A fierce storm is passing through Valley of the Gods in southeastern Utah. The first sign was the dark sky, accompanied by occasional lightning flashes and thunder. As the storm got closer, a reddish cloud of sand became visible at ground level. The cloud swallowed bits of the landscape as the storm moved up the valley. To protect my eyes and my camera I got in the car and closed all the windows. A few minutes after I shot this picture, a fierce wind blasted the area, rocking the car repeatedly. I wondered how some campers up the road were faring in their tent. The sand cloud obscured the area for several minutes, then slowly faded away as it moved north. There was brief rain---much less than I had anticipated. My camera had trouble focusing in the low-contrast conditions.

It was a thrilling experience. My car was not damaged. This view is to the south, toward the approaching storm.