U-Turn

It was raining. It had been raining all afternoon.

This view called to me as I drove past it on my way home. I told myself I could let it go. Then I pulled a U-turn on the highway.

I don’t like to do that.

There was dried mud on my boots, knees, and elbows. On a mountain slope above Horseshoe Bend, I had bent down to frame a shot. Moving to recompose, I lost my footing and slipped, breaking the fall hard against my elbow in the mud.

I’ve slid off snowy roads searching for the right view.

Gotten stuck up to my axles in mud where I shouldn’t have been driving.

Been yelled at for standing on private property I didn’t know was private.

Had dogs chase me, snarling and snapping as I ran with my tripod and camera.

Had ranchers speed toward me to make sure I wasn’t a government agent.

I’ve fallen in rivers, flown backwards on icy pavement, and dropped my camera on roads and rocky hillsides.

Heck, I even ran it over once.