There are times that being a farmer’s daughter comes in handy. Having an internal 5:30 am alarm clock is one of the perks, especially if you want to take photos at “The Golden Hour” just as the sun rises. As many of you know, I have taken a plethora of snaps of this lovely church this year. The Morley Methodist Church is an unexpected treasure nestled in the foothills on The Bow Valley Trail leading from Cochrane into Canmore. I take this road often and when the spirit moves me, I will stop by this special place and take a photo or two.

It wasn’t until yesterday morning that I finally got a series of photos that I’m really pleased with as at last the sky joined the rustic church and long, lead-line fence to create a welcoming scene worth sharing. Photography is all about light and timing. Yesterday I found myself up before dawn and so hopped in my Jeep to get on the road to Canmore to visit a good friend and do some last minute Christmas shopping. As I drove along The Bow Valley Trail, Ella Fitzgerald keeping me company, the sun rose behind me, gradually lighting the whole Bow Valley in this orange and pink glow that is reminiscent of the Whoville scene at the end of The Grinch when the whole town starts singing. You know. That scene 🙂 Well, that Chinook glow is what welcomed me yesterday as I passed by my favourite Alberta landscape muse. I just had to stop! I grabbed my camera and this time, I got adventurous and hopped the long fence leading up to the church, skirting the church yard on the eastern side to get a different, and better, shot of the wee church basking in the glow of an Alberta sunrise. A peace-filled, magical moment I shall remember for years to come.

If you would like to see more photos from my early morning Morley Church adventure, please visit me over at my website. I managed to get a few more that are keepers!

This will be my last post before New Years as I am thankfully heading home in two days to visit my dear family who I haven’t seen in a whole year! I can’t wait! So this is Merry Christmas from your faithful, intrepid Vagabond Photographer to you my dear readers. All the best of the holiday season!