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I captured this photo while on an early morning bike ride through Brown’s Desert Ranch (a hiking/biking area in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, in Scottsdale Arizona). Brown's Desert Ranch is not only vast but it's beautiful. The trails meander through lush desert cacti and saguaros while a variety of mountainscapes flank the edges. On this day, I chose to cycle the trails. I store the bike in the back of my Jeep (which I tow behind my RV). I often chuckle, "If I can't drive my RV to a location, then I drive my Jeep. If I can't drive my Jeep to a location, then I ride my bike. If I can't ride my bike, then I have my feet." I love, and am thankful for, that freedom. It was quite some time before the sun rose however, I thoroughly enjoyed the solitude while I cycled and scoped out this location. You can see by the colors in the clouds and the angle of the shadows that this photo was taken right after sunrise (my favorite time of the day, in all regards). The mountain in the background is called, "Pinnacle Peak", a well-known local landmark.
Cadomin is a hamlet in the west-central area of Alberta. It is quaintly nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Hinton and just east of Jasper National Park. This operating coal mine community was once home to over 1000 people but now is home to only 55. I was SO excited to be back in the Rockies and I felt very fortunate that I arrived on such a BEAUTIFUL day! That said, to say I was “excited” was an understatement! I was invigorated by the mountain air, the beauty that surrounded me and the freedom my life and RV gives me. I arrived in Cadomin just as the morning sun crested and filled the valley floor. The golden light on this pond was astonishing, and I knew it would be short lived so I had to hustle to capture it! I love the dominating fall colors in this photo but what I love the most is the lead in line and how your eyes follow the shoreline, and then settles in the vivid reflection of the pond (called “the settling point”). At day’s end I reflected upon the day; with my happy energy radiating, many wonderful things came my way. A change in one’s attitude, is golden. So, I named this photograph, "Golden Change" (as in seasons and in attitude). 🙂
Rightfully named because there's a bird perched on the bolder! This sunrise photo was taken from Scottdale's McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, Tom’s Thumb trail. Looking south-east towards Weaver's Needle and Superstition Mountain (as seen in the distance).
