O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
—Katharine Lee Bates
Lyrics to America the Beautiful
(When’s the last time you dropped the word halcyon in a casual conversation?)
On my recent trip to Colorado I picked up a nail somewhere on my drive. Thankfully the tire held air until I got to Colorado Springs which was the only place in several states that had my exact tire in stock. Life is full of little adventures and we tried to make the best of our slight detour. We arrived in Colorado Springs at night and didn’t realize until the next morning that our hotel had a great view of Pikes Peak.
I took my dog out for an early morning walk and found the mountain range framed some sunflowers nicely. The second photo of my dog gives a little better angle of Pikes Peak in all its glory just as the sun is hitting the summit. Getting a nail in your tire on the road is a pain, but you got to keep your eyes open for the silver linings. (Or in this case, the yellow flowers and blue sky.)
P.S. According to one website, Pikes Peak is known as America’s Mountain and “Named for Lt. Zebulon Pike — who never actually reached the peak — and the inspiration for Katharine Lee Bates’ iconic American anthem, America the Beautiful, Pikes Peak is an American icon whose 14,115-foot summit challenges and inspires visitors from around the globe.”
Scott W. Smith is the author of Screenwriting with Brass Knuckles
Screenwriting from Iowa 