Bright and Happy ColorsHot Air Balloon Ballooning posts: 2015 14th Annual Red, White & Blue Balloon Festival, Letchworth State Park, 2014 13th Annual Red, White & Blue Balloon Festival, Letchworth State Park, 2014 13th Annual Letchworth Red, White & Blue Balloon Festival, 2013 Balloon Festivals, ... Third Time was The Charm, 2013 Two Birds with One Stone at Letchworth.

As part of the tradition of chasing hot air balloons a new tradition was born too. Just a short distance up the hill from Archery Field is a beautiful spot with a great view of sunrise over the Genesee River gorge, with the Big Bend on the right and the western side of the gorge on the left. The scheduled balloon launch is around 6 AM and sunrise is at around 5:40 AM at this time of the year. That makes for a perfect 2-4-1 event. Arrive early, watch the sunrise and then head for Archery Field to see how the morning meeting went and what the decision was. When things go well, there are usually a few balloons already spread on the grass.

Ballooning Sunrise over LetchworthGenesee River Big Bend That was the plan this Monday morning too. The sky was overcast providing potential for either a gorgeous wildfire in the sky or no sunrise at all. It was not just a few puffy clouds though but rather a solid layer. The forecast for the rest of the day called for clear skies and I was hoping the clouds would start breaking up at the perfect moment for the sun to find its way through. Well, that did not happen but it was not a bust either. The clouds thinned out enough for some color to make its way through providing a nice moody tone over the gorgeous gorge.

That is the great thing about nature and its ways. Always unpredictable, always ready with a new twist. This morning, the filtered light provided a more even illumination of the gorge without deep shadows, a rather different view compared to the sun shining directly in one's eyes and lens. That made all of the lush greenery stand out highlighting the late spring season.

I walked around a little bit looking for ways to show the familiar view in a less familiar fashion. In the end, my choice fell on this window-like view framed by the tree trunk and a stump on the right, more trees on the left, foreground grass in the bottom, and the colors of the sky at the top. I also liked how that frame added a sense of contrast and nice rich shadows to an otherwise evenly illuminated scene. Another wonderful sunrise over a beautiful place!

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you!

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