Notes To My Mother

There is about a three-quarters full moon with no clouds. Stars are bright. Jan, my wife, is asleep in the motel. I’m standing next to my car, finishing a cup of hotel coffee, in the parking lot of Horseshoe Bend, just down the road from Page, Arizona. I’m the only one here and I love it! I can see pretty good by the light of the moon so I decide to leave my flashlight behind.  Camera gear in my backpack, tripod in hand I start up the sandy slope toward Horseshoe Bend. I scouted it the day before as far as the top of this first hill, so I have an idea of what is ahead. But I have never been down the other side to the Colorado River’s edge. Horseshoe bend is just that, a big horseshoe like bend in the Colorado River, very picturesque and popular with tourists. I love being in these kinds of places when there is no one else around. I’ll have it that way for sure this morning. I take my time, careful not to fall in any holes along the way. Actually it is a pretty g...