Bigfoot Sighting in Utah! Really???

There was a nip in the air that morning. The clouds were low and the sun was nowhere to be seen. As I listened to the traffic report for the morning drive in to the city and heard that the freeway was stop and go, I decided to take the back way over the mountain. This was on the edge of Utah/Salt Lake County. Rural, somewhat deserted, the houses being 20 feet apart instead of 10, it had a lonely feel to it. I love that drive. Even in the harshest of weather, I take that road because of the isolation. In a snow storm or dense fog it can be very lonely, but I love it.
On this particular morning as I started to make the climb, my mind was on particularly nothing. I was listening to music, but I couldn’t tell you what it was. I was relaxed and enjoying the drive. As I rounded the corner, I saw something out of the corner of my eye that immediately registered in my brain. I’m embarrassed to say what it registered as, but I immediately put my hand on my phone prepared to call the first person in my favorites. My mind was racing as I imagined calling at least a half a dozen people in those first few seconds.
Me. I. Had just seen Bigfoot. Yes. Right there on the other side of the road, climbing up the side of the hill. No other cars were around to witness this with me, but I was sure of it. I imagined what I would say to people when I called them, or if they would believe me. Then I thought to pull up the camera on my phone when, still driving the car, I come upon the site where he stood, and there it was. Unmistakable. A pine tree, lying on its side half covered in snow.
Immediate embarrassment. You know that feeling you get when you do something stupid? The first thing you do is look around to see if anybody else saw you making a fool of yourself? Well, that’s what I did. Right then, and the rest of the drive to work I felt completely silly and embarrassed.
But then it hit me. It takes people like me who (1 – are pretty much blind and wearing my old contact lens prescription and (2 – I have a very active imagination. We are the ones that help keep the legend of Bigfoot alive.

Side note: on my drive home that day, taking the same route, I slowed down when I got to the “sighting” point. I discovered that not only was it not Bigfoot, I discovered that it wasn’t a pine tree either. It was a clump of sagebrush half covered in snow. I can only imagine that when the snow completely melts, or if I were to walk right up to it, it would probably end up being a pile of someone’s garbage.