I'm walking Beau by the railroad tracks in Saint Paul the other day. We like to seek out the unfrequented parts of town, so he can run off-leash without causing people to wet themselves out of fear. You expect to die. Thus, the barren land alongside the tracks.
Trains are infrequent here, so it's somewhat safe.
On one side of the tracks, cars and trucks dash back and forth on Interstate 94. On the other side is a line of old homes. Now, with winter blasting away all the green, the homes, particularly their alleys and backsides, are exposed. The houses are good houses, but they aren't in very good shape. I can see loose shingles, cracked storm windows, and chinks up in the eaves gnawed where squirrels gnawed through.