The western end of Vine Avenue downtown currently dead-ends at the end of an embankment. I'm sure it was not always so, but in this century, your westward journey will take you only as far as the tree-shaded parking lot of Summit Towers, a subsidized apartment building for seniors. There's a silence at this end of Vine that causes me to walk softly. Except for the senior's tower, buildings are sparse and have an unused look. Empty gravel lots are overgrown with brush. I'm in the Land That Time Forgot.At some past point in history, Vine was a thriving residential street. People still live here, but beyond Ryan's Row townhouses, only remnants remain, like this lonely mystery wall rising up in a wooded area between two gravel lots. I have no idea if this was once a decorative wall that offered privacy to a fine house, or if it was an aborted project to build something new on this lot. But there's something placid about it, standing moss-stained and silent in the autumn sunlight slanting through the trees, surrounded by undergrowth and piles of trash.
I breathe in the moment, steal my pixilated memento, and head back to the Land of Here and Now.
9 comments:
The first thing that struck me was what a very British scene. It's the red brickwork. I like the idea of a mystery wall and it's unbeknown history. I think it's there to bang one's head up against, hence the tranquil area. Lovely peaceful image and not a headbanger in sight.
My Grandma used to tell me stories about things in downtown Knoxville. But alas, in those young years, I never thought to write anything down.
She more than likely could have told us about that wall. She was born in 1913 and has long since passed on....but her mind was always sharp.
I remember some of the stories she would tell about Knoxville. How I wish now that I had recorded her stories in some way.
Hmmm… I think I'd like a house in that Land That Time Forgot. I like silence.
Looks like a perfect spot of shade to escape the summer sun.
I always like to sit and reflect on what life was like back when.
Love this photograph, but I naturally like anything with brick work (helps pay the bills at my house). Got me wondering myself, might go check it and see if I know the answer.
B - the headbangers must've all been on the other side. All in all, it's just a - ah, you know.
Knoxvillians! - If you know the secret, let me in on it! Although I *can* think of someone who might know; if he does, I'll pass it on.
Tanya and Hilda - the street is quiet, the trees are pretty, but this photo is "from the neck up" - you can't see the trash piles around the base of the wall.
Such a cool angle and composition. You find such fun parts of knoxville! Nicely captured.
What a great find! Nice post. I'd love to live in the "land that time forgot."
I often substitute a ltter in the word brick with the letter p. You get the gist. Tear down the wall!
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