That is what this paddle boarder told her friend as she entered my sunset shot this past Sunday. I would have to agree.

If you want to see stunning sunsets and sunrises with regularity, skip those mountains and head east to Colorado’s plains. The shows that start and end the day are oftentimes simply spectacular, as it was on this evening.

We were camping and seeing what the sky was doing, my wife and I went for a walk along the shoreline, me with camera in hand of course. I was initially annoyed that the paddle boarder entered my frame and I contemplated relocating to get a clear shot.

However, I then actually became enthusiastic about her presence realizing she actually added to the image and moved to get her in what I hoped was just the right spot. Her pose at that instant was perfect and silhouetted against the setting sun across the lake really worked well.

I took a ton of pics on our six-day trip but I have to say, this is probably the one I love the most. It highlights just about everything I love about being outdoors in Colorado and sharing it with my best friend, my wife, made it all the more special. Taken at Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s North Sterling State Park.

Living in a major metropolitan area like Denver can make it hard to escape the trappings of modern life. Thankfully though, cities and counties in Colorado do a pretty good job managing the growth and offer areas of escape.

This particular open space is about five minutes from my house and one of my favorites. Setting out for a walk within it sees the sights and sounds of suburbia begin to disappear and provide a much-needed respite from civilization.

Last Sunday I took advantage of this spot and sat on the shoreline of this pond soaking in the pastel colored sunrise. Lately the world is moving quickly and in troubling ways and times like this I value these spots more than ever. Do yourself a favor and get out and take advantage of similar locations! It does a mind and body good!

Taken a couple of weeks ago, I was almost to my photo destination and could see the sunrise was going to be a great one. Unfortunately, fates conspired against me and I arrived about five minutes after the main show.

As a consolation though, I did get this nice capture of the show as things began to fade. Unfortunately there was just enough of a ripple on the water to prevent a perfect reflection but it still looked nice.

A chilly morning but not so much so to make it uncomfortable out there. Not long before this, the sun helped color the clouds in red for a decent show. I lingered though, waiting for the sun to burst over the horizon. As it did, its warming light lit up the reeds in front of me and above were beautiful clouds. Well, worth hanging out for!

We sure know how to put on a show to start the days here on the plains of Colorado. It really is a treat to be able to take in scenes like this sunrise more often than not. On this day, the temperatures were a cold 20 degrees as I made my way down to the shore of the lake. I sat there for a half hour, cold for sure, but also distracted from it by the show unfolding to the east. Just beautiful!

Another fine example of why sunrises on the Great Plains absolutely rock.

Before the sun popped over the horizon, I was blessed with a very colorful display, an image which I shared last week. As the sun continued its rise, it started to show itself and the display changed but was just as beautiful. The starburst across the lake was awesome and those beautiful, blue Colorado skies were amazing.