Tuesday, July 14, 2009

After the Rain, Elkins WVA




After Old Fields I went north and west into the center of the state to reach Elkins. This was another town on the map which enjoyed a lot of storms, as I observed on the weather readout. Sure enough, as I journeyed there through rural valleys, the clouds turned dark and I rode through heavy rain. By the time I got to Elkins, an old railroad town, the rain was stopping.

I turned in at one of my favorite motels, a Hampton Inn which was newly built on a commanding height above the commercial strip. In earlier days, a "robber baron" would have put his ostentatious castle on this site. The view from the room over the valley was spectacular. I drew these scenes of the departing storm from my window. (Click on image for a larger view.) As the clouds parted, glorious rays of sunlight shone forth over the darkened mountains, until the sun set. I tried to capture the ever-changing colors of the sunset and clearing sky. After the epiphany was over, I went and had dinner at a Quizno's Sub shop.

2 comments:

Tristan Alexander said...

You are so good at capturing the mood with very little work. Almost like the japanese or Chinese brush paintings where a few lines make a whole landscape. Lovely as usual.

Pyracantha said...

Tristan, thanks for your comments. I am trying for that very effect, attempting to capture a fleeting moment in a landscape or scene.