Abandoned places

North Dakota is beautiful. As we continue to drive both highways and the scenic byways, it does not disappoint. It is so green and fertile this time of the year.

Something that surprised me was the number of homes and structures (barns and such) we have seen that have just been abandoned–left to rot where they stand. It makes me so curious. What happened?

This church has obviously not been used in some time, yet the lawn around it was kept mowed and behind it, there were houses that were being lived in.

This small house was in front of a "neighborhood" of houses where there were people still living, but clearly you can see this is empty and rotting. The yard behind the vacant house was being "tended" by  two beautiful horses who were happily grazing there.