!
What a lovely blog you have; definitely my kind of place. I am looking forward to going back to older posts. Happy Spring!
ReplyDeleteHi Chip Butter, thanks for dropping by! I am glad you enjoy my blog. It is just my life, nothing special!
DeleteEnjoy the day!
Another nice post...I have a lot of those feelings about old abandoned houses. You know someone, at some point in time was so excited to have that house.
ReplyDeleteHi Rose, you summed it up beautifully! Someone was so happy to move into these homes and now they sit sad and neglected.
DeleteHave a wonderful day.
Hi, Robin! I love the picture of the geese going everywhere! :) They were getting out of there! I enjoyed looking at all the beautiful rugs in your previous post as well. The empty houses are sad to me, but it strikes a nerve with me, knowing how I had to talk away from the home where I raised my children. I hate to lay blame, but truth is truth -- my ex let it fall into horrible disrepair. It now stands with the entire back torn off, and it is heartbreaking to look into that shell and wonder why someone feels no need to keep up their family/family home. Like you, I wonder: what makes people abandon a place, not love a place, etc. Thank goodness my old home is being renovated by the new owners. I hope you have a wonderful day! xo Lynn
ReplyDeleteHi Lynn, It must be heartbreaking to see your beautiful home fall into such a state of disrepair. After my Mum sold our family home (She and my Dad had lived there for fifty years) a young couple bought it with the intention to fix it up and quickly sell it again. Well, almost right away they set fire to the bathroom. That was horrible to see! But after a year it was fixed up and looked beautiful.
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the rugs in the previous post, they were lovely to see.
Have a good day too Lynn!
Hey Robin. Empty, abandoned houses have always looked sad to me. Makes you wonder about the families that owned these houses. Your pictures are always interesting.
ReplyDeleteHi Henny, to think at one time someone was so excited to move into these houses and took such loving care of them, it is sad.
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the photos!
Have a good weekend!
"10k walk" seriously"! My knee is out, hubby put out his back. We're a mess!
ReplyDeleteIt is sad seeing houses like that.
I mean, good for you for going that far! I used to jog 7 km... a billion years ago.
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn, Chuck and I have walked daily for 20+ years. It is something we really enjoy. Chuck's right knee is not very good but he takes "Osteo Bi-Flex" and that seems to help quite a bit.
DeleteHope you guys feel better soon!
It is very sad seeing those old houses and barns and sometimes it just can't be helped to abandon things and probably mainly about money to keep them up.It is fun to imagine what they were like in their day.
ReplyDeleteHi Marg, I imagine some of theses farms were abandoned because of money, so sad. I would live to gave a wander around and see what they look like!
DeleteHave a good weekend.