a random trip to Arcadia...

...yielded a fruitful discovery of an airplane graveyard, a pasture full of friendly cows, and an old abandoned gas station.

Headed northbound on I-75, I was on a quest to discover something new. I often get in these moods, and I will just start driving in my Toyota that I fondly refer to as Doug. With my camera packed and my best friend Hayley sitting shotgun, I decided to get off on an exit that pointed towards Arcadia. I stumbled upon my first of three findings of the day within the first few minutes after my exit off the Interstate. It was an abandoned gas station sporting signs advertising gas for 13 cents a gallon. Yes, THIRTEEN cents. Not the almost THIRTEEN dollars of now-a-days. Cents.

A good fifteen minutes continued up that road, I pulled off onto a dirt road and parked Doug in a field next to a cow pasture. Come on, me pass up more pictures of cows? No way. Thats one of my favorite things to take pictures of. At least when they are friendly. As Hayley and I coaxed a brown and white cow we already named "Tank" to come closer, a white pickup truck passed by and doubled back. It was the ranch owner's son. Prepared to make a run to the car, (since most people won't like you messing with their property) I was surprised when he introduced himself and offered to let us inside the fence. We conversed for a good hour, during which he told me about his father's cow collection and the mating season schedule.

I don't know why either.

He also mentioned something about old beat up airplanes in the field up the street, which is where I went shortly after I was able to escape the conversation without making it too obvious that I was ready to end it.

After relocating Doug a short way up the dirt road, I found exactly what Cowboy Junior was talking about. Strewn across a field were bodies of old helicopters and airplanes that had obviously seen their fair share of unfortunate accidents. As I took my photos, I could still hear the mooing of the cows.