In the Heat of the Night

I started in the dark before sunrise on Thursday, with heat and humidity foreign to Bear Valley and Denver, Colorado. But I made my way up to Broomfield, and by 6am that morning, it was already 90°F (32°C)!

Before the sun rose, the colors defined the sky and landscape. The temperature and humidity were unlike Denver’s typical mornings, and thunderstorms passed through before continuing east into the plains. I drove through a little rain, but only felt a few drops through the entire morning.

The rising sun alerted the local roosters who crowed in response to the dawn’s first light. The local high school was empty for the summer, government buildings stood silent before attended by its daily staff, but the surrounding farms and ranches were already loudly welcoming the day.

The Scirocco, evocative name of the warm Andalusian wind, was in my mind as the dry air pushed aside any rain. The temperature continued to climb, and the few drops that reached the ground evaporated into nothingness as quickly as they appeared.

The mountains were isolated by the new light of day shining in between the storm clouds. With help from the clouds, there were several moments of sunbursts and its accompanying glow.

Only a few drops of rain fell on me while flying the drones, who are built for some water resistance. While warm, the wind was gentle, and the drones flew in empty skies over the landscape.

On the other side of the state, these storms had produced dangerous lightning. Those strikes started fires on the both the north and south rims of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, on the western slope of the Continental Divide. For us here on the plains, the light show was less consequential.

The Broomfield park for drop-in “droning” is also in controlled airspace. The Jefferson County airport, or Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, as it is officially called, is just shy of five miles to the southwest. Flying a drone at this park requires drone pilots to get clearance from the control tower. Fortunately, I can use an app on my phone to request flight clearance!

On my way back home, I stopped to take some more photos of the Flatirons from a vantage point above US Highway 93.

I last visited this point on New Year’s Eve, when I was able to capture these scenes for the first time. But the soft lighting from the clouds was perfect for getting the details of the canyons and crags.

The light continued to play over the plains while I captured the warm and subdued scenery.

The next day, I was able to capture the setting of the Buck Moon from near my home in Bear Valley. It had just completed its procession to a full moon the previous afternoon, and today dawned much clearer.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end!