on my way to fredericksburg this weekend, i stopped in johnson city to check out some abandoned-looking grain silos with some odd murals painted on the main building. this place was majorly creepy, but in an interesting way. as i wandered around and inside the silos and into the main building, i found rotting floors, a super spooky fireplace , a spiral staircase and strange art pinned to the walls...
as i was wandering back out the door i heard a voice say "is that your car over there?" he startled me so much that i let out a tiny scream. after i collected myself, i explained that yes, it was my car and how i had seen the building, thought it was interesting and pulled over. he said that kids keep tearing down their no-trespassing signs. i told him i didn't mean any harm, just taking a few photographs. he was more concerned that i would get a flat tire from all of the nails slung about from the large pile of demolished wood. he also told me that the only thing saving me from trouble was the obama sticker on my car (which is very surprising in a small texas town). we talked for a while and he told me his story. turns out he was a historic preservationist and had even helped restore the LBJ texas white house at the national historic park down the road (which i visited a few days later). he was now helping the woman who bought the silos turn them into a museum. after we talked, i asked if i could take his portrait. then he helped me load up my car with some of the demolished, brightly-colored barn wood from the burn pile, while naming each kind of wood as he loaded it for me. sometimes you meet the most interesting folks when you least expect it. i hope to get back to see the museum when it's finished.
oh, and if you travel through johnson city and you plan on trespassing, make sure you slap an obama sticker on your car.
xo, emily
