For a time,

My family graced the western shores of this wide country, we grew there, and lived well.

But all things must end.

And the time came when those I had called colleague looked about with hooded eyes, when every flicker of illumination revealed only the menacing shadow of secrets and betrayal, and the western sun shone wan through the clouds.

I knew the time was nigh to hitch the wagon to the most stalwart beasts I could rent and hie to my haven in the east.

It was an arduous journey* but before we left our home of more than three years, I cataloged some of the touches we left on the place - some of the things that the crew sent in to make the place homogeneous and sterile again would have to regard and contemplate - wondering what we had been up to that had roughed those edges and marred those walls.

In addition to what is shown in the pictures here, we left a CRT monitor and a 24" television arranged on an entertainment center in the corner of an upstairs room. Each bit of furniture removed left an island in the dust that even vacuuming with the Kirby wouldn't remove. There was left a boot sized hole at the base of the stairs, where something large and heavy had hit the wall after being slid down the stairs by a thoughtless child, seeking expedience at any cost. There were myriad pinholes in the walls from pictures and posters. The banister was left broken from two of three braces, and hung listlessly along the length of the stairs from the one remaining anchor at the bottom to rest on the floor at the top.

Finally, we left the lingering auras of cats, people and incense swirling in our wake, and we departed,

leaving only clues.

*This is also an interesting story, but it is for another time. Among the many things that occurred, I Left Clues (albeit hidden away) at a low-budget, yet amusing casino in Wendover Nevada.

Also, I lost my camera, and was left with only the pictures on my phone. In that case, I suppose it is true that I left clues for the thief as well, if they bother to check the data left on the camera they took.