At least two years ago, and probably longer than that, all signs of habitation on the property ceased. I don't know who owns it or why it appears to be abandoned. I suspect that it may soon be a victim of road widening, but this is just a guess on my part.
The bush is approximately 7 to 8 feet tall, and is wider than it is tall.
While I was out running errands one day last week, and I had my D-SLR camera with me, I decided to stop to see what rose this is and take photos. I found that it appears to be an early-style white Noisette and it is very healthy and vigorous .. despite having at least two rogue weed trees growing out of it.
After I finished taking photos, I returned to my car and fetched my trusty Felco pruners. I trimmed off a low-hanging cane with lots of good cutting material, tossed it into the car, and headed for home.
If my hunch is correct and this property IS going to be demolished, it is important that this old rose be preserved.
The cane I cut off yielded 11 cuttings, which are now planted in a milk jug, sitting on a shelf in a north-facing window in our cool basement. I expect to see roots in a month or two ... if this happens, I'll have plants for my garden and to share with friends.
Thank you very much for your kind words of sympathy about my accident with the chef's knife. My finger is feeling better than I thought it would at this point, and I'm not taking pain meds anymore ... just the antibiotics. I mustered up the courage earlier this morning to change my whole bandage and check on the wound itself, and it looks really good (relatively speaking, considering a slice of my finger is missing.)
I hope to be able to downsize the bandage in a day or two ... this vet-wrap club on my finger is really awkward. It helps remind me, though, that I have to take it easy and remember not to overdo things too soon. I certainly don't want to do anything that will cause this to heal wrong.
Still typing without using my left index finger ... getting pretty good at it, too. :)