As I was leaving the bedroom after a mere 4 hours of sleep yesterday morning, Mikey's voice came from the darkness with two words for me "You're mad" he said, "Yes, I have to agree with you" I replied, and headed out the door to go find a sunrise.

I had somehow misplaced my snowpants from the last adventure day, but I thought, I'm going to the prairies so how bad could it possibly be out there? Exhausted, I arrived in Dorothy just before sunrise and quickly grabbed my gear out of the truck and headed into a field to set up and instantly sunk in the snow up to my thighs. We have been getting record snowfall amounts in Calgary, and apparently east of the City is no different. I grumpily set up my tripod, plunked my bum down in the snow and started shooting the grain elevator I had come to see bathed in morning light.  

Dorothy is a picturesque ghost town located on the "Hoodoo Trail" in the Badlands of Alberta, and one of my favourite prairie towns to visit. The grain elevator is not the only building worth shooting, but by the time I had gathered my photos of the building, I was soaking wet, freezing cold, sleepy, hungry, grumpy, craving more coffee but most of all I just wanted to go home and go back to bed. I know, I'm such a party pooper!

Knowing that I had captured the photo that I came for (no more and no less) I cut my adventure day short and begun the two hour drive back to the city. When I drive, my eyes wander around looking for more picture possibilities and then I saw a perfect row of trees that had been planted for a windbreak.  Yep, that would make a good picture, I thought and kept on driving, anxious to get home.  But the image of the trees plagued me for several kilometres down the road even though I tried my best to ignore it, trying to convince myself that there are trees everywhere (It's the prairies after all, known for it's abundance of trees). Finally, just as I was reaching the next town on the way home, I succumbed to the nagging photographer in the back of my mind (sometimes she can be a real pain) turned around and drove back up the highway to find that row of trees again. I begrudgingly hopped out of my truck and shot a few frames and then turned around again and went home for a nap. I'm happy I went back for the photo, I'm glad the little photographer that lives in my skull is so convincing.

 I absolutely love adventure days, but they can sure take a toll.