Dreams and Years gone past.

[Phil C]

Found this old mining site this week while out trapping with my brother.
Im not sure what they were mining Im guessing gold and silver.
I hope they found enough to pay for their efforts before the veins ran out.
Most of the mining was simply chasing the high grade ore.
Thought some of the members might enjoy these pictures.

[Stan Hillis]

That looks a lot like an old mine I saw once near Tucson at Rail X. I was hunting Gambles there with a friend. As I recall he said it had been a copper mine. But, my memory may be faulty about that.

Nice pics. Happy New Year.

[chris dawe]

Arizona is the coolest place

[Opening Day]

In the woods I've come along some old cars or farm equipment and I always stop and think about how they got there and the people that used them. Neat photos Phil

[Phil C]

This equipment is located in the Swisshelm mountains a few hours SE of Tucson. Lots of old mines around these parts.
Did some reseach this morning and it looks like they mined Lead, Silver, and Gold.

[davidboyles]

Phil you are the ultimate Explorer!! Pretty cool stuff you ran across don't you wish they could just talk a little bitty bit!!! See you soon. Sorting out my hardware for the Expedtion!!

[mobirdhunter]

Phil, I love your photos! Coming across the remnants of the past like this add to the allure of the land. Hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking are all about more than what most uninitiated folks will ever comprehend.

Thanks for the post.

[Phil C]

Thanks guys for the positive feedback. I as well I am sure many of you have found some neat places or things we would never have found if we were sitting in our living room.
David looking forward to the hunt.

[stumpstalker]

I believe that the Japanese term Wabi-Sabi could apply to these images and why they resonate with us.

Here is a short essay, written by an artist lady local to me, explaining the term and how it applies to her art.

"Returning to Nature
by Nan Quintin

My father was born in 1913. He was a farmer and he loved to tinker with his Fordson tractors from the 1920s. He was still using them in the 1950s and ‘60s. Over the years he migrated to newer old tractors that we still use.

Wabi-sabi is a comprehensive Japanese philosophy that comprises harmony in all things, respect for nature, purity and tranquility. It is a transcendental way of looking at and thinking about possessions and existence. At its core are three facts: nothing is finished; nothing is perfect; and nothing lasts forever. It is the beauty of the incomplete, imperfect, and impermanent. The wabi-sabi aesthetic includes items which are, in general, returning to nature; and include junk, rusty objects, flaking paint, and falling down buildings.

My father has been gone for many years. I enjoy looking at and thinking about the old equipment he left behind on his beloved farm. I paint pictures of the old buildings, tractors, trucks and the many items he kept for when they would be needed.

I wistfully appreciate that someday my paintings too will return to the earth, as will we all."

[J. Scott Hanes]

Stumpstalker, I would appreciate, if you've a mind to, seeing some examples of your "old Iron" paintings.