Returning to Green

Welcome back to all who have been following this visual adventure. If this is your first time visiting, wait until you see what’s in store for you! My name is Chris Pitchford, and I publish here and elsewhere using the moniker “C.J. Pitchford.” Currently, I appear to live surrounded by green and growing things as if this was Ireland’s green and verdant lands, but that’s just the result of all the rain and moisture that this part of Colorado has been getting lately.

I love to share my aerial photography, and this free newsletter, Colorado HIGH SKY, is my favorite place to publish the results. I’ve been coming to Hutchinson Park in Lakewood, Colorado, for over five years for aerial photography. So far, the neighbors of this little park are still talking to me! During my most recent visit, I met a man walking his dogs—nearly every person I meet at the park is there for a similar reason—and we chatted for a bit as everyone I’ve met here is very friendly. I also like to think that my drones and I haven’t worn out our welcome!

Five years later, but a few hours earlier in the day, the same park (just to the right of the picture above, where the position of the author from years ago would be just outside of the frame to the left near the top), as it appears from about twice the height above ground level as the previous image.

The first sunrise almost didn’t appear to happen, hidden behind haze, fog, and clouds.

The next photo shows a detail of the above, showing the sun weakly peeking. I’m tying to think of a pun for “peaking weekly,” but I don’t have anything. With regards to the two images, the previous one sacrifices some detail for a brighter and more contrasting focus, while the next one mellows out the drama to show more details of the clouds distinct from the fog hiding downtown Denver.

Downtown was a ghost town, but only because it appeared that way from outside of the foggy river bottom.

The many bands of clouds crisscrossing the sky made for a dramatic sunrise.

The recent rains of the monsoon season have soaked the area, but not provided real depth of moisture yet. The grasses and flowers have peaked, but the cottonwoods are still getting started.

At this moment, Green Mountain is truly green, while Red Rocks remain pink!

Monsoon season has arrived in Colorado, so cloudy sunrises give way to clear days before the daily return of afternoon thunderstorms. That produces amazing growth.

When the sun ascended past the lowest layer of clouds, a second sunrise occurred!

It was a glorious return of the light to a park that was last featured here when it was metaphorically dark. At the time, I didn’t publish the following photo of a 360° panorama in the “Tiny Planet” style—but I wanted to!

The Tiny Planet looks a little different, this time.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end!