Thanks for stopping by Lost Era Riders.  I started this site as an outlet for a couple of hobbies of mine that I've combined.  I enjoy motorcycling and photography and saw this as a way to combine the two.  I noticed on a trip home from Missouri earlier this summer that we passed a large amount of abandoned homes and businesses.  It made me wonder about the people that used to occupy these buildings and what happened that they left them.  I also noticed that many are in severe disrepair and may not be with us much longer.  In fact, the first photo I took was of a garage in Anson.  Since I took that photo in late July or early August, the rear of the structure has collapsed dramatically causing it to be raised off the front left footing by about a foot.  I'm going to shoot it again before it's gone. 

I named my photo project "Skeletons of West Texas" and have been taking photos while putting miles on my bike and car, depending on the weather, for a few months now.  My wife, Rhonda, has indulged me by going along on a few trips and we've had a great time of it and seen some amazing country. 

I call these buildings skeletons because they once held life, vitality, a kind of soul within their walls.  All that's left now are empty shells, some with personal effects left behind to rot and a history that few, if any, can recall.  Maybe in a way it's an acknowledgement of my own mortality and that at some point I'll be very similar to the subjects I shoot - an empty shell that some will remember and multitudes more won't.  Some of them were grand indeed, but by seeing what's left of the outside it's difficult to venture a guess as to what life was like inside.

I hope you enjoy the photos.  Please feel free to leave comments.  These photos mean something to me, and while they won't win any awards, I do hope you like what you see.

Mike