I took the dog walking today and found someone's wedding pictures in a box.

[texanwitch]

There were several other boxes, all just dumped in the railyard.

The pictures were in bad shape because of the rain.

There were also some family pictures.

I think this is sad, the wedding pictures were in a fancy album.

[jxnmsdemguy65]

1. God that is awful...

but it might be a good topic for a book or short story... ever thought of it?

[texanwitch]

2. I do wonder who would have dumped the pictures.

I don't think the owners would have.

There were lots personal papers, everything was wet.

The couple had a really nice wedding judging from the pictures.

There is a website for stuff people find, letter and pictures.

It is raining now so I don't think any of the pictures and papers will be in great shape.

[asdjrocky]

3. Boy that's gotta lead to a sad song or a great short story.

You don't just pass up a lightning bolt like that.

[texanwitch]

4. Maybe they lost their home or apartment.

There are companies that will clean out homes and apartments,

A railyard would be a place to dump this stuff.

[asdjrocky]

5. There's a 1,000 maybes.

Sorry, something like that gets in my head and I'll think it to death.

[texanwitch]

6. Who would move out and not take family pictures and personal papers..

I am sure there is a sad story dealing with this.

I will go back and check tomorrow.

[asdjrocky]

7. Maybe they were thrown out in a fit of rage.

Maybe infidelity.

[texanwitch]

8. Could be.

I will keep an eye on the place and see if anymore stuff shows up.

If some company is dumping they will be back.

[jmowreader]

17. That's probably it...

Possibly a foreclosure. The people were putting off the inevitable until the sheriff showed up and said "leave now. You have fifteen minutes." Someone like that would be more likely to grab kids' clothes than wedding photos.

[marzipanni]

9. My son and I used to go to the nearby playground and meet friends

on summer evenings. One time as it was getting dark we found pieces of torn up photographs of what appeared to be members of a family, scattered around the slide and climbing platform. I collected them and put the parts together like puzzle pieces. I went to a trash can to throw them away when I saw a purse stuffed through the small flap opening of the receptacle, so I looked in the purse and found the owner's glasses and wallet, etc., and the ID was also someone who was East Indian, as were the torn photos, so I put them in the purse, took it home, and called the police and they picked it up. I always wondered what the situation was that ended up with someone ripping those photos up and stuffing the purse in the trash can.

[texanwitch]

11. Wow, that is a good story.

I think this is a case of dumping, the area is just off a short street into the railyard.

There was article in the Houston Press about companies that cleaned out houses.

People would leave and not take anything.

Dumping would be a cheap way to get rid of stuff.

It was raining all day on and off, so I didn't really get a chance to look for addresses or names.

It was odd looking at the pictures in the wedding album.

Didn't feel right to take it.

I did put the album back in the box.

These were somebody's family photos.

[The Doctor.]

10. That's where those went.

Sorry, I meant to burn them but felt the fumes weren't bio-friendly.

:*)

[SoxFan]

12. Weird; I was listening to this song when I saw your post

"How Do You Tell Someone", Cowboy Mouth

Tina says don't talk to me like I am deaf and dumb
We've been broken down and broken up so much that I am numb
Talk about don't shout about the people we've become
There's a little girl who's cryin' over here.

Michael says don't shout at me like I was born a fool
You speak of love and scream of love now dare to treat me cruel
Nothings fare in love and war, so please lets make some rules,
There's a little boy who's cryin' over here

(Chorus)
Did you ever know me, I swear that I have tried
did you ever need me, I feel like I just died
Did you ever want me, I swear that I have tried
How do you tell someone you don't love them
How do you tell someone you don't care anymore
How do you tell someone you don't love them anymore

Tina says the pictures that we took are put away,
inside a box of memories for cold and rainy days,
Words and pencils rhyming with the things you never say,
There's a little girl who's crying over here

Michael's old engagement picture's in a wooden box
His wooden heart is tough as nails and solid as a rock
keeps himself protected with a combination lock
there's a little boy that's crying over here

(Chorus)

Fightin makes me tired
(in my eyes)
lying makes me tired
(there's a smile)
hurting makes me tired
(hold me tight)
lying makes me tired

Tina says I wish that I have never seen you smile
your name is written on my soul in alphabetic file
all I've got's my dignity, so I will leave in style
there's a million of us crying over here

did you ever know me I swear that I have tried
did you ever need me I feel like I just died
Did you ever want me I swear I swear

how do you tell someone you don't love them
how do you tell someone you don't care anymore
how do you tell someone you don't love them anymore
how do you tell someone you don't love them
how do you tell someone you don't care anymore
how do you tell someone you don't love them anymore
anymore
anymore
everytime I talk to you there's no one listening
everytime I reach for you there's no one there
everywhere I look for you there's no one to be found

[hippywife]

13. It's always possible

that their home or storage unit was burglarized and the theives just grabbed what they could lay their hands on and looked in the boxes later, then dumped them when they weren't anything of value to them.

[hunter]

14. I can't resist stuff like that.

You can imagine all sorts of stories in pictures like this. I've got a few boxes of found photos I've accumulated.

It's sort of sad when a family thread is broken like this, but it happens all the time. Maybe nobody wants all the photos their crazy-mean aunt kept, or maybe somebody decides to break free of a family history that was holding them back. I'm pretty sure I have a few pictures in my collection that represent abusive relationships or crippling co-dependencies, and somebody never got around to destroying the pictures before they moved on.

I think it's rare pictures like this are actually lost. Maybe somebody had them in storage, didn't pay the bill, and forgot where the pictures were and had mixed feelings about them anyways. Then some disreputable litterbug will buy the stuff at auction and dump whatever he can't immediately sell. All things are eventually lost in the chaos of life.

There's a really fascinating story about lost photos here:

http://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=7517

A guy was out walking his dog when he found a suitcase full of photographs documenting the structural damage caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

[grasswire]

15. sometimes people throw away first marriage reminders

I've seen it at a couple of yard sales. A box full of fancy photos of a fancy wedding. I asked the seller -- do you know there are family photos out here? Yep. They just didn't want the residue of the broken relationship.

I'm not saying that's the case here -- but it could be.

[jobycom]

16. Bad marriage or burglary.

Are my top two bets, but that is an intriguing find.

None of the papers had names on them?

I remember once when I was much younger finding a polaroid of a woman in her underwear with her hand sitting on her knee where you could see her wedding ring. Since I doubt most husbands would toss a picture like that, it got my imagination jumping. I spent months cruising that street, looking at every woman who passed by. :)

[texanwitch]

18. This is a great website.

http://www.foundmagazine.com/

[Blue-Jay]

19. I love wedding photos.

[texanwitch]

20. These were nice wedding pictures until the rain got to them.

Look at what is in the background.

[supernova]

22. OMG!

I wonder if the happy couple ever noticed the background in that pic?

:rofl:

[Blue-Jay]

24. I just figured those were the in-laws out for a stroll.

[texanwitch]

25. I am sure they did later.

That is a great picture.

[supernova]

21. Sad, sad

I've never found any pics lying about while I was out walking.

But I go to the flea market in Raleigh a lot. Invariably there is a vendor who is selling photos. Usually old family photos.

I always find that sad because, these were once somebody's heirlooms. Now, whatever is left of that family (is there anyone left?) doesn't have pix of old Aunt Delia and Uncle Arthur as young people anymore.

[texanwitch]

26. I have a lot of old family pictures.

I know who they were.

The names are on the back, very important.

My grandparents came from large families.

[Mike_03]

23. You know what I call that: A brilliant novel

What a treasure.

Next, you will find mine. I have known I need to get rid of my wedding pix for years, but I can't bring myself to.

Just the fact that someone ditched them means a lot.

What will you do with them? I am fascinated. Please report on your decision.

[texanwitch]

27. The pictures are in a album still in the box in the rail yard.

We have had a lot rain so the pics are not in good shape.

I did go back today and found out more information.

The groom's name might be Kevin, he was going to college on line, and in the Naval Reserve.

I found his Navy cap, and other Navy books.


At least the guy in the pictures has a name.

I don't know what to do with the pictures, they are not mine.

[trof]

28. We found a guy's ashes in a storage unit. True story.

A friend of mine has a block of storage units.
I've been helping him with clearing out the deadbeats.

There's a long list of what you have to do before you can auction the stuff off or whatever.
Attempts to contact the renters by registered mail, phone, etc.
(mostly unsuccessful)
Legal ads in the local paper for two weeks.
Only then can you auction it off or otherwise dispose of it.

He's even told the delinquents that he can find "Just come and get your stuff. No charge, no questions. Just come clear it out."
He's a nice guy.

A few weeks ago we were going through the units that were to be auctioned and came across a wooden box with a brass plaque on it.
"Remains of John Smith - Wolf Bay Funeral Home"
There were ashes inside.
whew

We called the funeral home and said we'd bring them back.
Nope, they told us to call the police and turn the ashes over to them.
It's almost like a 'missing persons' case.
We did and they eventually found a daughter who claimed them.
weird

Here's the really 'funny' part.
The crap being stored in most of these units we've sold off is worth, at the most, about two months rent. Some have paid the rent for several months before they went missing and quit paying for many months.
The rent is much more than the worth of the stuff they're storing.
Go figure.
:eyes:

[texanwitch]

29. I think people just can't get rid of junk, just can't.

So they store it for awhile and just leave it.

They get tired of paying rent and then just walk away.

I knew someone who's family owned storage units, she had a some good stories.

The things they would find when they would open up the units.

Some of the things were very expensive, they did try to connect the renters first.

Wasn't always possible.