Mystery Monday (9/19)

Posted on 09/19/2011 by Lance Roper in Mystery Monday

Here is the long awaited Mystery Monday photo! We’re sorry we couldn’t post one for the past several weeks! After reading our guidelines below, you can leave your observations as to what this photo could be and where it might fall on the map.

This Friday we will reveal this photo’s location in the comment section of this post along with the winner of a Free 8x12 print! of their choosing!

Here are the guidelines,

  • If you can correctly identify the photo with a link to Google Maps showing where it is, or should be*, you win! Leave a comment here on the blog or on our Facebook Page.
  • Every Friday we will reveal the photo and congratulate the winner! (The winner being the first to post the correct answer & link.)
  • This week’s winner will receive a free 8×12 print of their choosing, or simple bragging rights! Whichever you prefer!

Let the games begin!

Visitor Comments

Some interesting details here. The sign is a painted scene rather than just a name. The parking area looks to be just grass; and they park two deep (so if you get here earlier, you stay later).

More significantly, the (I assume older) sanctuary and adjacent building were built on concrete (or perhaps cinder block) pillars rather than a slab or basement. I believe this was only done where the ground never freezes. Furthermore, this must be the deep south (the trees rule out CA or southwest), because you wouldn't leave the crawl space open to the outside where temperatures ever get cold.

The minivan first appeared in 1984, and since the parking area isn't full of them, this photo was probably taken in the late 80s (i.e. they became ubiquitous for families by the early 90s).

I wonder if the aerial photographer was just doing this as a side business on the weekends; otherwise, it seems odd that he/she would be out taking photographs on a Sunday morning.

No Spanish Moss on the trees, and they're short-needle pines. This is an area that gets some snow, sometimes. Air conditioner in the window of the Fellowship Hall, and a heat pump outside the sanctuary -- not a furnace. The flat-ish roof on the white-roofed building also indicates that this is an area that doesn't get much snow. The deciduous trees are bare, there are no leaves on the ground, but there is no snow on the groundeither. No foreign cars in the parking lot. Assuming this is Sunday AM, then the building is facing generally south by the shadows.

Hmm. Either big cars or trucks. I'm guessing eastern Texas.

You're picking up some amazing details! Keep it up!

I should have said: "you wouldn't leave the crawl space open to the outside where temperatures typically stay cold (<32) for more than a few days a year".

BTW, I believe the front door of the sanctuary (i.e. below the cross) faces west. Church services are typically 11ish-Noon local time, so the south side of the building (anywhere in the US) would be in full sun, while the west side would just barely be in shade, as is the case here if that front door faces west.

Spanish Moss ranges from southern coastal Texas almost to the DC area of eastern Virginia (see http://www.efloras.org/object_page.as... ); but it's typically found along rivers, lakes, and estuaries, and in swamps (see Habitat in http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf... ). So, I don't think we can rule out this church being within that range just because we don't see any Spanish Moss; it's probably just not within a couple of miles of a major source of surface water.

Wow, my last comment really got chopped by the blog software. Ignore everything after the open parenthesis.

I believe the front door of the sanctuary faces west. Church services are typically in the hour before noon; during this time the south side of a building would be in full sun (north of the tropics, which is anywhere in the continental US) and the west side would just barely be in shade; as is the case in this photo. The length of the shadows (as well as the lack of leaves on the deciduous trees) indicate this photo was taken from late fall to early spring.

Oh, and my full comment about temperature was: "You wouldn't leave the crawl space open to the outside where temperatures typically stay cold (below freezing) for more than a few days a year."

I believe it was my use of the "less than sign" which caused the blog software to choke; which is why I chose this time to write out "below freezing" rather than repeat my original "(less than sign) 32".

Time for a hint. This photo was taken in Louisiana!

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:%2...

Or open http://awcolley.com/awcolley.com/pmwi... in Google Earth.

If the links fail: Indian Bayou United Methodist Church, 1029 La. Hwy 700, Rayne, Louisiana 70578 (30.136129N, 92.242427W)

They still park on the grass.

Tony, I don't know how you do it, but you are good.

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