The cold, wintry weather of late has me reminiscing about the many jaunts that we took last fall, exploring old and forgotten places. This place, in particular, still haunts me, and how could I forget the bank we were offered to buy?! Truly, I'm looking forward to spring so that we can resume our adventures again!

Believe it or not, there's actually a careful method to my madness (madness, indeed, is probably quite apt!). I begin by studying old maps of a given location; then, town after town, research all that I can about the history of each particular location. When was it founded, what was its principle industry, what buildings did it have, who were its families, and when did it cease to be?

Flickr can be immensely helpful in determining what may be left of a town, though I also enjoy searching out places as yet 'undiscovered.' Next, I plot out a rough itinerary of our trip, though undoubtedly we encounter things that I hadn't planned for. All in all, it is rather like a treasure hunt (with a history lesson included) and always a splendid adventure!

The following photos were taken in the tiny, oh-so-hard-to-find town of Floral, Cowley County, KS. I knew from the moment I discovered it online, that we *had* to find it, and we spent nearly an entire day searching for it. The town's history remains elusive, but I was primarily interested in seeing the old limestone Baptist church and the Timber Creek Bridge (ah, and the road just beyond the bridge is the stuff of dreams!).