A Mystery

Last August, after we returned from our Iceland adventure, I was out getting the mail when a fellow came from the house across the street. He introduced himself and then asked if anyone lived in the house. I said that we just got back from vacation, and that there had been people living there before we left. He then said that he had just bought the place and it seemed that there was still stuff in the house.

It turned out the place had been foreclosed, and he had bought it to fix and flip. Fast forward to today and we now have new neighbors, mom, dad, and one child with another on the way.

But that's not what this post is about.

During the time the house was being renovated we noticed another fellow putting pink ribbons on trees directly across the street from us. Fearing that the land was being marked for development, we wandered over to ask what was going on. He explained he was from Budds Bogs, a local cranberry and blueberry farm, and this was a part of that property. They had recently allowed deer hunting on their land, and were looking for another route in. It turned out that it was too swampy a hundred or so yards in for that. And no, they weren't planning on developing the land.

But that's not what this post is about.

He did tell us we were welcome to explore the land back there, as long as we didn't take anything. And explore we did. Where we is mostly Patty.

The way in.

It's been awhile since the owner of this boot was back there.

And that's what this post is about. The mystery I hinted at in the You Can Tell It's Been Awhile post.

Budds Bogs has two places where their property abuts our street. And in-between are a number of other properties. Including the place with the chair.

There has been a Barred Owl calling, day and night, of late. And last weekend Patty and I decided to see if we could find it. We did not. Times three. As there were three owls calling that day.

And as we were chasing down the owl we wandered onto the 'chair' property.

Like our place, much of the property had the telltale sign of having once been a blueberry farm.

Unlike our place, it is clear no one has been here in quite some time.

And that is the mystery.

The structures were in various states of disrepair. Most with fallen branches or trees on them.

Fallen timber was everywhere.

Someone had gone through a lot of work to make this place.

Look at all the stone in these pictures. That was all brought in, the stream dug out, and the stones placed there, and lining paths, ringing trees.

Not obvious as it is so overgrown, but a large concrete pipe was placed to allow for a land bridge over the stream.

And two wooden bridges were installed as well.

What happened to the owners?

Artifacts left in places where they were expected to be used, left unused but for the moss.

Note obvious in these images, but someone had planted daffodils about the camp.

I have  friends who have a property in upstate New York. Their 'weekend' get away place. I could see this being a similar place.

A country retreat, that was slowly (?) being built up.

Only to slowly breakdown.

What had this been? Or intended to be?

This is the front gate. More fallen timber behind it, been there going on a year now. The mailbox has fallen as well. The gate, no longer on its post, simply chained on both sides.

What disaster struck that led to the place being abandoned? Why do so much work to just abandon it?

A mystery.