Chama River, Abiquiu, New Mexico
Chama River, where it runs through Abiquiu, New Mexico. A beautiful day for a photo tour around the Abiquiu area this week. The skies were stunning. The day started out looking like rain with snow imminent, but as the old adage says “If you don’t like the weather in New Mexico… wait five minutes.” I’ve heard this said for Utah too. This day, on the Chama River, the weather changed in the time it took to drive down the hill between Georgia O’Keeffe’s house and Bode’s General Store in the village of Abiquiu, approximately two minutes away. Could be a record. Thanks for looking. G
Winter Light, Hay Bales, Snow
Winter light, on the hay bales, capped with snow. Another fabulous day in the richly diverse San Luis Valley of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. The winter light really sets this valley off, with farms, fields, abandoned homesteads, raptors and wildlife. Thanks for looking. G
Rock Bush, Plaza Blanca, New Mexico
Rock, Bush, Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, New Mexico. Flash floods whisk through the narrow slot canyon, down arroyos, through culverts and in to the Rio Chama. This rock stands firm with it’s head dress glowing in the afternoon, winter sunlight. All around, the debris from flash flooding has stripped the bark off the few cottonwoods and deposited brush and rocks in many of the nooks and crannies in the wash. Yesterday was a good day for a walk is this beautiful landscape of New Mexico. Thanks for looking. G
Hondo Mesa, Taos Mountains Sunset
Hondo mesa, Taos Mountains sunset. A drive by shooting. Our shadow traveling along on the undulating Hondo mesa with the Taos mountains backdrop. The moment fizzled just as quickly as it began. Thanks for looking. G
Winter Light On Taos Mountain
Winter light on Taos Mountain and the juvenile cottonwood, in El Prado, NM
In Taos it is claimed that, “the mountain accepts you or rejects you” those it accepts stay, those it rejects, leave! I believe the mountain embraces all who gaze upon it. The accepting is in the observer who unconditionally embraces what they seek. I have spent 35 years and many hours with the mountain. I have only felt the abundance of life force, in it’s presence, within me. Most of all the mountain is beautiful to gaze upon! Thanks for looking. G
Cottonwood, Red Willows, Mountain Snow
Cottonwood, red willows and mountain snows, the latter making for a good start to winter. The earth and sky inseparable. The cottonwood leaves, touched by the breeze, grace the ground and gild the red willows, that line the acequia, like ornaments. In spring the ancient irrigation channels will deliver the snow melt, rushing from the mountains, to the fields and trees in the valley. As winter takes a deeper hold, the pace slows, the days grow shorter and life retreats within, for what the Irish writer John O’Donohue refers to as “spring secretly at work within the heart of winter” of restoration and rejuvenation. Thanks for looking. G
John O’Donohue: Thresholds
Cottonwood Red Willows Mountain Snow – 2614
Night Before And The Morning After
The night before and the morning after. Pulled into our driveway yesterday evening to this beautiful light on the fall color. The image below is this same location in the driveway this morning. Thanks for looking. G
The night before.
The morning after.
Jemez Mountains Sunset From San Cristobal
Jemez Mountains sunset from the wall in San Cristobal, NM. I hope I never get used to this view and take it for granted. Of course I wont! I mean look at it, how could I? Thanks for looking. G
As The Storm Recedes The Mountain Shines
As the storm recedes Taos mountain shines over the whole valley. Thanks for looking.
Our San Cristobal Valley Under The Setting Winter Sun
Our San Cristobal Valley under the setting winter sun in northern New Mexico. A few steps up the embankment afforded me a view of the last rays of light on the fresh snow in the San Cristobal valley and the surrounding Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Thanks for looking. G
From The Red Willows To The Mountain
From the red willows to the mountain. Taos Mountain. One of the most gorgeous views of the sacred mountain, and home of the “Red Willow People” Taos Pueblo. The snow was an added bonus when the clouds cleared this afternoon and the welcomed moisture. Thanks for looking. G
Here’s another view from a ten years ago.
http://geraintsmith.com/potd/pages/archive/december_07/dec_10_07.html
Winter Evening In The San Cristobal Valley
Winter evening and sunset in the San Cristobal valley. My twenty minute commute from Taos to home is not really anything like a commute, with stop and go traffic, more a delightful way to spend the time listening to some tunes on the iPod and take in the ever changing winter evening light on the landscape. During those twenty minutes there is always time to stop and stare and make an image, if only for the record that implants it in memory. A poem below. Thanks for looking. G
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 is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
William Henry Davies
Dennis’s Tree, Light Under Dark Skies
Dennis’s tree, light under dark skies, in the San Cristobal Valley, northern New Mexico. Watching this tree over the years, reflect the evening light and changes in seasons in the valley brings to mind, in some small way, what Monet might have experienced painting his haystack series. Thanks for looking. G
Snow, Sunflower Sunset, San Cristobal
Snow, Sunflower Sunset, San Cristobal, New Mexico. The snow was still falling, the sun bust out through a momentary gap in the clouds. The light in the valley turned into these beautiful peach tones. And like I said a couple of days ago “the San Cristobal Valley melted under a glowing sunset, through the falling snow.” This was it. Thanks for looking. G
Winter Light On Taos Mountain
Winter light on Taos Mountain from El Prado just north of Taos, NM. A favorite spot to watch the clouds cast shadows across the mountain; an unobstructed view of Taos Mountain (Pueblo Peak), sacred mountain of the Taos Pueblo people; the willows and the cottonwoods. Taos… the “red willow people.” Clouds pass, the sun sets and rises, time passes, the people and the mountain endure. Thanks for looking. G
San Cristobal Cottonwoods, NM
San Cristobal Cottonwoods. On a trip to the grocery store this evening we pulled over for this little scene. I must admit I anticipated it. I’ve made a few successful images of this location in the past so when we headed out we went straight to this spot. This is only one of numerous images I made this evening of the ‘spotlight’ on the cottonwood trees. And now, at this very moment, it is snowing. Thanks for looking. G
