Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, a trip around Ghost Ranch New Mexico.
This first image doesn’t scream “stunning,” but it is available as a postcard statewide and a good title shot for this post, “Welcome to Ghost Ranch”. Keep looking.
As always, thank you for looking. I hope you enjoyed the tour. If you are inclined, join me on a photo tour/workshop. I’d love to introduce you to the area and work on getting you some stunning images. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, Route 66 Centennial, and a composition created in collaboration with my good friend and business partner David to celebrate the upcoming Centennial of the “Mother Road” in 2026.
We have been creating murals and prints up to mural size on many subjects, including the image below, depicting the heyday of the cross-country artery that turns 100 next year. Is the song going around in your head? You know the one!
A composite of Route 66 images from Tucumcari and Albuquerque, NM.
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, random images on the road in the San Luis Valley, Colorado, with my good friend, John. It was a beautiful day to be “out there” despite the wind, a little dust, and my allergies. I’m feeling better today as I’m indoors to avoid unnecessary pollen.
We went looking for these characters but only found where they’d been! We did find a few other places and creatures that made our day. The shot below is from a few years ago. I wanted to share our expectations.
Wild Horses on the road in Colorado.
At the old Lobatos Bridge, a road crew was inspecting the infrastructure with restricted traffic, so we walked across and stopped for a couple of shots looking north.
Blanca Peak, Colorado, and the Rio Grande.
The San Luis Valley is well known for its potatoes, and the area is scattered with abandoned bunkers attached to long abandoned farms in favor of large agri-businesses. All the more fun for us.
Potato Bunker Shadows.
With the sod roof missing the midday shadows are abundant.
Bunker shadows and an old tire.
Outside looking in.
A Red-tailed Hawk, I think.
… and a Western Meadow Lark singing to its heart’s content as they do.
Western Meadow Lark.
… and, in my opinion, the most inaptly named bird, the “Killdeer”
Killdeer at the stabilization reservoir.
Lastly, a quick stop to visit the Old San Acasio mission church. John got a tour of the history and miracles of the site. I found this painted picture on glass with some flies.
Window painting at the Old San Acacio Church, Colorado.
A great day out. Thanks for joining me, John.
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week’s images depict the nature of March. The wind-swept madness of March came in like a lamb, and never mind the analogy of a lion, it morphed into a rhinoceros in an English tearoom. Haboob-like dust storms occurred earlier in the month, and again yesterday, they delayed flights and closed interstates with winds fanning the flames of wildfires.
The pictures of the Lunar Eclipse I’d planned to post this week didn’t occur due to the crazy March weather here. Thick clouds, freezing rain, and snow made sure of that.
That said, here are some images of the gentler side of March.
Spring Weather, Taos, NMChama River Road, NMArroyo Hondo, NMBighorn Sheep, NMBighorn Sheep, NMBighorn Sheep, NMCoyote, Rio Pueblo, NMGreat Sand Dunes NP, COGreat Sand Dunes NP, COEnchanted Circle Drive, NMGhost Ranch, NMGhost Ranch, NMGreat Sand Dunes NP, COMonument Valley March, 2022Monte Vista NWR, CO.Moonrise, Vallecito Peak.Latir Peaks SunsetTaos Mountain Storm.Raven, CORed Barn, snow San Luis Valley, CORio Chama Abiquiu, NMRio Grande near San Luis, CORoadside Puddle ReflectionsSandhill Cranes, Monte Vista, COSandhill Cranes, Monte VistaSangre de Cristos MoonriseSan Luis ValleyShiprock, NMSpider Rock, Canyon de Chelly, AZSun Star, Chaco Canyon, NMSunset Clouds, San Cristobal, NMPueblo Peak, Taos MountainTaos Mountain Clouds,Last Years Cornfield, Taos, NMUte Mountain, NMAspens, Tres Ritos, NMZapata Falls Ice Cave, CO
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week a glimpse of the upcoming Lunar Eclipse. “The Moon will pass into Earth’s shadow and appear to turn red on the night of March 13 or early in the morning on March 14, depending on the time zone. Here’s what you need to know about the total lunar eclipse.” NASA
I’ve seen all of the lunar eclipses since the first one I photographed in 2008 from the old gas station in Tres Piedras. That picture wound up on the BBC worldwide as it wasn’t visible from many locations or because of cloud cover. A couple of others I have gone out to photograph have been stymied by cloud cover. Below is one lunar eclipse on a crystal clear evening I shot in January 2019.
Lunar eclipse from San Cristobal, January 2019
And closer in. I love how the stars are visible all around.
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, mountain clouds and the clearing storm over the peaks of the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness.
“You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still, and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.” Franz Kafka
In the picture below I was looking east out of the kitchen window yesterday morning as the clouds cleared revealing the foothills of the Columbine Hondo Wilderness. The lens hood directly masked the sun and the field of view was so bright that I didn’t see the sundog/rainbow in the shot until I downloaded the image.
Mountain clouds and clearing storm, San Cristobal, NM
Close-up of sundog/rainbow, over the Columbine Hondo Wilderness.
As I panned the camera to the left and in a northeasterly direction the winds became stronger and began whipping up the clouds and fresh snow that fell overnight.
Blowing snow and clouds lifting.
A closer crop.
Snow on the peaks.
The sun lighting up the trees on the ridge with the blowing snow created a fiery scene in the close-up shot below.
Winter weather, wind, and light.
And a little bird (Starling) watching with me.
Starling, San Cristobal.
And sunset that evening on my neighbor’s tree and those same mountain peaks.
Sunset from the garden.
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week where you are. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week a few scenes from winter past. It was 64º F (17.5º C) yesterday. Tee shirt weather, almost. It got me thinking about the winters we’ve had in the past.
I pulled a few images I found while submitting 40 images for the New Mexico Treasures 2026 Calendar. I believe this year’s 2025 calendar has sold out.
The first image was shot in December 2005. The snow came and went, came and went again frequently that winter. It was a cold day but not cold enough to freeze the river. This image is one of my best sellers and one of the first digital vertical stitched panoramas I’ve made.
Winter Past in the Ranchos Valley was also shot in 2008 looking north to Taos Pueblo Mountain.
Ranchos Valley fields with Taos Pueblo Mountain.
This piñon pine tree stands out against the sky on the ridge descending from Bobcat Pass elevation 9820 feet (2,990 meters).
Tree on the ridge at Bobcat Pass.
Out the kitchen window in December 2013.
Blowing snow, San Cristobal, NM.
Just a few miles downstream from the Taos Junction Bridge in the Orilla Verde Recreation Area of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is this scene, shot in December 2014. Sunny but very cold.
Orilla Verde Recreation Area.
A flock of Red-winged Blackbirds was shot in January 2016 in Arroyo Hondo across from the liquor store and market. This year we’ve had many larger flocks in our cottonwood and elm trees.
Red-winged Blackbirds, Arroyo Hondo NM.
Finally, the image below is not from a past winter but from May 1, 2016. It sure looked and felt like winter. Of course, the sun came out the next day and it vanished leaving muddy dirt roads and trails in its wake.
Arroyo Hondo Valley
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G.
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM, and beyond. This week, a road shot of Blanca Peak, the whole massif in color and black and white, followed by a shot of the sandhill cranes, soon to arrive at the Monte Vista NWR, flying over a herd of elk as they make their way north.
Blanca Peak, Colorado
I’m rather partial to the black and white.
Blanca Massif, Colorado, Black, and White.
The cranes return every year in mid-March to the Monte Vista NWR. Let’s go!
Sandhill cranes and elk at the Monte Vista NWR, Colorado.
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM where the temperature is a balmy 60º F (15.5ºC) This week the crescent moon and Veus with a beautiful sunset. Red-winged Blackbirds, a crow, and the Village of Valdez, NM
The view from the front gate. All rather pleasant to watch.
Crescent Moon, Venus, and the sunset.
I zoomed in a little closer,
A close-up!
This year we’ve had large flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds, and Evening Grosbeaks, in the old cottonwood tree and Siberian Elm tree each morning and evening. Last year we had thousands of Pinyon Jays in the valley but they haven’t returned this year… yet!
Below is the Village of Valdez, just north of Taos in the snow. The scene depicts the chapel of San Antonio de Padua in the center of the village plaza. This picture was taken in winter 2007. It’s fun to relive past moments and look at them with a fresh perspective eighteen years later.
Valdez Village in snow.
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
