What started out to be a potentially futile trip out to the sunset on Wednesday night turned out to be a wake-up call. After all there was no guarantee that the sunset would be a good one, and/or that my view would be decent, because I was headed out to try for the ‘shipwreck’ against a sunset sky. But not only was there a promise of some color, but I also met a biker who is on a journey inspired by what God has done for him in his life, and who is on a trip to the four corners of the country to spread his story and hopefully inspire others with their own personal struggles. I realized that it’s been a long time since I met someone and heard their story while I was out taking pictures.
James Rice is his name, and he said he was riding past on his Harley when he noticed the ship and the sunset and stopped to take pictures. I was happy to see that no one had parked on the tail of the boat, giving us a little leeway for photos, and the woman who had parked close to the front had moved her car a few feet over when I asked her to. So I told Jimmy that he could be my bouncer because it was going to be a while until the actual sunset and I was sure that other people would would try to pull in and park. And they did, but they moved when asked nicely. I was more surprised when a couple of young people climbed aboard the boat and settled down to watch the sunset. By then another photographer had joined us and he said, “I guess I’ll have to try again tomorrow”, but I figured the heck with that, and yes, they also moved. What a nice trip out that night turned out to be, for entirely different reasons than I expected. I will think of Jimmy and pray that he stays safe as he travels and shares his story.
A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens 