The Nature of the Beast


“The basic characteristic of something is the nature of the beast; often used when there's an aspect of something that cannot be changed or that is unpleasant or difficult.”

I have no idea why I was thinking of this quote, but I woke up with it on my mind.  Maybe it was the weird way in which I was woken up made me think of this.  I was lying on my side with the blanket and sheet up to my shoulders.  All of a sudden I felt the blanket being tugged near my upper arm.  I felt like someone grabbed the blanket and quickly pulled it up and down about five times.  I woke up, turned towards the door and swear I saw a white human shape mass run towards the door and then disappear.  I just figured I wasn’t fully awake and maybe I was still dreaming.  So I just laid my head down and fell back to sleep to the sound of my dog snoring like a pig. 

Perhaps the beast is Bigfoot?  Lord knows I have read lots of blog posts about him lately.  But if you read the definition, the beast is not a thing; it is a characteristic of something that is hostile or grueling.  Some people are probably thinking of a person who fits this, but for me it is some of the abandoned places I have seen so far.  I feel that nature for these places is the “beast”.  The harsh weather, brutal sun, even critters and people too, has been unkind to most of these places.  Here are some of my favorites from past road trips:

The Domes in Casa Grande, AZ
Assay Office, Vulture Mine, AZ
Shops on South Mountain, AZ
Fairbank, AZ
Apartments in Miami, AZ
(The many bees living in the huge hive under the porch are also the "beast")
Slaughterhouse in Casa Grande, AZ

Comments

  1. My wife's family is Mexican, so I'm going to say the beast is chupacabra. Also, my dog snores like a pig too. It's cute when I'm not trying to sleep. When I'm trying to sleep... no longer so cute.

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  2. Yes, those abandoned places in desert locales really fit the beast theme. I am always amazed what the desert can do to such places. It makes me wonder about my own skin! I think a perfect lotion commercial would be one that in 115 degree heat someone rubs lotion into a dried out board in a desert abandoned building and does that every day for a week and see how it looks. That might sell it to me. The dream state you had was interesting. Some people believe the soul travels during sleep--maybe you caught her sprinting off to another dream as you fell back asleep.

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  3. AbftS, I know what you mean about your dog. My dog, Lucy, is now sleeping near me on the floor, snoring, and it is cute.

    Sis, We have many more places to see where the weather has done its toll on the structures. I am looking forward to it. Yeah, I felt like someone was trying to wake me up, but I don't think it worked. I am pretty sure I was half-asleep when I sat up and saw something or someone at our bedroom door.

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  4. I love the stonework at the Assay Office in Vulture Mine

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  5. I know Barry. I love to have a house built out of that kind of material.

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  6. That vision of the figure at the door was pretty spooky. Particularly being accompanied by a tugging on your sheets, as though someone was trying to wake you.

    I've loved all your photos this year, but the one that really stayed in my mind was of the alley or courtyard with a cross being cast on the ground, from a church window I think. I tried searching your blog for it, but alas, I couldn't find it.

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  7. The basic characteristic of something is the nature of the beast; often used when there's an aspect of something that cannot be changed or that is unpleasant or difficult.

    The Beast is a Nikon D700 (A.K.A. Mr Snappy) who is generally in a good mood as long as no one gets in the way of the bigger picture

    As for the tugging of the bed covers, that sounds more like you have an infestation of Mrs B – a convicted serial bedding hogger of ill repute...

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  8. Well, that's quite a way to wake up! I'd assume it was a visiting spirit. It sounds like you were plenty awake if you were able to count how many times the blanket moved and were looking towards the door. I've seen some shapes like that, but they were always dark.

    You have quite the collection of spooky photos! What's the story with "The Domes"?

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  9. The Domes are flying saucer and worm shape structures which were built in the 1980's as a computer factory near Casa Grande. The Thermoshell construction was used to make the structures cooler in the summer, and was cheap and fast construction materials. The place is literally falling down and there is a weird echo inside the buildings. It is a fascinating place to visit.

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