"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness" - John Steinbeck

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This photo is dedicated to Matt Snell, a landscape photographer based in Banff, Alberta who was killed in a tragic climbing accident earlier this month. It was he who recommended Castle Junction to me, one of his favourite locations in the Rockies. I returned to this spot many times last year after he told me about it. You will be missed, Matt.

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So many of my favourite elements are in this photo: mountains, water (rivers), trees, snow, reflections, sunrises and epic clouds. It was taken on a memorable morning in the Canadian Rockies, one of the the best areas in the whole world, in my biased but semi-informed opinion. Specifically, this is the Bow River at Castle Junction, near Banff, Alberta late in the fall, after winter's first kiss.

Here's one of my favourite pieces of classical music to go along with the photo. I know it's not Musical Monday but this composiiton fits the image and my mood tonight, so I'd like to share it with you, because songs are such strong informers and enhancers of photography, and musical melodies are woven throughout my art: I listen to music when I drive around looking for photos, when I process those photos, and when I write about those photos and post them to Steem.