29 Cents a Gallon

Received this email and illustration a few days ago from artist Diane Brownlee:

"You'll pass by this 'unsightly' scene west of Lawrenceburg and east of Versailles, Indiana in the small farming community of Elrod. I named this painting '29 cents a gallon.' When I pass by this derelict restaurant/gas station, it evokes in me a subtle sadness, for the deterioration, and in some cases, complete loss of interesting and unique small communities, not only in Indiana, but across the nation.  This 'progress' in which individualism, gives way to the homogenized scenes of urban sprawl, rendering one town hardly recognizable from the next, gives one pause to question."

Diane's interpretation is followed by a photo I took when I passed by on Sunday. You can click on each for a larger view.