White Bike

As I have mentioned, once we were squarely into New Mexico the targets of my fascination became quite common and forced a change in behavior as a photographer. Unlike every other road I had shot on, where I would stop any time I saw a descanso, in New Mexico I had to be somewhat more choosy.

The white bike was my first real choice.

We passed the bike on our way out of Questa. Because I was being more thoughtful about the shots I would stop and take, and initially I drove by this memorial.

I quickly turned around and went back.

The stark white bike against the hills and blue sky struck me. Clearly a memorial for a child, complete with a child’s bike and several stuffed animals, I can likely visualize the accident. There was a sticker on the bike proclaiming their love for the Garcia family and grieving their loss.

The bear, or sloth, I’m not sure is holding up well in the New Mexican climate, especially compared to those in the Pacific Northwest that I have photographed. It looks old, but it’s not as worn or washed out as I would have expected given the likely age of the memorial.