It all makes me think of Astroworld. I so loved Astroworld, and last year they destroyed it. And with Katrina destroying most of Louisiana, it's like my childhood has been completely destroyed. *sniff*

You can see that there were stalls there at one time. Look at the holes in the wall where they were connected.

I believe you about the chair. I've had such things happen before.

You would be amazed at how people treat history. Working at the Myrtles I see people do some pretty horrible things that make me angry. I love the old home, even if some things that were unfair and cruel happened there. Not all of the people who lived there were like that. Just like I'm sure not all of the workers here were evil. I think most were not. You have to realize, though, that the methods of treating people years ago were very different from what we have today. Technology improves so quickly now. I think most of the people that worked here did the best with what they had. They probably did not have enough supplies at times. And I can see how it would be so hard for the small number of workers, compared to the large number of residents would pose a huge problem in being able to give "quality" time to individuals. You can't blame the people who worked there for that, though. Sure there are those in any institution that take advantage of the patients, but that is not the majority. This would not be a fun place to be a patient, but is any institution?

I think the red thing is a jacket or some such left hanging on the wall or portition or something behind the window. What people think is a face looks to me like a reflection. Working at what is considered to be America's most haunted house, The Myrtles, I see lots of pics like this.

rich edwards, you're right. I have seen how isolating someone with a disability from the rest of the world only makes things worse. I have seen my neighbor do it with her son. It makes me sad.

I think a lot of people probably died in places like these. Suicides, medical problems, depressions, neglect.

Wouldn't you think having two different wheels like that would make the chair uneven and harder to manuever?

Seeing and hearing about places like this frightens me. I am obsessive-compulsive and have panic attacks from time to time. Makes me wonder if I would have wound up in one of these places instead of finishing college if I had been born in an earlier time. My great aunt was very capable of taking care of herself. Her only oddity was that she said she talked to people who lived in her attic. Everyone in town loved her. She was very capable. But her family sent her to one of these kinds of places. They gave her shock treatments. When she returned she never said anything about talking to people in the attic, though her sisters knew she still did. She was so terrified of being sent back.

rich edwards, that link doesn't work. Do you have another one?

Um, Bertram, I work at the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, LA. Trust me, there are ghosts.