Sometimes the things you go chasing after elude you.  Try as you may, it€™s not meant to be.  This particular day started at 3:00 AM when the alarm went off in my tent.  I crept out of Belle campground as quietly as I could to make the hour or so drive to the location where I wanted to greet the sun - with camera of course.  When I arrived Orion was standing huge on the eastern horizon, still clearly visible in the dark sky.  But the sky wouldn't be dark for long. 

I shot a lot of pictures but none of them worked out.  I went to another place nearby that I wanted to shoot while the sun was still low in the sky.  That didn€™t work out either.  So I returned to Joshua Tree National Park and spent the middle part of the day scouting out sites for future sunrises and sunsets.  There were some really promising places, something to come back to. 

For sunset that day I had a glorious idea - Pinto Mountain shot from the south across the Pinto basin.  It was a composition I noted earlier in the day.  There were towering thunder clouds filling the blue sky so it had a lot of exciting potential.  I got to the area early so I could scout a good location.  It took a while (in 104 degree weather by the way) but I found the perfect spot.

Now what?  I had about an hour to kill so I drove a little further down the road to Cottonwood Springs, a first time visit for me.  I didn't even take my camera with me at first.  It was a casual visit. The serious stuff was yet to come.  But the light was really nice so I went back to the car to grabbed it - just the camera, not the tripod or the other gear. 

The cotton wood leaves shimmered, vibrant in the late afternoon sun and gentle breeze.  Since it was the middle of July and there aren't many visitors foolish enough to be camping in Joshua Tree that time of year, I pretty much had the place to myself, well, me and a ring tail cat that went scurrying by (another first).  The setting sun cast a warm glow on the skirts of the California fan palms.  As I explored the area and read the interpretive signs I snapped a few shots €“ snapshots?.  It was actually very beautiful.  Then I saw this shot.  It said it all €“ cottonwoods, fan palms, an inviting path that leads to the dark, cool spring.  I remember saying to myself (out loud even), €œWell, it is Cottonwood Springs.  I haven't seen any postcards of the cottonwoods at Cottonwood Springs, just the palms.€  Camera up to eye and click.  One more for good measure; take your time, double check the exposure, focus, depth of field, camera orientation, composition €“ yep, that's it €“ click.  This one feels good.

But now it€™s time to run.  The sun is almost in position for my magnificent sunset shot.  Back to the car and back up the narrow road.  It€™s cooler now, under 100 degrees. Park off the road as best as I can, grab my gear and haul it up to my perfect spot.  Set up and wait for the magic.  And wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Until the sun is now below the horizon.  Well, time for the clouds to ignite.  And wait.  And wait.  It€™s not going to happen.  No magic.  Cut losses.  Stow everything and head back to the car and drive into Twentynine Palms for dinner at Denneys.  It will be dark by the time I get there.

Everything I went after that day eluded me, avoided me, ran from me, shunned me, mocked me.  But, how do you spell serendipity?