The Piano House

Driving a skinny and winding rural road I became quite board at seeing the same country scenes of beautiful barns and white or black fences. I was beginning to feel I had ventured too far off the main road so thought I had better turn around past the upcoming curve and head back toward civilization. I am glad I continued through that curve or I would have missed it!


I didn't know these kind of places still exist! It took a couple of glances for me to realize that I had just found my subject! I dubbed this place "The Piano House" because of the old deteriorated upright piano that obviously has been there for many years.

The nephew of the deceased owner lives next door in a double wide mobile home and was eager to greet me and my camera. He was an old hunched backed and toothless black man whom I imagine has not made his way off that land in centuries, but none-the-less was very interesting to visit with. I never got his name but can't forget his smile.

The nephew lived in the house with his aunt and 6 others for 12 years of his boyhood and the piano belonged to his cousin who loved to play and sing.

For years the piano sat in the front bedroom and had a beautiful sound as long as his cousin was not singing to the tune. Apparently the cousin thought she had vocal talent, but the rest of the family was convinced she was, in the nephews words, "deaf to da tone". The old man chuckled as he mentioned that no one ever told her how terrible she made church hymns sound for fear of being beat by his aunt who was her mother. But he was sure she's singing REAL GOOD now that she's in heaven with the lawd.

The old hunched back man was fun to listen to. I shared with him my images through the preview window of the camera. He had no clue that camera's could do "all that" and that his aunt's house could look so good!

If you have not gotten out of your world lately may I encourage you to do so? It's amazing at what's just down the road. The time spent at The Piano House took me a million miles away and what seemed to be many years in the past.

I needed that hour of vacation. Maybe I will go again soon.

http://www.mastercreationsphoto.com/