Worth ExploringA small shed-like structure

     Urban exploration is a fun way to capture the decay of abandonment, as well as imagine what a place or scene used to be when people were in or around it all the time. What era was it when this place was enjoyed, worked in, productive, and full of life. I have traveled to Detroit many times to go through old factories, churches, and schools. What were those places like when people used to worship in them, build cars in them, or educate young lives in them? What color were the walls or how bright were the lights in these dark, desolate areas?

     There are days, after work, where I like to drive through the countryside looking for something inspirational. I prefer to find roads that are unknown to me, but having traveled much of Jackson County, Michigan now, there aren't too many that I haven't driven on anymore. The season is winter and the year is 2014 in this picture. I was driving down a road I had been down many times. Usually, there are leaves on the trees and the grass is green and lush. But today, it's a barren landscape of cold and snow and ice and wind. I was drawn to this road by the large amount of turkey buzzards that seemed to be circling the area. I found an old silo with two or three of them on it, and photographed them for a short time. Did I mention that it was cold outside?

     After warming back up in the car, I continued driving in the direction I was pointed. Besides wildlife and a few other things that interested me, I decided to turn north on the next road and head on home. Prior to that happening, I passed a wooded lot with the shadow of a barn and a shed on the property. It appeared vacant, as the snow was about a foot deep with no footprints or evidence of vehicular use. I was traveling at the speed limit, so I had to find a driveway to turn around in. When I arrived at the lot I had seen, I turned on the emergency flashers, and pulled off the road as much as I dared, so as to not get stuck there. I checked the edge of the property to ensure that there wasn't any foot traffic, and then decided to approach the shed.

     The shed was about 60 yards away from the road and surrounded by briers, so it was quite the workout to get there, knowing it would be as difficult to get back to the car if I had to make a run for it. The shed had multiple old oil signs attached to its exterior, and the windows were still in tact, despite the years of dust that was attached to them. The door was on the left side, and upon first site it was definitely abandoned. The door was locked with a padlock, but the window was broken, allowing me to see in fairly well. 

     I didn't want to be there for too long, so I looked around through the window aand then took a few photos so as to look into it farther at a later time. this is one of those photos. The place was trashed. An overturned desk with slots for items pertaining to the business and it's contents spilling out. A work bench with an rusted grinder, and a lot of stuff on the floor. This is a place I would like to return to someday and perhaps explore the barn nearby. I left after about 10 minutes of looking around, but it left me with the same thoughts of wonder: Was this a place where cars were repaired or maintained? What were the people like when customers arrived? Was there a cable that "dinged" when a car pulled up? Was it a full-service station? Questions and questions that will most-likely remain unanswered.