Once this old house held someone's dreams. There was laughter and grief. Perhaps parents raised their children here. The walls still hold traces of memory. The old tree creates a canopy as if to protect the ruin. Abandoned places are where you might find ghosts. This is an outstanding image, Nikolai. The composition is superb. I see a figure dressed in blue and white. Is this one of your grandchildren?

Thank you, Mark. This deserted and rickety old house is located next to my son-in-law's, so I decide to arrange an excursion to my younger grandson. He felt excited.

An image filled with questions.

Magnificent capture my friend!!!Bravissimo!V:DDD.Hugsxx Whylma

Reminds me of the fictional Cordon village in the classic pc game ' Shadow Of Chernobyl'..... :)

A house with a history. Very sharp capture.

I wonder who lived there, such a shame it is as it is. Great capture.

Superb capture my friend. God bless.

perfect title for this, Nikolay...in the beginning of the book, Marquez writes, "...only then did we dare go inside without attacking the crumbling walls of reinforced stone...it was like entering the atmosphere of another age, because the air was thinner...the silence was more ancient...stones had given way to the underground thrust of weeds..." He takes us into a deeper and deeper descent into the remains of a once great palace...it's brilliant. You've captured that feeling in this little place, you've captured the allure. I mean, this isn't a palace, but it could've been to whoever lived there. And you caught the facade facing us in total darkness, to tell us it's all gone now, it's untouchable...and, oddly, that small space seems looming, in your treatment, forbidding. (You can do that with a facade; you do lots with a facade.) And the side of the house is a mass of decay and discarded-ness, all surrounded by golds and greens and ambers---everything shines around this place, life goes on. What is going on in there? Will we find the ghosts of the 'patriarch', or will we never come out again...brilliant, Nikolay. Your postings are events for me; and whenever you post I think, holy moley, he did it again! A little dilapidated house, and he captured a whole world! (And there's a figure in there too! Who is he? A person, a statue? Is he the lone survivor of some strange cataclysm that rendered this place the 'end' for someone?) Wonderful! If the muses came to your house, they'd take a look, and leave. They'd be afraid of being shown up...

(and my apologies for getting to your last image late...the new "notifications" threw me off for weeks...I'm actually early this time---I mean it wasn't 6 weeks after everyone else commented!)

Beautiful capture of this dignified ruin; there doesn't seem to be much left holding it up, maybe just dreams...

The first comment says it all. A house that was as vital as the lives within. Was the tree just a sapling back then? Nice to see a post from you again.

I like the way your grandson is standing in a patch of light. It gives humanity and story to the house. Someone is about to knock ... does it mean that person knows there is really someone still living inside? Such a lovely mystery. :) Thank your grandson for his participation. He's a huge hit! :)