I submitted the following photo to Country Magazine and won runner-up in the photo contest.

I was at my brother Tom’s house for the annual burning of the “pile” at the 4th of July. As I was leaving, I looked back and saw a moment I had to capture. It was only one shot and taken in days before the nice iPhone cameras. It may have even been a slide phone camera. Think the year 2002!

This is the first photograph I recall being captured by! Somehow I came across a photo contest in Country Magazine (I think my memory serves me correctly.

I remind people that the year’s winning photo was of an elderly woman sitting in a wheelchair with a horse bowing it’s head down to her head; it had all the right elements of sentimentality. I knew I didn’t stand a chance!

What a chance moment, when I turned around that night. I grateful to still have a version of the photo-if not the original. No need for first prize!