More often than not, sunrises and sunsets in Colorado are colorful events that are very hard to ignore. This particular morning (November 28, 2014) was no exception as the sky was painted a wide gamut of pastels.
Sunrise moonset
Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous morning here on the Colorado Front Range with reasonably mild temperatures, mostly clear skies and a golden sunrise. Looking away from the rising sun, layers of clouds, a setting full moon and an amber landscape filled the eyes. It was gorgeous!
Honoring those who served
For nearly 240 years, brave men and women have answered the call to service and donned the uniforms of this nation’s military. Like myself and my family, millions of veterans have served this nation in all capacities.
No matter their assigned job, they have served with honor, courage and commitment from back here in the states to places overseas like Tora Bora, Fallujah, Normandy, Anzio, Guadalcanal, Khe Sanh, Inchon and many other God-forsaken hell holes across the globe.
Each has made their own sacrifices for God and country. Sacrifices of time, mind, body and soul.
All of us, all veterans, believe in this country and believe in the cause.
I, as they do, firmly believe that the United States of #America is a beacon for all others – where we lead, others follow because the liberties and freedom we have and offer are cherished by all beings and are a God given right.
That spirit of patriotism and loyalty echoes loudly throughout the hills of Arlington National Cemetery and in the voices of veterans you can talk to today.
Our service men and women are the finest examples of what this great nation stands for and all are worthy of the highest praise and greatest honors.
Please take time today to remember the veterans of this great nation and what they have given to all of us – our very freedom and freedom to millions of others.
Gold on the slopes of the Crags
Taken a few weeks ago near Estes Park, Colorado, this image captures the Crags of Twin Sisters. The blue skies and rugged, rocky top with thick forest below and a vein of golden aspen below were quite beautiful.
Much of the fall foliage in the high country of northern Colorado is done for the year. Southern mountain areas still have some and the plains areas are nearing their peak.
Cloud-shrouded Longs Peak at sunrise
If you have been to or live in Colorado, you have undoubtedly seen the extraordinary mountain that is Longs Peak. There is arguably no more recognizable, photogenic mountain in the entire Centennial State.
One of 53 “14’ers” in the state, this 14,259 foot tall peak is imposing and beautiful. It bears the name of Major Stephen Harriman Long, leader of an 1820 government sponsored expedition who noted the mountain from the plains but never climbed it. The survey party of John Wesley Powell was the first to record summiting Longs Peak in 1868.
This image was taken earlier this month on a cold morning when the mountain’s top was intermittently shrouded in clouds.
Hawaiian sunrise as seen from the deck of an aircraft carrier
Happy 239th Birthday to the U.S. Navy! Please forgive the quality as this comes from an old negative that was scanned. Image taken at sunrise on August 29, 1995 aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) off the coast of Waikiki, Hawaii.
The ship and its air wing (I was attached to VS-35, the Blue Wolves) were taking part in training exercises and ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.
By far the most memorable part of the short deployment was 11 WWII era warbirds that made the trip with us and actually launched from the deck of the carrier soon after this picture was taken. You can see some of those old planes toward the bottom right in the image.
The event was an amazing reminder of the heritage of the U.S. Navy and its importance to the nation and the world over the past two and a half centuries. GO NAVY!
Brilliant Colorado sunrise
Taken back in May just outside #Denver, #sunrise on this morning was absolutely gorgeous. Scenes like this are quite common here – something which we oftentimes don’t take time to enjoy. But, when we do slow down and look, we are aptly rewarded.
Winter sunrise reflections
Going back a few years for Throwback Thursday to December 12, 2010. It was a calm morning in Thornton, Colorado but also quite cold with temperatures in the teens. A friend and I met to walk along the South Platte River and take pictures. We were treated to a gorgeous #sunrise which was reflected almost perfectly in a pond’s surface. It was worth braving the cold to see this!
Dramatic high-altitude Sawtooth Ridge
Situated between Mount Evans (14,265′) and Mount Bierstadt (14,065′) in Colorado’s Arapaho National Forest, this rugged peak looks impressive any time. Throw in stormy, fall skies, high contrast caused by the strong afternoon shadows and a perfectly placed spot of light on the peak and this mountain looks intimidating.
The route from Guanella Pass to Bierstadt, across Sawtooth to Evans and back is a very popular hiking route that is just over 10 miles round-trip. Parts of the route are considered moderate in difficulty with Mother Nature oftentimes being the big wildcard with fast-changing weather at this high of altitude.
High plains beast at sunset
Storm chasing season is a long ways away and I am already longing for it to arrive so was flipping through some older pictures. This monstrous supercell was part of a system that spawned six tornadoes in southeastern Colorado and the Oklahoma panhandle on May 31, 2010. It was an amazing day capped off by this extraordinary scene of the setting sun and a slowly dying supercell thunderstorm