Compaction Test Kit Box in Morning Shadow

Deep shadow swallows the lower portion of a weathered metal box resting on a muddy access road near Puebla. A sharp rim of hard morning sunlight catches the top edge of the galvanized steel, highlighting the texture of dried mud caked onto the surface. Beside the box, a heavy chain lies coiled on the dusty ground, its links reflecting faint light against the dark earth. Splashes of faded spray paint mark a nearby timber beam, against the rusted metal. The sky above is a perfectly clear, pale blue, visible only as a sliver between the shadow and the road. one drop of dried mud rests on the corner of the box lid.