Month: May 2023

Rainbow, Mountain Clouds, Bighorn Sheep. 05-31-2023.

Geraint May 31, 2023 20 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, the valley, and beyond. This week a fleeting rainbow makes an appearance. The morphing mountain clouds put on a show. Bighorn sheep show off their stature, and a sweet little dove preens itself in the garden.

The storms here move quickly. They say the best camera is the one you have on you. In this instance, it was the iPhone. I was sure to get as many shots as possible before popping into the house to get the big Sony. By the time I got back outside, the rainbow had vanished. The clouds still looked stunning, but those were gone very soon after. Sometimes I think nature has a way of taunting us or at least attempt’s to keep us alert and on our toes. Not from the deck this time but a few steps into the meadow.

The clouds spent the morning building into the afternoon canyon and ridge formations. Changes occur in no time at all. As they say in the Southwest, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” I have plenty of time to look and time to stare, which reminds me of a poem my friend Martin would occasionally recite.

Leisure.

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

William Henry Davies

Building storm clouds — Morphing clouds, San Cristobal.

A couple of days later, this pastoral evening scene happened. I could watch it from my deck chair. I had to move to get this photo, but not that much.

I’d heard reports of these three a week before this photo. I was surprised to see them on my drive through the canyon last week. The cold weather we have experienced for a few weeks made them stay put. They have fresh grass and a dirt mound, with a fortress-like view, in all directions. They weren’t bothered by me or others but seemed to enjoy the company and attention.

Bighorn Sheep, Rio Grande Gorge Rim trail — Bighorn Sheep, Rio Grande Gorge Rim Trail.

I know they are an introduced species, and we have both Eurasian-collared Doves and Mourning Doves in the garden. This one immigrant put on a show last week on the fence post. I enjoyed watching it.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s post. As always thanks for looking. See you next week. G

Western Tanager, Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood. 05-24-2023

Geraint May 24, 2023 14 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal and beyond. Western Tanagers have frequented our garden every year in the past. I have never seen so many all at once as I have this year. Yesterday I had to cut them off from the suet. The Western Tanagers frenzy feeding, and flying around erratically bumping into the windows bringing to mind images of drunken sailors. During a respite, I spotted this little guy after he’d wiped his beak clean of the suet on the bark of the flowering pear tree.

Here’s a list of birds in the garden over three days this week.

Birds 05-20/21/22-2023

Cassin’s Finch
Spotted Towhee
Pine Siskin
Black-headed Grosbeak
European Starling
Evening Grosbeak
Common Raven
Pinyon Jay
Black-billed Magpie
Eurasian Collared Dove
American Robin
Western Tanager
White-breasted Nuthatch
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
American Crow
House Sparrow
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay
Canyon Towhee
Bullock’s Oriole
House Finch
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (the app ID’d it three times but not confirmed).
Common Grackle. (Could be the crow with a sore throat).

Onward!

Pueblo Peak (Taos Mountain) has been and always will be my muse. It is what has kept me drawn to the area I call home. My other muse is my version of “Monet’s Haystacks Series”… the cottonwood tree and red willows growing along an acequia in Arroyo Hondo, a hamlet just south of San Cristobal.

I shot this image a few days ago on May 21, 2023. The second image was taken on May 21, 2022

Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood and willows — Cottonwood and willows along the acequia, Arroyo Hondo.

Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood willows — Arroyo Hondo cottonwood.

As you can see in the second picture the greening up of the willows was about a week more advanced this time last year. The cottonwood is more or less similar in both years.

Continue scrolling to see more images from this series in previous seasons.

Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood — Arroyo Hondo fall cottonwood.

Taos Mountain, Arroyo Hondo, cottonwood — Arroyo Hondo cottonwood, with Taos Mountain.

Red Willows, Cottonwood Tree, Arroyo Hondo — Red Willows and cottonwood tree.

Red Willows and cottonwood tree — Winter willows with cottonwood tree.

This year I’ll be working on a shot of the tree, willows, and valley in summer’s full glory.

There are other images of this scene in my archive. A search will reveal more.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments and compliments, and as always. thank you for looking. G

Close The Gate, Sunset, Dennis Hopper, Shiprock. 05-17-23.

Geraint May 17, 2023 14 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, New Mexico. This week, “Close the Gate”, a sunset from the deck, Dennis Hopper in Taos, and a short video of the outstanding Shiprock formation in the four corners area of the American Southwest.

“Close the Gate, Please!” … and don’t touch the wire in an approaching storm. Stretch gates are a favorite subject of my photography, I can’t pass one by.

Sunset over the north flanks of Pueblo Peak, (Taos Mountain) from the deck, naturally. I shared the view with a good friend and a glass of Talisker single malt.

Sunset 05-16-23 — Sunset, with Pueblo Peak, (Taos Mountain).

It’s Dennis Hopper Day in Taos, May 27, 2023. I had the good fortune to take a number of pictures of Dennis. Here is the last photo I shot of him driving through Taos Plaza, shortly before he passed. He was very gracious to me and I enjoyed meeting him.

I shot the video below of Shiprock driving through the Four Corners area of the American Southwest last spring. It’s time to get out there again. Perhaps this coming fall.

As always, thank you for looking. G

Sunset Clouds, Moon Set, Bighorn Sheep, 05-10-2023.

Geraint May 10, 2023 17 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal. This week some images from northern New Mexico, Scotland, and England.

I shot the dramatic image of sunset clouds from a friend’s land near the village of Tres Piedras, just off US Highway 64, the other mother road. I took the moonset out of the bedroom window. I shot it ten years ago, but this is how it looked when the full moon set last Saturday morning. We have spectacular views where we live across the volcanic plateau to the west. The clouds at sunset appear to roll over the landscape and beyond over the mountains.

I threw a virtual dart at one of my hard drives again, and this image of a bighorn sheep ram popped up. I don’t know much about their nature, but, I do know, they own the canyons and rocks.

Bighorn sheep ram, Rio Grande Gorge, NM.

An early morning shot on a photo tour at the iconic Saint Francis Church.

Shadows at the Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos, NM.

I came across this image when scanning slides a couple of weeks ago. I collaborated with a writer in 1989 on a story on the churches on the high road to Taos. The story was not published, but we had a good time, made many images, and learned a lot about the history, people, and culture of northern New Mexico.

Padre José Lopez, Cordova, NM 1989 — Padre José Lopez, Cordova, NM, Kodachrome 1989.

Rock stackers are everywhere. I shot this image in Scotland a few years ago. It doesn’t work for me in wilderness areas. Besides, cairns make less obvious trails on the mountains and moors and are essential to finding one’s way. What you see in this photo, is a place just beyond the road where bus tours and cars stop to admire the view. What do you think?

Stacked rocks, Scotland — Stacked rocks, somewhere in Scotland.

I love that nature will thrive wherever and however, it will. This tenacious tree seems to be doing quite well.

Hillside tree, Yorkshire, England — Hillside Tree, Yorkshire, England.

I’m up and fully mobile again. I’m walking up to 2+ miles a day. Some days less, some days more. Thank you so much to all my friends and family who checked in on me. Immeasurably thanks and gratitude to my lovely wife, Pami, for taking care and putting up with me!

What started with a picture of sunset clouds took me, once again, down the hard drive rabbit hole.

I look forward to seeing you in New Mexico if it’s on your travel plans this year.

As always, thank you for looking. G

Spring, Northern New Mexico. 05-03-2023

Geraint May 3, 2023 28 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, on this beautiful Spring day. The light in the late afternoon is remarkable. The clouds roll through, and spring storms envelop the valleys and the mountain peaks in waves. The sun gets through where it will, spotlighting the new growth.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

San Cristobal Valley spring — A Spring day in the San Cristobal Valley.

The acequias, irrigation ditches that divert water across northern New Mexico are flowing full in the spring runoff. This time last year, New Mexico’s largest wildfire was underway, ultimately destroying 350,000+ acres. We are very grateful for the moisture this year.

Spring in the Taos Valley an acequia, in El Prado — Water in an acequia, irrigation ditch in El Prado, NM.

Flashback to North Wales, where I lived and worked at an Outdoor Pursuit Center on the west coast in 1974-75.

The Ogwen Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in North Wales. During that year, I spent many days rock climbing in the area with the guides and instructors I worked with. The Idwal slabs in the upper left of the picture are one of the most popular places to climb in Wales. I shot this picture on a return visit to Wales in 2013.

A year in Wales may sound like a long time to visit and see all the sites. I had never traversed the Crib Goch Ridge seen in the picture below while living there. On a visit there in 1982, it was time to add the route to the list of the places I climbed and hiked. It was a marvelous experience, one I’ll remember for life. It’s not a very difficult hike, but I did take along enough gear and clothing prepared should I have to spend the night out there. Weather in this part of Wales, with the storms coming off the Atlantic and Irish Seas, can change rapidly, turning a warm, early summer day into a winter day.

Crib Goch Snowdonia National Park, North Wales — Crib Goch, Snowdonia National Park, North Wales, 1982

As always, thank you for looking. Have a great week. G.