Friday, January 6, 2012

Abandonment Issues: Trifecta

Trifecta Intersection

The Trifecta: A three way highway intersection with an abandonment on every corner.

On a pair of days in June of 2011, we happened upon the abandonments that make up the Trifecta, in spurts. On the way north, we spotted the collapsing Marine Services / Poultry Farm building, and explored it. Within minutes though, the sky had opened up and heavy rainfall chased us back to the car. We pulled out and turned the corner, only to notice the large GOLF sign on a small structure in an overgrown field that was once a driving range, on the opposite side of the road. We immediately concluded that we would stop there on the way back, the following day. As we turned the corner though, only a half second earlier, I was sure I saw what was a possible abandoned house, deep in the woods, beyond a mass of thick foliage. I didn't say a word about it to Ninja, figured it would be a nice surprise on the way home, if I actually did see what I thought I had.

The next day, upon returning to said intersection in Lakefield, Ontario, my suspicion was confirmed, and we explored both the driving range, and the beautiful old home. The trifecta was completed.

1. Trifecta House

The Trifecta House, while void of any personal possessions belonging to previous inhabitants, definitely lived up to the hype I had built up in my mind. Set far back from the road, it is next to impossible to see. I'm not sure how I even spotted it the day before. The term overgrown drastically understates the condition of the property. Our feet had to fight through tight vines and a carpet of lily plants and sumacs, approaching from the rear of the house. The NO TRESPASSING signs were merely a suggestion, obviously. Interesting features included gorgeous architecture, hardwood flooring, peeling paint and wallpaper, and the children's bedrooms with cartoon wallpaper and a secret entryway through the closet. Also quite fascinating, was the juxtaposition between rooms that were in a state of decay, next to rooms that appeared to be in pristine condition.

Trifecta House

You can't handle the truth
You can't handle the truth

NO TRESPASSING
NO TRESPASSING

Happily never after
Happily never after

If my mother wasn't so religious, I wouldn't be in this mess
If my mother wasn't so religious, I wouldn't be in this mess

Violins never solved anything
Violins never solved anything

Atention to detale
Atention to detale

Angelic
Angelic

GNISSAPSERT ON
GNISSAPSERT ON

GO TRESPASSING
Say Yo To Thugs

Say Yo To Thugs
GO TRESPASSING

I feel apathetic...Oh well
I feel apathetic...Oh well.

I don't give a shit
I don't give a shit

Rome wasn't built in a day, neither was the World Trade, but destruction is a coming of age
Halo and horns

Bugs Bunny & Friends
Bugs Bunny & Friends

Window pains
Window pains

I take it apart, play with the parts, never assemble again
I take it apart, play with the parts, never assemble again

Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies

Keepin' it reel
Keepin' it reel

An ode to couch surfers
An ode to the couchsurfers

One foot in front of the other
One foot in front of the other

Can't see the forest for the trees
Can't see the forest for the trees

When one door closes, a window is completely removed
When one door closes, a window is completely removed

Trifecta House
Trifecta House

2. Trifecta Golf

The Lakefield Golf Driving Range, once active daily with golfers practicing their swing and competing for distance, was merely an overgrown field. Two foot tall blades of grass swayed to and fro as far as the eye could see. There was no ball boy whizzing around in a protective cart collecting balls, and no shouts of "Four!" bellowing through the air. The silence was remarkably deafening. I recall taking out some anger on a few buckets of balls here in the late nineties with an old friend, that I have since lost touch with. On this day though, I didn't have to pay for a bucket of balls. To my immense pleasure, I found a club and a few balls in the grass. I can assure you that it is infinitely harder to get any distance on your shot under these circumstances.

Trifecta Golf Driving Range

250 ft
250 ft

On the green
On the green

Tiger's wood
Tiger's wood

Capitalisn't
Capitalisn't

The Toronto Sun - Wednesday, July 26, 2006
The Toronto Sun - Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Hole in one
Hole in one

Trifecta Golf Driving Range
Trifecta Golf Driving Range

3. Trifecta Marine Services / Poultry Farm

This place begs one to ask not what came first, the chicken or the egg, but rather what came first, the poultry farm or the marine services?

As of this moment, I don't have a valid answer for either of those questions. The wooden structure with aluminum siding that once housed Consignment Sales & Marine Services, as well as The Kawartha Lakes Poultry Farm, is in a state of collapse. Nature is slowly but surely reclaiming its rightful ownership of the space. Trees, grass, weeds and mosses are all thriving inside, thanks greatly to the partially collapsed roof. Remnants remain from both of the businesses that once inhabited the building, including signs, egg trays, and a few boats.

Trifecta Marine Services / Poultry Farm

I can't find the right words
I can't find the right words

Kawartha Lakes Poultry Farms
Kawartha Lakes Poultry Farms

I never finish what I star
I never finish what I star

Ev e ryth in g f    a ll  s  a p a   rt
Ev e ryth in g f    a ll  s  a p a   rt

Anatomically Corrected
Anatomically Corrected

Shut your mouth
Shut your mouth

Hoser
Hoser

Don't count your eggs before they hatch
Don't count your eggs before they hatch

Consignment Sales & Marine Services
Consignment Sales Marine Services

I'm on a boat
I'm on a boat

No lifeguard on duty
No lifeguard on duty

Thank you for taking the time to check out the Trifecta intersection with us. I hope that you enjoyed your visit, we definitely enjoyed having you tag along. In between these two Trifecta visits, we stopped in again at the Apsley Fire House, (among several other houses) where we discovered that many of the possessions present during my first visit, had been packed up and moved out. Hope to see you again at the next spot.

And remember friends, life is what you make it.

click here to check out all of jerm & ninja IX's ABANDONMENT ISSUES

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The Marine Services/Poultry farm place used to have a decent abandoned house on the property as well, but it burned around 2005.