View Obscura

 Another year has come and gone in the rural farming towns of central Louisiana. A year ago today I made a post about all the abandoned locations in and around the towns of Bunkie, Cheneyville and Lecompte. In 2021 I focused on telling the story of how these three towns had decayed into mere shadows of what they once had been just a mere couple of decades prior . It was a story that I felt that I needed to document and I spent the year doing my best to capture the true state of things the best I could. In 2022, however, I decided through some soul searching and guidance from God to turn my attention to the exact opposite side of things and feature some of Louisiana's true beauty. I did as I had the year prior and turned my camera on landscapes, parks, bayous and sunrises.  I often note that the west has beautiful sunsets, but here in the south we are treated to some of the most amazing sunrises anywhere. Over the span of 2022 I posted a lot of sunrise pictures that I took on t...

10. Dinny and Mr. Rex It's hard not to notice 100ft tall dinosaurs on the side of the highway! At least that is what restaurant owner and artist Claude Bell was hoping when built a gigantic replica of a Brontosaurus (with a gift shop inside) called Dinny from left over materials from construction of the nearby I-10 freeway to attract diners to his Wheel Inn Restaurant in 1964. He would add a second dinosaur, a Tyrannosaurus Rex named Mr. Rex, in 1981. Originally Mr. Rex had a slide inside but because of safety concerns it was eventually removed and plastered over. Learn More 9. Pioneertown Though it’s always been a destination for those in the know, in recent years the town has been experiencing something of a renaissance—artists, entrepreneurs, and just regular folks looking to escape city stress are finding their way here. Longtime standby the Pioneertown Motel, a rustic, single-story 20-room inn, has been updated with fire pits, an outdoor bar, and hammocks; it and La Copine, an...

Sometimes it is really amazing how God operates. This morning I was driving south down Highway 165 towards Lake Charles. As I was driving along my mind wandered back to my days in the southwest and how many photos I used to take that featured clouds.  I honestly love clouds and when I lived out west in both New Mexico and California I took a huge amount of photos of them. I noted in my thoughts that the wide open spaces of the southwest provided great views of the heavens above. I had just completed this train of thought when I looked up through my windshield and low and behold there were some amazing wispy clouds above the town of Fenton.  I had no plans to take any pictures today. To be honest I have a ton of photos that I want to share and I promised myself that I would take a break for a while to catch up on things. That being said, I couldn't pass up on an opportunity to capture the kinds of clouds that I saw in the skies over California all the time. In order to get thes...

 This morning I took a quick spin into what was once the Louisiana logging town of Long Leaf. Today it is part of the Southern Forest Heritage Museum. I specifically wanted to drop by today due to the light rain that was falling. I had anticipated that the scene would be good to photograph this morning due to the weather conditions and as you can see my feelings were quite correct. What I was able to capture was a very peaceful scene.   What you see in the shot is the area where the old Red River & Gulf Railroad crosses the road into Long Leaf. If there wasn't a picnic table in front of one of the old structures in the background the scene would have looked much like it did fifty or so years ago. The volunteers at the museum do an amazing job trying to preserve the old town, remaining sawmill structures and the old railroad to the best of their abilities. If you ever get a chance you need to come see this amazing bit of preserved Louisiana history. Map: Check Out: Abandon...

Over this past year I have been working in my spare time to create a radio station/playlist on iHeart Radio. Wanting it to sound like a real radio station I decided to call it KENN.FM. This station will feature everything from classic rock to modern hits. My plan is for the station to be a bigger and better version of Jack FM which follows a similar format and is broadcast on numerous affiliates nationwide. As of the end of 2022 I have added just over a thousand track to the playlist and there is still a lot more to be added.  You can listen to KENN.FM below: Here are the most listened to songs of 2022!   10. Quarterflash - Harden My Heart 9. The Temper Trap - Fader 8. Leif Garrett - I Was Made For Dancin' 7. Rush - Subdivisions 6. Cheap Trick - Dream Police 5. The Knack - My Sharona 4. Missing Persons - Destination Unknown 3. Go West - We Close Our Eyes 2. Mayer Hawthorne - A Long Time 1. Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way Check Out: The Top Ten Songs On KENN.FM For The Wee...

 10. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century The first made-for-TV movie was released theatrically in March 1979 as Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. The film made $21 million at the North American box office, prompting Universal to move ahead with a weekly series later that year. The film, which was also released internationally, featured all of the main protagonist characters who would appear in the weekly series, and also included Princess Ardala of the planet Draconia, and her henchman, Kane. 9. Zone Fighter (Ryusei Ningen Zon) The Zone Family is forced to find shelter on Earth after their home planet, Peaceland, is destroyed by the Garoga Army. Posing as the Sakimori Family, the Zone's had hoped to begin a new life, instead they would become Earth's defenders against the Garoga Army. The Zone Fighters are able to transform to giant size to battle the giant beasts enslaved by the Garoga. Godzilla is soon called upon to aid in the protection of Earth. Together Zone Fighter and Godz...