Monday, July 6, 2015

"As the Crow Flies"


'As the Crow Flies'


This is a story where the pictures tell most of the story, so I will lay out some of the background for a rather unique tale involving a crow, a ghost town, Hwy 40, and Flagstaff/Mt. Humphrey's.  As I look over the photos, I could not have orchestrated this better had I hired a film crew.


The background involves 2 different angles.  As my rental car  was zipping down Hwy 40, between Winslow and Flagstaff, AZ, I caught storm clouds enveloping Mt. Humphrey's.  I took the next exit (Two Guns road) in search of a high spot to snap the swirling weather conditions that were developing 30-40 miles ahead of me.  


I did not locate a good spot to take a photo, but I did notice a ghost town on the other side of highway.  Hmmm.  Love to explore, so I checked out the remnants of a failed commercial enterprise, mixed in with some older buildings.

Link to a story on Two Guns:

After exploration, photos and realization that I had a rental car to return, I ventured back onto Two Guns Road.  One last fleeting photo of the Hwy 40 sign (since I had traveled across most of the country on it).  Lucky me, there sat a crow on the Hwy 40 West sign.  

I took a photo and tried to get another photo of our bird and signage.  Evidently the crow had a mission, and I caught him/her taking off.  For some unknown, but now cool reason, I took a photo of the crow flying across the highway


The crow would arrive just before I reached the highway entrance.  I glanced at the same signs, but the West Hwy 40 sign was now on the right.  I had first seen the crow on the Hwy 40 West sign on the other side of the highway and he/she now sat on the Hwy 40 West sign on the other side of the Hwy.  


As if the crow felt like I needed additional help/support, I would get 'beaked' into a West direction.  'As the crow flies' may take on a different meaning.