Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

Rio Pueblo Willows, Gorge Waterfall

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Rio Pueblo red willows, with an unseasonal waterfall cascading off the rim of the Rio Grande Gorge. This image is from February 2008. It was a day of temperatures in the mid to high 60’s. The Rio Pueblo, in the foreground lined with red willows, is flowing fast and furious for February. Here’s another image from the same week of the distant waterfall. Thanks for looking and indulging my reminiscing. G

Rio Pueblo Willows, Gorge Waterfall

Ice Road, San Acacio, Colorado

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Ice road in San Acacio, Colorado. Just over a week ago it was 16 degrees fahrenheit at 3pm and the hoar frost hadn’t budged on the trees. Today, in the southern San Luis Valley, it was 47 degrees fahrenheit. Quite a shift from this ice road skating rink to a sloppy muddy mess. We’ll take the moisture and won’t complain too much. Thanks for looking. G

Ice Road, San Acacio, Colorado

Southern Rocky Mountains Super Moon Rise

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Southern Rocky Mountains winter solstice super moon rise. I didn’t post this image at the time since the winter solstice full wolf moon eclipse was a more pertinent image for the photo of the day. Prior to the lunar eclipse that evening, this is how the moon looked, as it rose in the east, over the snow capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range, of the southern Rocky Mountains. Thanks for looking. G

Southern Rocky Mountain Moon Rise

Full Moon, Stars, Taos Tipis, TBT

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Full Moon and stars at the Taos Tipis. Throw back Thursday or flash back Friday depending on when you view this image. Delving in the archives from 2015 today, I came across this file. The light on the tipis came from the security light on the building and balanced nicely with the moon and stars. The tipis are gone. For a while they added some nice foreground subject matter against our crystal clear New Mexico skies. Things change. Thanks for looking. G

Full Moon, Taos Tipis, TBT

San Antonio Mountain Corral

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San Antonio Mountain, corral. We stopped at the old corral, buried in the drifting snow and slab ice along highway 285 in northern New Mexico. San Antonio (Bear Mountain) mountain is reputed to be the largest free standing mountain in the 48 states. Free standing, not part of any mountain chain. An extinct volcano, it rises prominently in the Taos Volcanic plateau field. From this location we can see many of the old volcanos scattered across the plateau. It was 13 degrees with a wind chill. Still, the sun was warm on our faces. Thanks for looking. Stay warm. G

San Antonio Mountain Corral

Stretch Gate, Colorado

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Stretch gate, Manassa, Colorado. The barbed wire divided the sky into random shapes. This scene is on the highway just outside the hometown of boxer, Jack Dempsey. Jack grew up in a cabin in the town of Manassa. I was down on the ground in the snow covered field, making images of the golden barley stubble when I saw an opportunity to add another image to my rural stretch gate series. Shapes and negative spaces are the main attraction and these gates are infinitely unique.  Thanks for looking. G

Stretch Gate, Manassa, Colorado

Rough-Legged Hawk, Monte Vista Wild Life Refuge

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Rough-legged Hawk, yesterday at the Monte Vista Wild Life Refuge, southern Colorado. Was it ever cold yesterday. It didn’t seem to bother this raptor. Apparently it was also unperturbed by us. The bird sat on this post long after we left. It was a battle of wits. Once it lifted off and alighted on the next power pole, stretched it’s wings, settled back in, rotating it’s head, ignoring us just a few feet below in the snow. Thoroughly bored with us. We felt the vibe. Yesterdays count was a Golden Eagle, a Bald Eagle, and Swainson’s Hawk, a Northern Harrier, a Red-tailed Hawk, two of these Rough-legged Hawk beauties and a Coyote. Later on the drive home a large flock of Canada Geese, heading south, wheeled over the highway and head east towards the mountains. Despite the cold it was a gorgeous sunny day. I love my job. Join me on a winter photo tour! As always thanks for looking. G

Rough-Legged Hawk, Monte Vista Wild Life Refuge