The jumping-off point was the little town of Mitchell, Oregon, only a dozen or so miles away from Painted Hills. I took some shots of Mitchell, including our motel, the Sky Hook, not expecting much of anything to come out of them. But I eventually found that this sleepy town with most shops closed, apparently permanently, was a view of small-town America that was totally new and refreshing to me. It led me to wonder how it is to live in such a small, isolated place. For example, the nearest grocery store is probably around 40 miles away.

I took the photos of Mitchell more or less disconsolately, trying to entertain myself between sunrise and sunset. I wish now I'd taken that part more seriously. Too bad Mitchell is 350 miles from home, making it hard to shoot it again. On top of which, I wonder if it's still there?!