want to see my ranch?

Blogger, photographer, digital storyteller, and all-around superhero Karen Walrond came out to my family’s ranch (we are Texans, after all) this weekend and took some photos of the place with a twin-lens reflex camera.

I am a big fan of old cameras (the main character in Everyone Is Beautiful uses one), and these photos are really haunting and beautiful. The tree above is one that we thought was dead, and so we planted a hearty antique rose bush at the base that could grow all over it.  But then we found out it was only half-dead.  In the summer, half of it is bushy and green, and the other half is gnarled branches–plus a few roses.  It’s the coolest tree around.

The photo above is of a 100-year-old farmhouse with thick concrete walls made of sand from the Brazos river and a rusty tin roof.  This is a real texas place, y’all.  Someday remind me to tell you about the crazy neighbor who used to sit out on his front porch naked except for a holster with loaded pistols.

Karen has posted all the photos she took at her gorgeous blog, chookooloonks, if you want to see the whole show.  (And you definitely do!)