I was driving across the desert trying to find a discreet place to stop. The desert was flat, dry, and still. The only motion was the traffic and some distant wind turbines. I left the parade and pulled up next to some large boulders. Stepping behind, I startled a dusty green lizard who scurried out from under the rocks. The lizard stood on its hind legs, tilted its head, and looked at me. Two curious scorpions danced across my boots, and one looked up at me. Nearby, three hopeful vultures watched a coyote finishing a meal.
When relieved, I returned to my car and was confounded by the highway’s scarring of this peaceful place, by the constant flow of cars, campers, and trucks, by the roar of their engines, and by the trail of exhaust left behind. I rejoined the parade. I was heading east to New York and had a long way to go.
Full view of image at top: Todd Watts, Sand and Oil, photograph, 39 x 54 in., 1998.