I’ve cleared the deck, walkways, and a path to the car three times today. It’s easier to move the snow in smaller doses. The sun came out for a few minutes to help melt some of it. A lot of good that was! It’s all covered again now at 4 pm. Reckon I’ll wait until tomorrow to clear some more. It will also be -4º F at sunrise tomorrow morning getting colder by Friday at -9º F. Brrrr!
Garden Buddha wearing a blanket of snow.
Last summers sunflowers and cottonwood this winter in San Cristobal, NM
This is the biggest snowfall for us here in northern New Mexico this winter. I’m happy for the moister, we all are. I go out tomorrow and shoot some images. I post more next week.
As always thank you for looking. Stay safe and warm. G
Here’s the tree I promised in last week’s post. I headed north in a dust storm. Inclement weather could be my middle name. What the dust afforded me besides spots on my sensor was a slight separation of the tree and mountain. The sky in this image of the lone tree was unexpected. The tree had lost a small limb since my previous trip. I didn’t mind. It cleaned up the composition. (Click on images to enlarge).
Ute Mountain lone tree, San Luis Valley, CO.
The dust created a nice veil of diffuse light so the poles and trees stood out. I’d not seen them so prominent before.
Ute Mountain with power poles and a big sky.
In the following photo, you can see the dust storm is more apparent. The trees really stood out against Ute Mountain like guardians.
Ute Mountain trees with San Luis Valley dust storm.
Heading home a little later the wind at Sanchez Reservoir was so strong. When I stopped to shoot the ice on the shoreline I could barely open the car door. I got out and made a few so-so images then had to jump back in the car and get my legs in fast before the door slammed shut on my ankles. Did I say how cold the wind chill was? I wish I’d looked. All I can say is it was cold!!!
I knew I wanted to catch the light on the fresh snow on the peaks in the Latir Peaks Wilderness, so I headed in that direction. I’ve done this shot before almost to the day. I wasn’t disappointed this time either. The wind had subsided but the cold remained. So I parked with a view and rested the camera on the open window. With the heat on and music playing, I was comfy and waited. The last bit of light through the clouds caught Cabresto Peak just right. In the second image below, I zoomed in for a close-up.
Wide view of snow on Cabresto Peak, in the Latir Peaks Wilderness, NM.
A little closer in on Cabresto Peak..
… And a couple of my favorite images of Taos Mountain. The first shot is from the Ranchos Valley with an acequia (irrigation ditch), red willows, and snow-capped peaks of Taos Mountain.
Taos Mountain red willows and snow, Ranchos de Taos, NM.
This image of Taos Mountain was when it was bathed in the last glow of sunlight through the letterbox opening in the clouds.
Taos Mountain with winter sunset light.
Phew, we made it another year. As always thanks for looking, happy new year. G
Last light on the mountain snows and cloud, Sangre de Cristos, NM. The last glimmer of light on the foothills before the sun slipped over the horizon and the warmth of the day with it. Stay warm, and healthy. Thanks for looking. G
Columbine-Hondo Wilderness, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico. Last light on the mountains this evening. I had to pop the 4 Runner into 4wd and plow through snow and get to a vista point with a clear expansive view. I got off a few shots, then it was gone. Here’s some info on the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness. Thanks for looking. G
Blanca Peak Massif, snow and ice, southern Colorado. I’ve been here before and it often looks like this in winter. It’s a gorgeous spot at the side of a back road where the wind blows something fierce when it wants to. It doesn’t look it, but it was 7˚ out there on this day. Thanks for looking. G
Winter fields, red barn, San Luis Valley, Colorado. This is one of the most fertile valleys, surrounded by ancient, extinct volcanoes, lava cones and scattered scenes like this one. Another in this series of barns and abandoned homesteads of the San Luis Valley. Thanks for looking. G
Wolf Moon rising, as the clouds cleared, Lama, New Mexico. I drove north to get away from the mountain clouds. I could see a break in the sky ahead, then there it was. My heart skipped a beat. I pulled over and made a number of images and when the clouds built up again I left. Thanks for looking and for all the compliments and comments. G
Valley homestead, beyond the fence in the San Luis Valley. If you are familiar with my work and my website you’ll recognize this old dwelling. Over the years the fence has also featured prominently in my images. Someone, at some point in time, peeled back the barbed wire in order to get access to the building. Personally, I like to document these abandoned homesteads from pretty much the same perspective for continuity and posterity. Here’s another view. Thanks for looking. G
Little white house, in the pasture, San Cristobal, NM. There were snow covered mountain peaks when the clouds cleared today. Pristine skies overhead. I just think, sometimes, how many days like these this homestead and it’s occupants have experienced. However many that is, the days and lives come and go in the valley, if only the mountains could talk. Thanks for looking. G
Bunker view, of the white house in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. Winter in the valley is a special time of year. Peace, silence and solitude prevail. A perfect place to perfect the craft of photography. This is one of many potato storage bunkers, (root cellars) around the vast San Luis Valley. Thanks for looking. G
