Break Of Dawn

After attending the SARA (Southern Alberta Repeater Association) flea-market in Calgary, I thought a drive was required to get the cobwebs out of my head. I find that it is becoming easier to get out of bed before the sun these days, as the sun broke the horizon at 7:15am on what would prove to be another gorgeous day in Southern Alberta. I really did not have any particular destination in mind as I made my way along Memorial Drive west-bound. I kept an eye on the eastern horizon in my rear-view mirror as I drove and as I neared 14th st, I decided to pull my truck over and captured this image of the downtown beside The Bow as dawn broke.

As a rule I try and have some idea as to where I will travel to when I leave town and plan on capturing images. If I don't have any ideas in mind, it leads to frustration with the lack of quality photos at the end of the day. I really did not care on this day as I was finding it relaxing to just get out of the city and away from the traffic and endless detours through construction sites.

Before long with a coffee on the go and Calgary fading in my rear-view mirror, I turned on to the Bearspaw road off of Crowchild Trail and became more relaxed as I proceeded at a leisurely 80kph and at times slower when something of interest came into view. This was the case as I came up on the West Hope School down one of the many side-roads I now found myself on in the MD of Rocky View. If you look close in my photo you can see a monument that lists the many names of teachers and people that made a difference in the history of this one room school house.

Some wandering around the school grounds was in order and I suspect this old pump would be long gone if visible from the road. I was glad it still remained in place on the well as I shot this photo, and the thoughts running through my mind were of the many hands that had pumped water from the well for use in the school house nearby. It also made me think of the two room school house that I attended as a first-grader, that fortunately today has been restored to pristine condition and is used as a small museum. I refuse to tell you how many years ago that was, as I cannot believe it myself. From here I found myself near the hamlet of Bottrel and knowing Dog Pound Creek was located nearby, I swung over that way as I have fished this tiny treasure many times over the years.

I have rattled on way to long about this day, however after a relaxing lunch at a small cafe where I caught up on the local news, I made my way east through Crossfield and east towards Beiseker where I captured this photo of this jumper that I had observed jumping out of a perfectly good airplane with a group of four other jumpers.

Now deciding to head for home the shortest way I could as I had things to attend to, I could not pass up on this photo of another combine bringing in the harvest. Harvesting is taking place in all directions as I make the final drive home to Calgary and all its traffic woes. I suspect the combines will continue harvesting far into the night as showers are in the forcast.