Living On The Edge

Perched Atop The Red Rocks

By Riley Rosebee

December 22, 2025

Happy Monday!

I want to start by saying thank you. I don’t take this audience lightly. The readers of my work are thoughtful, curious, and generous with their attention, and that means the world to me.

Every once in a while, a connection leaves the ether and becomes something real.

This is a short story about one of those moments, and an invitation I received from a reader, Glendon Good, to visit his Red Tail Cliff residence in Sedona, Arizona.

How It Started

I moved to Sedona in the fall of 2023. Early in my Red Rock adventures, I noticed a structure that appeared to hang off the edge of a cliff — suspended, precise, impossible to ignore.

I admired the home from afar, imagining what it must be like to experience a place built with that level of intention.

Every so often, I’d ask a local if they knew the mind behind it.

Nothing came of it.

Time passed. Seasons shifted.

Then, as I started the process of migrating, I set a goal: connect with the homeowner.

In timeless fashion, I left a postcard at his gate.

I expressed appreciation for his creation and left my contact information. No pitch. No request. Just gratitude.

To my surprise, he emailed me,

“Looks like you are doing cool stuff. The aerial economy is certainly on the move upward.”

I felt honored — not because of the praise, but because it was clear he had taken the time to understand how I’m thinking.

And just like that, a connection was cast.

We exchanged messages over several weeks. I shared my work. He shared photos of the view. The correspondence felt unhurried. Thoughtful. Organic.

In mid-December, I toured a fresh living space in New Harmony, Utah. On the day I returned, another email arrived.

He invited me to visit!

Three days before my departure!!

Atop the Red Rocks

I want to respect Mr. Good, his work, his process, and his home.

Because of that, I won’t overshare what we discussed. But a few impressions stayed with me.

My body felt at peace. For a moment, I felt removed from the roads below — from the traffic, the noise, the subtle chaos of day-to-day life. There was a lightness to being above it all.

The home holds the best view of Cathedral Rock in all of Sedona.

And what truly took my breath away was the intentional design of the deck. Mr. Good oriented it to invite the low winter sun deep into the living space, while blocking the harsh summer sun.

Notice the oblong shape slot? That’s what I’m talking about. Genius.

At one point, the thought crossed my mind that this is what Howard Roark might create. Not to impress, but because it needed to exist. Folks - read the Fountainhead.

Of course our conversation drifted toward financial markets. And in passing, he shared that he earned a master’s degree in economics from Stanford. It wasn’t framed as a credential. It surfaced naturally. It was added context. A way for us to connect intellectually.

The most important lesson from my time atop the Red Rocks was clear:

Remain silent until it is finished.

Mr. Good prefers not to speak about work in progress. He believes premature explanation compromises the creative act.

I understand that more than I care to admit.

Silence isn’t easy when you’re building in public.

Before I left, he suggested I take a helicopter ride.

Until next time.