They Are Coming Back

I was going through my pocket rocket (my compact flash card keeper) and found a card that I had not uploaded to my computer yet. These were outside the house I live at one morning after cominghome from working the mushroom shift and shot these thru a very lousy window to be shooting through. They were coming in for a drink and then they would fly off tothe feeder for a bite and then back for a drink and repeat. Had sveral type of birds come up. Now I am long from being a bird id expert. Hey if it has feathers two legs and flys a little or a lot, it must be a bird right. One ofthe hardest animals to me to photography, but I do hope to get better.

San Juan Skyway

Old Mine Chute Coming Down from Red Mountain Pass along San Juan Skyway

Mountains in the San Juan Range of the Rocky Mountains

Lizard Head (0n the right)

This weekend I left from work Saturday morning with plans on going to the San Juan Skyway. For those that do not know of the San Juan Skyway, let me give you a little info. San Juan Skyway consist of the US 550 from Ridgway, Co to Durango, Co going over three mountain passes (Red Mountain Pass, Molas Pass, and Coal Bank Pass) with the town of Silverton found between Red Mountain and Molas Pass. From Durango, you go west towards Cortez on US 160. Once you get to east side of Cortez, you make a right on CO145 and go north. This puts you on the path to one of Colorado's famous ski areas, known for high quality powder and extreme areas to ski in. The area is Telluride. From there head on up a little more of a piece on CO145, then make a right onto CO62. Once you go over Dallas Divide and look back where you have been, you are just amazed at the view of where you have been. And that is the case of any place you look back at and look at in front of you.

It was such just a nice long drive. It was the kind of drive I needed. I needed the quiet time to myself in the venue that I enjoy. I needed the myself time (no computers) to allow me to think and think things through some. This allowed me to recharge some batteries in me that have been seriously depleted in the last few months and I hope they will stay recharged. The scenery was great and fresh. It was scenery I have not seen and will be going back more. Some of the towns I drove through were just so nice. I always love Gunnison (I think Gunnison is heaven on earth) Montrose was easy to drive and Durango the same (even with the construction). The people in Durango were so nice, especially the ones at their local Supercenter ( I needed some stuff ok).

Just Playing Around Here with Lightroom 2.2

Not getting out here lately, so I am here playing around with some features of Lightroom 2.2 based on some online classes I have been watching. This is done with post cropping vignetting. The top one was taken in Gunnison County last fall and the lake is Spraque Lake in RMNP, one of my favorite spots in the park.

A Cabin in the Woods

Nikon D2x Sigma 24-60mm Ridata Pro 150x media

Taken in the west side of the Rocky Mountains. Notice the trees in the background. They have been killed by the Pine Beetle infestation here in the Rocky Mountains. If you go to the west side the Rocky, don't expect to see any green trees. They have been pretty much all killed or in the process of being killed by the pine beetle. It is just a lightening strike away from a massive forest fire that will basically wipe out the western side of the Rockies as far as trees goes. Just imagine from the Colorado-Wyoming State line all the way to past Vail south with no trees. Basically what we have now, just standing dead trees.

Big Horn Ram Sheep in Grant, Colorado

This is part good and part rant so pardon my ranting. Ok for the good, I was out today riding around with no specific goal to obtain or anything. Had my camera's in the truck just in case something looked good to shoot. I was going down US 285 from Denver to Fairplay and before I got to the turnoff for Guanella Pass in Grant, this guy with a a whole bunch of ewes and a couple of young rams from what I could see were eating some snow for their water. Now for my rant, while shooting these guys and we were minding our own business, me the photog and them the sheep. All of sudden a Harley with straights guns the motor just as hie passing the herd and spook's the crap of them. The only reason the biker did was because he had to slow down while other cars were slowing down to see the sheep. This is not the only other time I have had problem with Harleys or other bikes with straights and I am sick of it as a photog. I love shooting wildlife in their environment and do not mind sharing that with other people either, but when other people are totally disrespectful of what is there that everyone is observing and they gun their illegal modified engines (straight pipes), it just totally rubs me the wrong way. I have worked along time to get my craft where it is and I am always working on to improve it and when inconsiderate A$$HOLES disrupt things I love and puts more stress on animals that are already under stress from weather illness, predators, I have to draw a line.

Well till later

Snow Pictures for Folks Down South

Here are a couple of pictures taken of some crab apple trees around the house after the last snow we had this week (Tuesday night). By later that Wednesday morning, it was all gone. When it snows, it is so fry that is comes as a powder snow. You can just blow on it and it comes off. Now when it melts, it still makes things just as wet and slick. We are suppose to get some more snow today and this weekend. I need to get my butt up in the mountains and get some shots. Maybe I will do that this weekend.

Till later

Snow and More Snow

No pictures today since I have not been out and about getting any. This is from last year up in RMNP.. We had over 5 inches of snow here in FTC today and a lot less in Denver. And it is just frigid cold, it was ZERO when I left for work on the truck thermometer display and the bank had a big ole -1 on it. And that is without the wind (which was basically zero thank goodness).

Have a good one

Till later

Home Again for a Moment

State Capitol Building in Jackson, Mississippi. It is often seen in Marshall Ramsey's cartoon in the local paper with screaming eagle on top. No luck today. It is a beautiful building. I took these shortly after getting my first DSLR (Nikon D100). Would love to get some shots of it inside once again.

Till later....

In A Sea of Clouds

Nikon D2x Sigma 24-60mm Ridata Pro 150X

Today is from the Great Smokey Mountains area. I was up high on a mountain highway and above the clouds that morning as the sun was coming up and the mountains were just engulfed in rolling clouds. In a few miles of traveling down the road, passed thru these clouds and to just another view.

Longing for Home and those Huge Oak Trees

Nikon D2x Sigma 24-60mm Ridata Pro 150X

Nikon D2x Sigma 24-60mm Ridata Pro 150X

Oh for a familiar sight. Sometimes I miss being back in Mississippi. Yes, it has its faults and it has is pleasures. One of those pleasures is the satisfaction of being able to go to such historic places like Windsor Ruins. I was emailing with a friend there back home that did some work for me before the holidays and was talking about places to take pictures. There are tons of places to take photos and when I back home to either visit or to once live there again, I will be visiting Windsor Ruins once again. This was taken back in 2006 while I was driving around and decided on the spur of the moment to find this place once again that I had visited once before with my mom and sister. My sister never liked going to places like this, but I just loved places like this. I just love history. Guess it goes hand in hand with my love for photography.

Will someone buy me a 85mm PC-E Tilt shift lens for my Nikon, so I can get these right next time..

Till later