Postcard from the Road - The Things You See...

Sometimes when you are traveling American's highways, you see some interesting and strange things along the side of the road...seldom on the Interstates...usually on the smaller, less traveled highways. I've only been out four days and I have already seen a few interesting things.

First and foremost is this shoe tree. I found it in the middle of nowhere on Highway 26, between Sheep Rock and the Painted Hills. I immediately thought of the movie "Wag the Dog" where trees filled with shoes were part of the story (too detailed to outline here...just rent the movie). I spoke to some locals in Mitchell, OR about it and nobody really knew that much about how it started...it just did. In fact, according to my sources, there are three of them in different locations in east central Oregon. I hope with this small of an image you can see just how many shoes there are.

The only thing I could learn for sure was that transients will often stop by and exchange their old, worn out shoes for a pair hanging on the tree. I hope they bring a ladder cause some are very high up.

The second photo was something I spotted today in northeastern California. I have no idea of its origins other than a house or some other structure once stood here and the fireplace was all that was left. I thought the flag was a nice touch.

I will keep my eye open for more good things along the roads I travel.