One Blue Ridge Morning / by Todd Henson

One Blue Ridge Morning: A sunrise scene from atop the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park

I’m not an early riser, so I always find it challenging driving out to Shenandoah National Park in time for sunrise. And you never know exactly what the weather will be like when you arrive. You may drive right into a dense cloud bank, unable to see anything beyond a few feet in front you. Or, you may arrive to the scene you see above, with a beautiful gradation of colors in the sky, the sun not yet above the horizon, and that dense cloud bank in the valley below.

Motivation is a battle for some of us. It’s so much easier, and at the time feels so much better, curling up in that warm bed for a couple extra hours. But on those days when we manage to overcome inertia and get out early enough, especially on those days we encounter scenes like that above, it makes all that effort worth while. And it’s moments like this that drive us to make every effort to do it again, to rise early, to get out there and search out the next beautiful scene.

Alas, it’s still not all that often I manage this. But it does give me something to strive for.