My $50 photos

I set out this morning from my motel in St George on my way to Zion National Park, all was going well, I didn’t get caught speeding, though I was only a couple of mph over the limit when I drove past a sheriff’s car. I then turned a bend after La Verkin and saw an amazing plateau - I got out to take a photo, it was cold so I shut the car door, took the photos and the car was locked, couldn’t get back in, the keys in the ignition and the engine is running and I’m on the outside. 

There were no cars in sight for what felt like an age, though it was probably only 5 minutes. I flagged down the first car that came past and they phoned the dealer’s emergency number and we managed to get them to contact a local breakdown company to help. Unfortunately the details of the breakdown service of the hire company were also locked in the car - even though I’d taken out the extra service. In the meantime her husband had driven back to the town to see if he could get the local sheriff to help. The wife did mention that this would be a good holiday story, especially when I mention the circling vultures. Not that I saw any, but the temps were cold, so I was glad I was on a busy road where help came relatively quickly before I froze a lonely death in the desert. I only found out later that there are mountain lions in the area. 

The sheriff turned up and the lovely family went off on their day trip to Zion and I joined the cop in his car to stay warm. All police myths went out the window, no grill behind the front seats, I sat in the front and the doors didn’t lock automatically, TV has had me conned. He did tell me that I shouldn’t think that I was a total idiot, loads of people do the same thing along the same stretch as they all take photos of the same plateau - glad I’m in foolish company. Though he did mention they’ve never had someone so late in the season, as he reckons most people think it’s too cold to get out and take a photo - hmm. Then a yellow jeep turned up and the sheriff and I were mystified until the two guys got out with a stick thing which the sheriff recognised and we realised that these were the rescue men. They got the door open in seconds, which was so frustrating, but they charged me half what the dealer’s woman quoted as a holiday special, and I was off. 

They're the most expensive photos I’ve taken!

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