After reading this post be sure to follow the blog circle around the world by reading Anna Franken’s latest post as she explores her “Home Sweet Home” Utrecht, The Netherlands. Anna is an incredibly talented photographer who writes in both English and Dutch! Our friendship was cemented over a mutual love for sealing wax. calligraphy, and of course European coffee!
Welcome to the middle of nowhere… here the flat land stretches as far as your eye can see, and the skies are vast and endless. You can see the desert creeping in via the various cacti that dot the landscape every twelve feet. The dirt is red tinged, tumbleweeds are definitely abound, and Texas pride is visually apparent around every corner. Welcome ya’ll, to Abilene Texas….
I grew up in big city Dallas, but went to college in Lubbock {Wreck ‘Em Tech!} which is about three hours west from Abilene. So while this land may be familiar, I haven’t been back in over six years, and Abilene is quite different from my university town. I managed to get out and explore a little recently as the ice finally melted and the sun made a surprisingly brief appearance in the afternoon. I haven’t had much time for new home “adventuring” due to my latest bespoke invitation suite deadline… but I was thrilled to finally get out of the house! We’ve had so much ice lately the cabin fever was killing me!
There is a strange beauty in this land… it has a quiet stillness like a deserted ghost town. I was puzzled to find all of the land fenced in… no more vast open fields of Germany. This strikes me as very odd, because what is anyone going to do? Steal the land?? “Private Property” signs be damned… I will find an available scenic location yet!
We are on the cusp of spring here, but even still the color pallet is made up of muted dusty tones as if the real hues themselves had been sandblasted. The only thing outrageously vibrant is the sky. Ohhhhhhhh how I have missed Texas skies. I look forward to hopefully capturing some epic landscapes in the coming months to share with you here.
The people are ever so nice here though! I was stopped no less than three times by women as I walked along the roadside, all of them asking ask if I was having car trouble. They all chuckled as they saw my camera and realized I was out taking photographs, but I thanked them profusely anyway, because what if I had been in real trouble?
As a treat, I was buzzed by a B1 bomber flying around the city… I’m not a plane girl, but these beasts are truly beautiful as they soar arcs across the sky. The noise is practically deafening!
There are these creepy awesome abandoned parts to the town with buildings pictured like the one below. I just feel like there are so many untold stories in this image. Who did this house belong to? What happened here? Was there a family? If only the walls could talk….
Abilene’s climate is super dry… always in need of rain. D and I consume crazy amounts of water everyday. On the upside, it is wonderful for us girls who have naturally curly frizzy hair, as you’ll never see the frizz EVER. You can straighten your hair and it will stay straight, even as you go out in bad weather!
I am also wonderstruck by the amount of mistletoe you see everywhere during the cold months. D thought they were birds nests and I had to explain. It makes me want to grab a shot gun and shoot it off, Texas style!
As the sun goes down I can see the windmills in the distance turning in time with the wind. I used to drive past many of these modern energy efficient power houses on my way to university many years ago. Now, however, they also remind me of driving along the rolling hill crests of Germany.
Until next months exploration, I wish you all a fantastic March!
Don’t forget to follow the blog circle around and visit Anna’s blog, to hear stories from her home in the Netherlands! It is surely worth the read and super fun as she writes in Dutch and in English!
Did you know that you can have posts from Kirsten Ashley Photography’s Blog sent directly to your email? Be sure to sign up here! Emails not your thing? Then check out Kirsten Ashley Photography’s Blog on Bloglovin! Here you can follow along just like on the old Google Reader and never miss a post!
