A Superb Announcement

I want to share an announcement: free music is available at my Patreon, with more specials available to subscribers, starting at only $1 each month! Rarely do I mix visual and audio media, although the latest in my new music is inspired by the visuals here at Colorado HIGH SKY!

I have been planning for a long time to share an announcement of offering my music at Patreon, but heading south this morning before sunrise was a last-minute decision. I looked at some satellite photos to see where I could avoid low-lying fog that would prevent flying using Visual Flight Rules (VFR), but also capture some of the color of the sunrise. I drove south, and was rewarded with breathtaking views captured in silence, infrequently interrupted by the sounds of a waking crow or passing car.

My latest musical project, soon to be started, is based on the visuals like the panorama above, but I’ll save that announcement for Patreon (and for later). This morning turned out to be a very colorful exploration under high clouds upon the high plains and foothills.

While the temperatures were cool, the air was nearly still and perfect for flying. There are a number of places to pull off of the highway and park on the side of the road (although some public roads go through private land around here, with signs forbidding any stopping or leaving the roads). The many rock formations are clearly a draw for visitors, but some ranches and private residences have fenced out the public.

I’ve traveled to this spot before to capture images of fog over Denver that I couldn’t get anywhere else—despite trying! While the daytime temperatures have been warm, the last two nights have seen bands of snow pass through this area, leaving just enough to frost the landscape in its wake.

The view north featured a rare sight: a cloud-capped Green Mountain. The clouds on Green Mountain were the remnants of the fog that I went south to avoid. I appreciated the chance, however, to see a new side of my own neighborhood, especially one so rare. The frosted landscape glowed beneath the first light of the sun, with shadows dramatically contrasting the reflections.

I continued along Highway 67, up Jarre Canyon to Indian Creek. I also brought along a drone I had yet to showcase here, an Autel Robotics EVO Lite+. Despite the long and awkward name, it is a friendly and easy drone to fly with a highly configurable camera. Of all the drones I’ve used, it had the easiest learning curve, with an accessible interface and “pro” settings for its excellent camera.

As an aside, I’ve actually crashed this drone against the top of a tree near the South Platte River. The drone tumbled through the tree branches, slowing its fall, until it landed on its top on a bed of dried pine needles. The very delicate gimbal with its tiny motors and gyroscopes that keep the camera steady even as the drone flies through the air was unaffected, apparently, in the crash landing. Once I recovered the drone, having waded through the river in an unplanned crossing, I merely had to replace the propellors out of an abundance of caution and was able to fly again.

I was extremely lucky that day, and my luck continued as in that traffic was light, and I could drive slowly over snow dusted roads through the twists and turns of the canyon. The sun rose over the mists and morning clouds, and the EVO captured the saturated light in its panoramas of the foothills.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end! I get one last chance to share the superb news of releasing free music and special subscriptions at my Patreon. Enjoy, and I look forward to hearing from you.