This is the Old San Ysidro Church and Cemetery in Corrales, New Mexico. It is known as the "Old San Ysidro Church" to differentiate it from the less old (and much larger) San Ysidro Church which is on Corrales Road.

Unfortunately, adobe buildings built close to rivers don't fare well when it rains too much and in 1868, the Rio Grande flooded washing away both the church and the cemetery. The rising waters scattered the dead all over the place. Ten coffins were retrieved and there are now a total of 21 coffins buried under the church floor, which practically guarantees that the church is haunted. (read the signs in the photos below)

Over the years, I have shot several weddings here but it is no longer in use as an active church. The Village of Corrales rents it out for special events such as weddings and art shows.

This cemetery is across the street from the Old San Ysidro Church.

I'm not sure that Meadow Lake ever really had a "prime". It's a weird place that boasts neither a meadow nor a lake. To be fair, there was once a man-made lake that someone must have gone through a lot of trouble to build for the five people who lived there. It is closed now and barricaded behind a razor wire topped chain link fence. I grew up in this area and don't recall it ever being open. 

It's hard to tell what this building used to be, the inside doesn't look like a house. The land is for sale if anyone wants to use it for something else.

Whenever I tell someone that I live out near Meadow Lake, they always ask "is it past the Little White Church?" This building is the iconic landmark of the Meadow Lake area. 

​For the record, it's not abandoned, but I'm sure they get asked that all the time.

This gravel pit was operational when I was a kid. It is located about half way up the big hill (there's only one). There is a derelict mobile home park at the bottom of the hill. The park is inhabited but no one is paying their neighborhood association fees. Anyway, when I was a kid, the mobile home park was in a more respectable condition and then one day a truck loaded with gravel was coming down the hill and lost control at the curve. It tumbled a few times causing one of the axels to fly off and by god if it didn't cut one of those mobile homes clean in two! 

​Since then they put up a guard rail.

Just one of many curious structures that had electricity.

On October 14, 2018, Johnpaul and I went out to photograph the (mostly) burned down general store in Meadow Lake. The charred remains of the structure have been sitting there for at least a year and didn't look like they would be going anywhere anytime soon. Well, on this day they were, in fact, gone. The owner of the property finally decided to rebuild and my burnt down general store is now under construction which does not make for interesting photos.

Not to worry though, while we were out we found something much more unusual and eye catching: a carnival!

This carnival was set up across the street from a church that was having some kind of festival. Ergo, it was not abandoned but probably should have been. There were a few people walking around but no one was riding the rides, probably because they all looked to be held together with coat hangers and duct tape. To say that the rides looked unsafe would be putting it mildly. Additionally, the Carnies also looked to be held together with coat hangers and duct tape.. and various drug problems..
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It was the sketchiest carnival I've ever seen.

These photos are from October 17, 2018.

The New Mexico skies never disappoint and this tidal wave of clouds rolling over the Manzano Mountains kept me from getting any work done for an entire day because I kept going to window to stare at them even after I came home from taking my photos.

On Thursday (11/08/2018), I went with Johnpaul to a home inspection in Stanley, New Mexico. I came along in hopes of finding some good abandoned houses to photograph and Stanley did not disappoint.

For the most part, there is nothing in Stanley except a bunch of huge ranches. If you're looking for gas, food, or civilization you'll need to go back up the highway to Edgewood.

On the way into town, there is a little cluster of abandoned houses. If you're interested in checking them out, you'll need to be very careful, discreet and quick because, as always the hills have eyes who may show up at any moment to demand an explanation for what you think you're doing.

It should go without saying that you should never take anything other than photographs from an abandoned house as it's a good way to bring home unwanted guests such as angry spirits or Hantavirus, and no one wants that.