I’m not sure why I keep stumbling upon empty, abandoned houses in the past couple of months. It started on our most recent trip to the Mendocino coast — four such neglected structures caught my attention. Three of those I hope to explore in the future, and the fourth gave off such creepy vibes I chose to give it a wide berth. The two-story house I saw during our recent Christmas trip to Texas is another one I prefer to gaze at from a respectful distance. I’m not sure what happened here. The property was not fenced off or posted with any warnings at all. I can look at the house on Google Street View and find evidence of cozy habitation with front porch seating, a fenced back yard, and cars in the driveway in early 2020. I actually walked past this same house in June 2024, but whether it was in this same sorry state then I can’t say. The smaller house just to the east is also empty and seems to have been so for a good while, although apparently in better shape.