Out of The Frying Pan

Several years ago I attended a showing of top National Geographic photographs.   I was totally entranced by one of them—a night photo of the Tehachapi (California) wind farm taken by Jeff Kroeze.   I found/tracked down Jeff Kroeze & e-mailed him.   He was kind enough to respond, even giving me the settings/how-to of his photograph.   I have been hoping and looking for a similar wind farm ever since.    

Photo by Jeff Kroeze--this is MY bucket list shot to do!

We are on a work assignment in Amarillo, Texas—which is pretty flat country surrounded by wind farms.   This is seems like a good place to “get my shot.”  

I convinced my husband to go scouting with me west of Amarillo.  I thought I remembered some possibly good windmills around the little town of Bushland.    We headed west and pulled off I-40 onto the side road (old Route 66).   There was a country road, what we in Oklahoma call a “section line road,” heading north right into what appeared to MAYBE be a good place to return in the dark of night and "shoot windmills."

The “good” gravel road ended and a less traveled one continued on ending in a pasture.   Not seeing any “no trespassing” or “keep out” signs, we pulled to end of the road.   Dan & I both started taking some photos of the windmills in the distance.   There was a nice fence post with barbed wire that got a few shots, too. 

The windmills across the field

Busy with my camera & the photos, I didn’t notice an older model car pulling up until it was right beside us.   Inside was an old codger cowboy.  I smiled & held up my camera (my sign for “see what I’m doing here and hope its ok?”).   He got out and I said, “Hi, we’re taking pics of the windmills.  Is that ok? We didn’t see any signs.”   “Well,” he said (draw that "well" waaay out--more like, "waaaelll") “this here’s private property.  Part of the Bush Estate—The Frying Pan Ranch.”   I said I hadn’t seen a sign.  He said, “Well, there’s one back there on that gate that’s in the ditch.”  “In the ditch?” I said (as in, like, “duh, hello, sorry I didn’t look in the ditch for the sign.”).   Dan told him we’d leave, but he said, “Seeing as you’re not causin’ any trouble, I trust ya—go on and take yer pictures.” 

And the cowboy codger drove away . . .

I didn't climb over the fence.   THAT would have been trespassing!

I find it interesting that this ranch was originally owned by a barbed wire creator & that I was fascinated with the barbed wire!

Aw heck.  There's too many power lines.  Gotta find another wind farm! 

Grainery in Wilderado, TX 

(Look up the Frying Pan Ranch/Bush Estate for some interesting history on this part of the country!)