Look Twice for Motorcycles

The blue and white balloons catch my eye as I'm driving down Northwest Radial.

I pull over and take in the scene.

It's a roadside memorial. "Pedro" is emblazoned on a royal blue cross. The balloons read, "Happy Birthday" and "LA Pedro". A smaller sign in red  on the cross says, "Support Your Local Hells Angels Omaha." My eye finally wanders to a sign in the grass-"Look Twice Save A Life Watch For Motorcycles."

As I press the shutter, I hear the engines of motorcycles approaching to my left. They're coming fast. Really fast.

But, I don't hear the distinctive guttural growl of Harleys.  Instead, they have the high-pitched whine of motorcross bikes. I whirl around-camera still to my eye. I spy the rider doing a wheelie, quickly adjust my exposure, lock on to him and SNAP!

Look Twice. Watch For Motorcycles.

The time stamp on these two photos is exactly 6 seconds apart.

This is why I love photography. The story isn't in the photographs, it's in my memory of such a surreal and serendipitous scene, and it's one of the many reasons I keep coming back for more.