Busted!

I so enjoyed the response to my trespassing post yesterday that I thought to share a tale about one of the rare times we’ve been busted.

 Our road trip through Utah last fall ended in Salt Lake City, our departure city for the flight home. As often happens, we had no plan for our last day, deciding randomly to head north and cross into Wyoming for lunch, (just because we could).

The scenic back roads served to heighten our awe at the sheer scope and majesty of this state. And when I spotted a collection of timeworn buildings at the side of the road, it was a given we would stop for a look. A fellow traveler in full motorcycle gear was regarding the ‘No Entry’ sign with disappointment as we approached…clearly a more law-abiding citizen than either of us! With cheeky grins, we edged through the wide fence slats and were not surprised that the stranger soon followed our lead.

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Such beauty there was in the weathered wood, the rusted hulks of trucks and the pale grass that was steadily reclaiming everything! I almost forgot to take pictures, so interested was I in poking carefully about.

Our peaceful exploration was soon interrupted by a loud screech and rattle as a dusty pickup roared up to the front of the gate. Out of it climbed a young -and very angry- cowboy…the property owner who had spotted us from across the fields.

We made our way quickly and contritely back to the gate to accept our well-deserved lecture on the dangers of breaking the law. It does seem proof of my incorrigibility that while hanging my head in repentance, I could think only that I’d love to get a picture of this wonderful, fierce defender whose cowboy hat bore the sweat stains of hard work, and whose duster coat and battered boots made clear he was the real thing!

We did apologize – profusely and sincerely…it would never be our wish to offend anyone or cause harm to private property. I seek only to preserve in photographs the worn, forgotten memories of times past.

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While he remained understandably irked by our disregard for his sign, the landowner calmed himself when he saw we had taken nothing but pictures. Others have not been so restrained…he told tales of many things pilfered away over the years by looters hoping to profit from this small piece of history.

We most certainly deserved what we got…had this man called the police, who knows what mess we would have been in outside our own country!  But seriously…could you pass by this glorious collection of buildings and cars long abandoned, and not stop to admire? Clearly, we cannot…

I do, however, feel bad that our unwitting partner-in-crime had to bear the tongue-lashing with us…no doubt he would have resisted temptation had not we led him astray. Courting trouble for ourselves is not new, but I think we’re seldom a bad influence on others. Still, you might not want to ask our children about that last bit…:)