Author: Cat J Winblood (Pagosa Springs, Colorado, USA)
Website: Click here
Photo location: Mountain Pass Between Silverton and Ouray
Categories: [beautiful]  [nature]  

Capturing memories in my camera is like capturing them in my mind and tabbing them for reference later.

Driving through the mountains is always such an experience for me. The sun comes over the large hills and slowly works to disappear on the other side. The light sneaks through the treetops and snakes down the snowdrifts, bringing those that are fortunate enough to view the land, extreme shadows and light.

While exploring the mountain passes using a road and a vehicle you are taken away to another world with each and every sight. I took this photo from the road...in a car. Later, when I viewed it, I saw the shadows and sun using the snow as a playground. I could see the miners of the past working nearby in my mind. I could see the ghost shapes of them staying busy, even with snow surrounding their building, keeping their eye on the silver they hoped to find in the rocks they worked hard to crush and process.

Printing the photo brought me even more joy as the dark colors and light colors came out even more extreme on paper. I will never forget the moment I shot this photo.

I will never forget the weekend we took time off as a family to explore a nearby town. We enjoyed a stay in a hotel from the 1800's and were visited by ghost of the past. I think there were ghosts in those very buildings that I took a photo of...ghosts of the miners up in the mountains looking to score their fortune.

I have realized my fortune, to see these beautiful sights by just taking a drive. I am blessed each day when I look out the window to see the mountains that surround our home. Our family continues to build memories like these through photographs and long drives in the mountains. I don't need the silver that's deep in the mountains to bring me joy. I just need my family and these memories.

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