Bluer

In the part of the country I'm moving from, blue sky feels like a commodity. So often there is enough haze and moisture in the air that it makes the sky look more white than blue. This is a constant annoyance especially to WildChild, who is a photographer--blue skies are the best for outdoor photography.

On our first drive to Denver, the first time we noticed the sky was right after we crossed the border from Kansas to Colorado. We all marveled because it wasn't just blue; it was a brilliant blue, the kind you see when you're flying in an airplane.

In fact, that's kind of how it felt. It felt like we were driving in the sky.

In a way, I guess we were. Even though the first part of Colorado is still on the plains, you are gaining altitude slowly all through Kansas when you drive west. As you gain altitude, the atmosphere gets thinner. (You guys all probably know this already, but indulge me.) Thinner atmosphere = bluer sky.

But that's not all. Denver is much more arid than Oklahoma--much less moisture in the air, partly from being on the leeward side of the mountains.

Thinner atmosphere + lower humidity = even bluer sky.

What some people don't know (but many photographers do) is that when you have a blue sky, it makes all the colors show more brilliantly. So bluer sky = more brilliant colors.

Colorful Colorado.

So when you have a family who lives constantly around white-and-sometimes-kinda-blue sky, and they see Denver for the first time...let's just say I guess you could tell we were tourists. :) It was like living in that allergy commercial where the picture peels back and everything suddenly gets more colorful. "There's clear, and then there's Claritin clear." That's how it felt. It wasn't just the mountains that filled us with wonder, nor the bigness of the city; it was the color.

Oh, and we came in the fall, too. That helped. :)

So fine people of Denver, don't take for granted the gift you're given. There are some people in this nation of ours who don't even really know what blue sky looks like. What a sky!