A Calendar of Rock and Sun

Where the Sun rises tells you what day it is. As the Sun moves
from its northern-most point (at the summer solstice) toward its
southern-most point (at the winter solstice), it rises behind a
a variety of ledges, notches, intersections of long-range sightlines.
When the Sun lines up with a particular marker, it's time to plant,
to send word out about an impending ceremony, to begin any one of
no-one-knows how many seasonal projects. Fajada Butte and Chacra
Mesa are here lit by the evening light of April 23. Without moving
the camera, I added a very dense filter. Just before the next day's
dawn, I opened the shutter for 2-1/2 hours and let the Sun rise through
the notch formed by the bases of two of Chaco Canyon's most prominent
geographic features.