Abandos
In the absence of the makers, the works of humans are as revealing as portraits .
We build with hope: little businesses, homes. Especially homes , both grand & humble.
So much need, so much hope. Then time passes , children grow & leave, jobs evaporate, mines & farms play out, factories close, communities wither, cultures collapse . . . .
My neighborhood has been surrounded by the vast acreage of Fort Ord.
In 1994 the U. S. Army moved out of the Fort where it had trained horse cavalry, mechanized artillery, & conducted basic training through all the wars & peacetimes of 90 years. All the barracks, motor pools, offices, churches, movie theaters, a prison, and training structures were left neglected & decaying.
All this infrastructure became a canvas, movie set & playground for many, including me.
Among them were the students from the high school where I taught photography & video, which is adjacent to the old fort. I have adopted their name for it: "The Abandos".
Coda: Old Fort Ord