Cook's Memorial? West Desert, Tooele County, UtahCook’s Memorial? – Nikon D300, f13, 1/640, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

As best as I can figure out what is in this photo is a cook’s memorial that I found 7 years ago today out on a range in Utah’s West Desert.

When I am out in the field looking for birds I sometimes come across strange or even odd things and this pile of rocks, red bows, seashells, pottery shards, and wooden spoons was one of those things. I hadn’t been to this area in several weeks when I discovered what appears to be a memorial of some kind. The wooden spoons appeared to be high quality and not the kind that you can pick up at a dollar store. I decided that what I found and photographed might be a memorial for a cook.

I spotted the cook’s memorial over the rest of the winter and into early spring and then one day I simply couldn’t see it anymore.

I wish I knew the story behind the pile of rocks, seashells, pottery shards, red bows, and wooden spoons and how it came to be. Was this memorial for a woman? A mother, wife, sister, brother, husband, a ranch hand who liked to cook? I’ll never know.

I did photograph some birds that day including a few Horned Larks perched on rocks not far from this little memorial.

This cook’s memorial isn’t the only strange or odd thing I have spotted while out in the field looking for birds. Perhaps I should write about them more often.

Life is good. Sometimes it is a mystery.

Mia