Crock’s Thoughts

From humble fields where soybeans rise, an iron heartbeat wakes beneath the skies…

Sooo… there are times in photography when you see a scene and think, Oh yeah… that’s the shot! And then there are times… well, ummm… you seriously question your decision-making skills. Lol!

I spotted this old pumpjack sitting out among the farm fields, but the angle wasn’t quite right. The setting sun was casting this beautiful warm light, and I wanted it shining directly onto the side of the pump I was photographing.

Of course, getting that angle meant driving my Jeep down a long dirt service road. No problem, right? I mean, I have a Jeep. This is practically what Jeeps are for. 😎

So off I went, happily bouncing down the road toward photographic greatness.

What I somehow failed to consider was that it hadn’t rained in a while. So, the road was dry. Like very very dry. You know, like Oklahoma Dust Bowl documentary, dry!

I glanced in the mirror and realized I had created my own weather system. A massive brown cloud was rolling behind me, swallowing the road and everything else in its path.

Normally, you just stop and let the dust blow away. Yeah, well… except there was no wind. None!

So when I stopped the Jeep, my personal dust storm caught up with me and completely enveloped everything.

Oh, and did I mention the top was off the Jeep, too? Yeah… 🤦‍♂️

So there I sat, marinating in dust like some sort of lightly seasoned rotisserie chicken while approximately half the service road relocated itself into the interior of my Jeep. 😂

Dashboard? Dust!

Seats? Dust!

Cup holders? Dust!

Me? Well, dust with sunglasses! 😎

But I climbed out, grabbed the camera, found the angle I wanted, and took the photo. The warm evening sun hit the old pump perfectly, lighting up the rusty metal against the green fields.

Click! Got it!

Although I’m pretty sure I was sneezing dirt for the next week! 😂