Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, some scenes of winter weather, two new book covers, and snow. It’s been a cold week, but it’s warming up again. The heaters are cleaned and running, and the sun is shining. I hope it’s beautiful where you are.
Winter weather, Ranchos Valley.
Last week we took a drive during the snowfall here. Little did we know that the 12 to 15 inches we received in San Cristobal amounted to about an inch in downtown Taos as you can see from the image of the little chapel on La Loma Plaza in Taos. We have been fortunate to get hit by lots of moisture this year in our village north of Taos.
Snow, La Loma Plaza Chapel Taos.
St Clare’s statue was huddled under a cloak of snow before it slid off.
Saint Clare’s statue at the Saint Francis church, Ranchos de Taos.
Sunflower seed pods wearing snow cap crowns.
Sunflower seed pods.
The following are two of my images used on the covers of recently published books. I’m honored to share these publications with you.
Ranchitos Road, Taos, mirror image.
Lise Goett’s book of poetry, “The Radiant”
Lise Goett’s book cover “The Radiant”
The second cover is from J.M. Mitchell’s Novel “Migrations of Butterflies and Lies”, Check it out here on Amazon
J.M. Mitchell’s Novel “Migrations of Butterflies and Lies”
And the cover…
Book Cover.
You can also purchase a copy of J.M. Mitchell’s book “Migrations of Butterflies and Lies.” at Barnes and Noble.
If you are writing a book and would like to use an image of mine on the cover or inside, please get in touch. All proceeds go to a local Taos non-profit for kids.
And finally an autumn leaf on a winter pond.
Leaf floating on a pond.
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week a dog and pony in Arroyo Hono, NM, and a return of winter with three storms in a row that dropped 4 feet of snow on the mountains. You won’t see too much of the mountains in the following photos, as they were socked in for three days. Even today they are shrouded in clouds.
To begin with, it was just the pony in Arroyo Hondo a couple of days ago.
Pony in Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico.
Shortly after, the dog appeared out of the blowing snow. Great! I thought, now we have a dog and pony show in the snow, although a little more bucolic than dog and pony shows I’ve seen over the years.
Dog and pony in the meadow Arroyo Hondo, NM.
The Bald Eagle sitting in this cottonwood tree a two weeks ago left the scene. A few Starlings and Magpies are currently hanging out there, but not on this day in blizzard conditions.
Dead cottonwood, Arroyo Hondo, NM.
In El Prado, the meadows, I pulled over to the side of the road to get this scene. I’ve shot it a few times and watched it grow. Here’s one from fall in 2018.
Young cottonwood tree in El Prado, NM.
In the middle of these storms, we had a rainbow. Or was that a snowbow? It was snowing back there.
Spring rainbow, out in the field in San Cristobal, NM.
Then, to end it all, our neighbor’s tree lit up, blazing against the sky. It always warms our views and hearts at the end of the day.
Sunset tree.
As always, thank you for looking. I hope it’s beautiful where you are. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, a big sky over Taos Mountain (Pueblo Peak), shadows in Arroyo Hondo, and the high bridge spanning the Rio Grande Gorge in Taos, NM,
It isn’t hard to get a good shot of Taos Mountain. It’s more a matter of being there at the right time. I am very fortunate to have lived in this part of the world for the last 40 years. Here, I can watch the storms make their way across the plateau, morphing with the light, and arrive at any number of preplanned locations for that perfect moment.
Big Sky, Taos Mountain, Pueblo Peak, El Prado.
Vallecito Mountain/Peak was covered in about a foot of fresh snow this week. I had wanted to catch a shot of the snow-covered trees barely discernable against the peaks. When the sun came out it was about an hour too late, but I did manage to capture a nice cloud. The new snow tends to melt fast when temperatures reach 40º F. I’ll do better next time.
Shadows on the wall of the same church an hour later. I went back today. The sun has climbed high enough over the last five days that the cross shadow is close to the bottom of the wall at the same time of day.
Arroyo Hondo shadows on the Church wall.
I got in a two-mile hike with my son Dylan, a couple of days ago. We hiked down the west rim of the Rio Grande Gorge which has numerous vistas like the one below. Often the canyon is buried in heavy shadows with contrasty light. This time it was flooded with light. Bighorn sheep were found in the rest area parking lot. I didn’t waste any pixels on them grazing amongst the gravel.
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge spanning the Rio Grande Gorge.
As always, thank you for looking. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, last week’s Wolf Moon rising over the Sangre de Cristo foothills, Truchas, the red barn, and snow horses.
As I mentioned last week, I was heading out to capture the wolf moon rising. The moon’s appearance lasted about ten minutes between the fast-moving clouds. I made several images during that time, and the scene below was fleeting as the sun came and went behind the clouds. I got lucky. I came away with three pictures where the elements came together. I’ll take what I can get from what presents itself.
Wolf Moon rising, Arroyo Seco, NM
And a close-up of when I first spotted the moon from the highway heading home.
I reworked this image for note cards and publication. Ansel Adams shot this scene in the 1950’s. A couple of months ago it was lit up with Xmas lights. You can still see some in this shat nailed to the crosses. It’s nice to its longevity at this location and longer still before Ansel made his iconic image.
Truchas, NM.
You know how attached I am to this location with the red barn. Every time I visit I see more dilapidation with new spaces for the wind to pass through. It’s beginning to corkscrew but I’m confident that the gaps will prevent the building from acting like a sail on the plain!
Red barn in black and white.
Red barn in color.
One more image I reworked this week for note cards, prints, and publication. This image has graced many a page in local magazines. Apples are the key to getting horses to come running.
Horses on the High Road to Taos.
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week a white homestead in Colorado, a mountain peak, some old shutters, and a hiking trail I look forward to being on in a couple of weeks.
I love this stand alone scene near the Great Sandunes in southern Colorado. Join me on a photo tour/workshop and I’ll take you there. Winter or any other seeson here doesn’t disappoint.
Vallecito Mountain is a favorite peak in the southern Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. I shot this on a drive into Taos yesterday. I can’t complain about the commute or the scenery. There’s a nearly full (98%) moon tonight. If the clouds lift I’m going to head out and get some shots of the Wolf Moon rising above this peak. I hope you get to see it where you are.
Vallecito Mountain Light.
I came across this image below by chance. It’s from many years ago. I’m certain they are gone now but I will look next time that I’m in Ranchos de Taos. I shot them even longer ago in the 1980’s. After living in one place for so long, I get to see, and often document the changes. My earlier original image was shot on Kodachrome in 1989.
Wooden Shutters, Ranchos de Taos.
In about two weeks, snow and mud permitting, I’ll be hiking up here above our village. The mountain in the distance, with snow, is Taos Mountain, and the views to the west are perfect for watching a sunset. The area burned in May 1996. You can see that regrowth is slow. Scrub oak is resilient and prolific so these hills turn many shades of rust in the autumn.
The ridge road in San Cristobal.
As always thank you for looking, and for all the well wishes for my right foot. It has healed faster that the left one did, for that I am grateful. I promise to shut up about it from now on and only post pictures from my hikes and trips with my two new feet. Best wishes. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week winter in the neighborhood.
I’ll keep it short and sweet this week. I hope everyone got what they wanted. I didn’t want anything and got nothing, it made my day. I already have plenty. That said I am now the owner of two happy feet and have been able to drive a little. So, I drove around the neighborhood and got a few new shots to add to the archives.
Last Friday, I followed a fog bank that was building over the Rio Grande Gorge and came across this scene a little ways up the road in Cerro NM. There was just enough moisture in the fog and temperatures dropped to 26º F to cover the trees and willows in hoar frost that created this winter wonderland.
Hoar Frost, Cerro NM.
I was reminded of other years when the weather elements came together to create the following scenes.
Winter in Arroyo Seco, NM.
When I drove the “High Road to Taos” I felt like I was entering “Narnia”.
On the High Road to Taos, NM.
Back to the present! This was the moon on the winter solstice last week. It stood out clearly against a beautiful blue sky revealing the detail of the craters.
Solstice Moon.
The sunset on December 24, was fuzzy and warm. The outdoor temps were not!
Mountain Sunset San Cristobal, NM.
The view below embodied a feeling of warmth but it wasn’t. Temps dropped to 9º F last night. Of course, it was coldest before dawn so I slept in and missed the moon setting across the plateau.
December 25th Moonrise
As always, thank you for looking, Happy New Year, I hope it’s a good one. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, Crows, trees, meadows, and more.
The crows that frequent our old cottonwood snag are fun to watch from the living room window and deck. I can observe from my chair out the window when they descend on the snags. I grab my camera and move to the deck. This image is a composite mostly of those going and those staying. I never tire of this view. The reason for their routines and nagging, comings and goings as they do, eludes me, but I keep watching. Observers of crows praise their intelligence. The Smithsonian says this.
Our cottonwood with Crows and Magpie, bottom right.
We watched these clouds develop on our drive home from Angel Fire in the Moreno Valley yesterday. They look like very localized lenticulars. The main cloud resembles a stingray or stealth bomber.
Clouds, Moreno Valley, northern New Mexico.
Evening light in El Prado (the meadows) just north of Taos. Snow is predicted for this weekend. We shall see.
El Prado, the meadows, winter light.
When it snows the meadows look like this. El Prado has wide views across the meadows to the mountains.
Cattle in El Prado, Taos, NM.
Things change. I found this tree in the forest. Outlived by the surrounding trees its impact on me inspired me to make a picture. Then this poem by Hermann Hesse came to mind.
SOMETIMES
Sometimes, when a bird cries out, Or the wind sweeps through a tree, Or a dog howls in a far off farm, I hold still and listen a long time.
My soul turns and goes back to the place Where, a thousand forgotten years ago, The bird and the blowing wind Were like me, and were my brothers.
My soul turns into a tree, And an animal, and a cloud bank. Then changed and odd it comes home And asks me questions. What should I reply?
~ Hermann Hesse
I listen and I make a picture.
Pine in the woods.
As always thank you for looking, following, comments and compliments. Also thank you for all the well wihes. I’ll be back in a shoe next week. Happy holidays. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week a Sunday Drive around the San Luis Valley.
Well, I’m able to walk upright and without a scooter or crutches now! I feel good about that.
It was a beautiful sunny day last Sunday, with snow on the peaks and intermittent cloud cover, so we drove north to San Luis in Colorado and made a leisurely drive home, visiting some of the usual locations, which I’m sure you will recognize.
The shrine of the stations of the cross is situated on a mesa above the town of San Luis, reputed to be the oldest town in Colorado. The sign, made out of white-washed rocks, says so!
In this shot, I liked the juxtaposition of the cell phone and communication towers. Perhaps a direct line to the universe?
Stations of the cross shrine, and cell towers, San Luis Colorado.
The next stop on our Sunday drive route was the old homestead, photographed by me a hundred times. One day I’m sure I’ll have the last photo of this building standing before its final demise.
San Luis Valley Homestead.
On the road a sign proclaiming “Jesus 2024” with what appears to be the faded colors of a Ukrainian flag. I didn’t know Jesus was running in the upcoming election. May the best man win.
Jesus is running in 2024.
A seasonal creek running north-south through the lower valley. If you zoom in you can just make out the 14,000+ foot peaks of the Blanca massif.
Ice on a seasonal creek, San Luis Valley, Colorado.
The crows are back congregating every morning in our mostly dead cottonwood tree. I shot this image on Saturday. I’m happy to be up and fairly mobile and getting some fresh images again.
American Crows.
I do love a Sunday drive with no agenda attached.
As always thanks for looking and for all the well wishes. G.
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM, and a Happy Thanksgiving. This week we had the first snow on our local peaks and in the valley.
Not too much snow. It’s a late start to winter where we are this year. I see from our weather forecast that temps will drop next week. It’s all good for me as I’m in a foot brace again on my right foot this time, and with my leg elevated, I still have a lovely view out the windows and from the deck.
This was the scene from the kitchen window this week after the clouds lifted, leaving a few stragglers behind to fill in the little valleys.
First Snow, San Cristobal.
With my right leg elevated, I’m revisiting the archives again. Pretty much a repeat of last February, when my left leg was elevated. This time next year I look forward to hiking up and down the hills in the first photo.
First snow, Taos, 2011.
Great Blue Heron and Mallards, Rio Grande, Pilar, NM.
Red-winged Blackbirds, Arroyo Hondo, NM.
A horse taking shelter in Ranchos de Taos.
Vintage truck in the snow, Overland Ranch, Taos.
Lastly, a picture I came across, edited on my iPhone, from last year.
Greetings from San Cristobal. This week, a trip down memory lane, a visual flashback of images from my first few trips and early years in New Mexico.
Looking back it’s hard to visualize almost 40 years since I took the first photograph below in November 1984. The images are in no particular order and captioned with the place and year.
Traveling down memory lane has inspired me to start scanning what will ultimately be a few thousand transparencies. All images are scans of Kodachrome 64 slide film. I hope you enjoy the visit.
John greeting visitors to Taos Pueblo, Thanksgiving, 1984
I’ve photographed the church of San José de Gracia in Las Trampas more times than I can count. Below is my very first shot during my first time visiting New Mexico. I have other shots from the trip but I like this one because of the dog sitting casually, minding its own business. Nowadays tourists are the ones getting in my shots.
Las Trampas church dog on the High Road to Taos, 1984
The sign at the Taos Inn is still welcoming visitors to Taos. No more curios that I know of. Some local characters may pass for curios.
Taos Inn neon sign, 1985
I’d appreciate someone letting me know what vehicles these are. I’m pretty certain the car on the right is a Ford. Currently, the Ford and Adobe are still there.
Old Cars, and adobe, Galisteo, 1986
Traveling during August in New Mexico 1985 many small scale purveyors of local havests, their roadside stands festooned with the red and the green chiles were in abundance and a treat to photograph.
I shot the image below shortly after Dennis Hopper finished filming a murder scene in this old adobe building in the movie Backtrack with Jodie Foster. The adobe home was demolished this year.
Saint Francis through an open adobe window, 1989
Flashback to the Ranchos de Taos Plaza when the Magic Sky Gallery (coral colored building) was open with a boardwalk and planters.
Magic Sky Gallery, Ranchos de Taos, 1988
Ranchos Plaza, view through the window of a vintage truck, 1991
Ranchitos Road adobe, building, and artist studio, 1988
Currently, the Stewart House” formerly a BandB buildings are no longer visible from this location, as many homes now occupy the foreground. Vallecito Peak in the background has become a favorite subject for my work. Change, is the only constant, along with death and taxes.
“Stewart House” Highway 150, with Vallecito Peak 1987
Plenty of snow my first winter in New Mexico. That’s my 1958 Volkswagen Beetle buried there in front of the house.
Talpa, dude Ranch compound 1989
Here’s a picture of my friend and artist, Harry Vedoe when we skied from Talpa and way beyond into the hills. Later in the day we had a wonderful run down and soak in the Ponce de Leon hot springs before heading home. In the winter of February 1989, we had a lot of snow. We were able to cross-country ski out the door on many occasions.
Flashback to cross-country skiing, Talpa, 1989
This tree has been featured in my work for many years. After thriving for many years it has finally succumbed to neglect and lack of moisture. It’s still standing, for now.
Lone Tree, at the overlook Taos, 1993
Santa Fe 4 Sale license plate, 1986
Pasqual’s Santa Fe, reading the menu, 1984
A drive to Sandia Crest revealed a trail worthy of an afternoon stroll in the fresh snowfall, with views to the west of Albuquerque.
Sandia Crest, Albuquerque, 1987
The bison below escaped from the herd at Taos Pueblo. I happened to be driving along and took some shots before it was caught and returned to the Pueblo.
An escaped Bison trucking alongside US 64 Taos, 1994
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
