Wow… it has been a while. Haven’t had an update in a while here, but I wanted to post a quick image from just a few hours ago. We’ve been having beautiful weather up here in south central Alaska – lots of clear skies. But little “dramatic” light to be seen. This past week, we had an aurora alert. I decided to drive out towards Glennallen on Tuesday night. The weather forecasters (yeah, those guys/gals with 100% accuracy and approval ratings) divined clear skies for almost all of south central Alaska. They actually got it mostly right. Perfectly clear skies all night. Except for the window that is well known to be the usual prime time slot for aurora activity. From 10:30 pm to 1:30 am clouds moved in just west of Glennallen. Just my luck. Oh well, still got to see green aurora arcing over the horizon. As Martha Stewart says, “It’s a good thing”. And just so you know, my male friends, I only know she says that because my mother quoted her once. So yes, I get to keep my Man Card. Now back off.
I’ve been craving spring lately – not gonna lie. Green is a color I haven’t seen in a while, not in its natural form anyways. Flowers? What exactly are those again? You know us Alaskans are “just a bit crazy” when we look at the forecast (yeah… from those guys/gals) and see 31 degrees and think, “Wow! Heat wave! It’s time to break out the sun tan lotion, shorts, and start thinking about parking our snowmobiles till summer is over. In 2 weeks.
I shot several images right next to the Matanuska River, just outside of Palmer, looking due south at Pioneer and Twin Peaks. I was hoping for a bit more in the “clouds department”. I left my jacket at home, because… you know… it’s a heat wave. Of course, after the sun set, I hurried back to my car so I could blast the heat.
Pioneer Peak Reflecting in Matanuska River, Palmer, Alaska - ©2010 Dave Taylor/Sixtyone North (Canon 5D mk 2, 24-105 @ 50mm, 3.2" @ f/16, ISO 50. B+W CPL & Singh-Ray 3 stop soft grad ND)
Heading back out again tomorrow morning, same great location.
Stay tuned…
Hey, Dave -
Beautiful image! Very soothing, especially from the comfort of my warm living room… ;^D
Hey, if you want to see some green, swing by WI again – green grass visible everywhere, now that yesterday’s snow has mostly melted… :^D
- Jack
Gorgeous DRT – So serene – and “it is a good thing.”!
Oh we do have completely bare ground – but it was 10 degrees this a.m. My daffodils have little coats on.
I should also add – your image captures wonderful lines – curves, straight, and of course incredible mountain peaks.
Every time you create an incredible image within the beauty of Alaska’s diverse landscape, it creates a new light in my own eyes – a light I never want to see disappear. “When we love the graciousness of nature and its elegance of providing us something so grandeur to see through our own eyes – we admire that moment within ourselves, which then creates a new light to respect our footsteps when we walk through the trails of beauty.” (Yes, that was ME!)
Great image! I think it would look great printed on canvas.