Replenish

This little pond, surrounded by cattails, serves as an suburban sanctuary for marsh and water birds. Sadly, it may die this summer. Apparently, given the current economic conditions, the city of Colorado Springs will not maintain the Ute Valley Park pond. I'm hoping that summer brings clouds like the one above to replenish this pond. I'll be watching this sky.

For photos from other who watch the sky, focus your gaze on Skywatch Fridays.

Hide'n'Seek was Found

The above photo, Hide'n'Seek, was chosen to be included in the new seventh edition of the Schmap Monterey and Carmel Guide. Click here to see the entry. It's the 96th photo in the set of pictures for Monterey. Obviously 1st would be better, but still, kinda cool!

This is one of the few photos that I have on Flickr. I reckon I should upload a few more. Maybe Getty Images will buy one next? Well, a boy can dream, can't he?

Up on Cripple Creek

This weekend, a buddy and I drove up to Cripple Creek, Co to play in a poker tournament. We go up about once a month.

Cripple Creek is small town about a hour's drive from Colorado Springs, just southwest of Pikes Peak. The town came to be after gold was discovered in 1891. In modern times, Cripple Creek almost died out. The town was revitalized when the state legalized gambling there in the early '90s.

The surrounding mountains, the old Victorian buildings, the scars from past mining and the leftover dilapidated mining equipment makes for a picturesque little town. Mind you, most of the houses in Cripple Creek are in much better shape than this sad little shack.

You may wonder how I had time to take any photos if I was playing poker. I was knocked out by a 3-outer on the cusp of the final table...

Click on Sepia Scenes for some other great sepia photos.

Old Photos

O is for Old Photo of old memories. This is a slide that I took back in 1997 or, was it 1998?? It was during a trip to visit my friend Cerine out in North Carolina. We traveled the whole state from Cape Hatteras to the Blue Ridge Mountains. I had a great time. This photo is of a living history museum.

I took a number of old slides into a local processor to have the slides scanned. I wanted to give locals my business first. However, I can't say that I'm all that happy with the results. Out of 10 slides, only a couple are usable. So, I'll now try the same slides with someone else. Anybody out there have any recommendations?

Be sure to check out the other great photos from ABC Wednesday.

Morning Reflections

Downtown Colorado Springs has a number of beautiful old historic buildings, statues, public art and, of course, great views of Pikes Peak. This shot, taken at sunrise, captures Pikes Peak and the St Mary's Catholic Cathedral as their images reflect off of the American Nation Bank building. I have to be careful driving downtown in the morning because I find this view distractingly dangerous.

That's my world. To view photos from around the world, travel on over to That's My World Tuesday.

Juniper and Red Rocks

According to Wikipedia, there are over 70 canyons in the United States with the name "Red Canyon". This photo was taken in Red Canyon Park near Canon City, Colorado. It's a beautiful little town, and a beautiful park. The 500-acre park has lots of picnic grounds scattered around as well as hiking trails. Apparently, it's also a popular place to climb.

Click over to Monochrome Maniacs for other great B&W photos.

Rain in the Garden

This image of the Southern Gateway rock is another shot from my Garden of the Gods Series. It was raining up on the mountain, and it threatened to rain while I walked up to the ridge that overlooks the park. I got back to the car in time to prevent soaking the camera. This ridge is same place, but a different angle (and day) from that used in the Classic View shot. I fiddled around the with PSE a bit to bring out the structure in the clouds. It's really hard to capture them on a gray day. But the water really brings out the colors.

I did not take a single shot today. Instead, I worked all day on re-designing my website. Seemed like a good idea as today was also very damp and drizzly. I've gotten spoiled by being able to wear shorts the last few days...

Be sure to hike on over to Scenic Sundays.

Lyra

Meet Lyra - Lyra, meet the blogosphere. This is my nieces' "puppy". She's so lively and always looking for fun. However, she's not a cooperative model. Such a diva! If I remember correctly, we finally got this pose by tempting her with a plate of my sister-in-law's delicious triple-stacked enchiladas.

I thought Lyra would make a great subject for this week's Camera Critters. Be sure to visit!

Who's a good girl?

Bronco Sunset

Today's Skywatch Friday is a Bronco Sunset from Mueller State Park. The park is on west of Pike's Peak. Over the years, I spent a lot of time hiking, mountain biking and winter camping at the park. Earlier this week, I decided to make the drive up there after work to capture the sunset as it colored the western slopes of Pikes Peak.

There was much more snow from the storms from the previous week than I thought. I only wore ankle-high shoes. So, my plans of hiking a trail to find a good vantage point were busted. Instead, I waited around the visitor's center for the sunset. I still had to walk in deep snow, filling my shoes with it, but only for a few yards instead of a few miles. Mental note: Take boots!

The view of the peak was not that great from the parking lot, but I did get an interesting shot that I'll share at some point. The few others that I like are similar to this one and point off to the south.

About the title: The colors of the local pro football team, the Denver Broncos, are Orange and Blue.

To view the skies from around the world, head over to Sky Watch Fridays.

The Trade Room

Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site is a reconstructed 1840’s adobe fur trading post on the Arkansas river along the Santa Fe Trail near La Junta, Colorado. Traders, trappers, travelers, and Plains Indian tribes came here for trade.

The fort now has living historians recreate the sights, sounds, and smells of the past. Many of the rooms in the fort have been laid out with items that one may have seen in its heyday. This room is the fort's general store, or trade room. It carried merchandise that was traded or sold to trappers, Indians, and travelers.

If you'd like to see more of my photos of Bent's Old Fort, point your browser here.

Rowing on Town Lake

Rowing on Town Lake in Austin, Tx at dusk.

Not many words today. I'm (barely) awake early enough for the sunrise, but sadly, I'm not able to take any photos of it. Instead, I'm about to have a meeting with some folks in Bangalore, India. My life would be easier if the whole planet was in the same time zone! Who's idea was it to make the planet round?

Anyway, point your browser over to Watery Wednesday for other watery photos.

Flyby

We've been having a lot of spring snow storms lately. Sunday, the weather broke and it was warm and sunny. So, I took the opportunity to take a little road trip. This photo is of a Blue-Winged Teal flying over the cattail marshes near the highway entrance to Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site. The fort is located in southeast Colorado near the town of La Junta. The area draws lots of waterbirds due to the reservoirs and cattail complexes along the Arkansas river. In addition to this Blue-Winged Teal, I saw (and heard) large numbers of Red-Winged Blackbirds, Canada Geese, Buffleheads, Cinnamon Teal, American Coot and various unidentified species.

I look forward to returning to this area to see the Mississippi Kite and the Colorado Black Rails.

If you're interested in any of these birds, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a great resource.

This is part of my world. To see others from around the globe, visit My World Tuesday.

Stretching

This is my first entry to Monochrome Maniacs. I almost chickened out :) But, the only way to learn is to practice. I'd love b&w photos. However, I've rarely created one that I'm happy with. It probably stems from the fact that I do not really understand the "language" of monochrome. I suspect it also results from the fact that creating a monochrome image comes after the fact. That is, I shot with color in mind and then try to convert to monochrome. Perhaps, I need to dedicate some time to taking monochrome from the beginning.

Have a great Monday. Point your browser to Monochrome Maniacs for more monochrome goodness.

Scouting Roxborough

Last weekend I decided to drive up to Roxborough State Park. near Denver, CO. It was a bit of a risk because we were having a snow storm, and the drive involves going over the Palmer divide, a notoriously messy drive in bad weather. To my surprise, I found it to be raining on that side of the divide.

Roxborough park features red, white and yellow sandstone formations. You can find similar formations all along Colorado's front range. I took the trip to scout out locations for a sunset shoot. It's a good idea to know the area somewhat before stumbling around in the dark looking for a good place to catch the rising sun.

At the park entrance, I read that the park opens at 8:00AM. Bummer. When I inquired about the chances of getting in early, I found that the park generally opens once a month to allow photographers in for sunrise shooting! Now, I just need to set the alarm and somehow wake up at 2:30AM on the appointed day.

Be sure to point your browser to Scenic Sunday for other great scenery.

Meerkat

A Meerkat striking a pose and soaking up the sun on a cold morning. This photo was taken at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. One of these days, I'd love to travel to South Africa and see them in their natural environment. Apparently, meerkats are believed to protect against werewolves. Good thing to know during the full moon...

Skip over to Camera Critters for other pictures of animals.

Edit: Fixed spelling of Meerkat (thanks Abby!)

The Storm's Edge

I've been following Ryan McGinnis' The Big Storm Picture for some time. He has captured some amazing pictures.

So, when a big thunderstorm blew into Colorado Springs yesterday, I was inspired to go out and hunt for some dramatic shots of the storm for today's Sky Watch Friday.

This single attempt illustrated that I have a lot to learn.

The first place I stopped was Palmer Park (click here for one view of the park). It's a high point near the center of the city. There was some amazing view of storm slamming into the mountains to the west. As there was flashes in the sky, I was hesitant about getting out of the car and setting up the tripod. I tried to take some shots out the window, but the wind was blowing rain towards me.

Driving though town, I came across a number of great views of the storm or the clouds. Some shots, I didn't take the shot because I felt the buildings, road, power lines, etc interfered with the photo. Other shots, I didn't take because I was on a busy street and had no safe place to park. The shots I did take didn't turn out. Some were fuzzy because the lack of a tripod, or very noisy because of the high ISO.

Eventually, I decided to head towards the edge of storm, so I headed out into the prairies east of the Springs. The storm was huge! The roads out here have no shoulders and it seemed unsafe to park and setup the tripod. I also found that I didn't feel comfortable hanging out on the edge of someones property taking pictures.

This is the single shot that I got yesterday that I felt was worthy of sharing. It's a hand held shot taken into the face a strong, cold wind. I'm afraid I messed up the exposure on most of the shots due to my haste of getting out of the wind and off the road.

As expected, trying to capture this storm photographically was extremely difficult and I have a lot to learn.

Anyone out there have any suggestions?

Point your browser over to Sky Watch Friday for some other great photos.

BTW - last night thunderstorm turned in to a snow storm overnight - and it's still falling.

Huntington & Hopkins Hardware

Today's Thursday Theme is "SIGNS" (Traffic, Building, Neon, Peace Signs, Graffiti, Religious,...).

This photo is of the Huntington & Hopkins Hardware building, one of the historic buildings located in Old Sacramento Historic District. These buildings date from the early California Gold Rush days.

Point your browser over to Photo Theme for Thursday to see other great photos.

Wordless Wednesday

Click here for other Wordless Wednesdays.

The Eagle

My mom is not the only artist in my family. My dad is a wood carver. This picture is a close up of a eagle bust that he carved and painted. I keep bugging him to carve me a life size ostrich, and he keeps refusing.

To see glimpses of the world from other eyes, click on My World Tuesday.

Blue Face

A pair of North American Wild Turkeys at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Go check out Blue Monday for other great photos.

Cheyenne Mountain Sunrise

For all you fans of Stargate SG-1, Cheyenne Mountain is the mountain at the far left of the photo.

Click over to Scenic Sunday for more great photos

Give Me Shelter

During a recent snow storm, I found these Pine Sisken hiding in a tree near our kitchen window. My wife calls this bird a 'zipper' bird due to its characteristic call a - "harsh, grating, upwardly inflected 'zreeeeeeet'" (Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All about Birds - goto this site to hear a sample)

This tree is a common hiding spot for a host of local birds. During one nasty windstorm, I counted at least 25 birds hanging on for dear life as tree whipped back and forth. It was an amazing sight and helped me appreciate just how tough these little guys are.

This is my first entry in the Camera Critter's meme. Check them out for some other great photos!

Have a great weekend!

Skywatch Friday: It was a dark and stormy...

It looks pretty cold and windy up top as the storm blew through. I'm glad I was down here in the 'warm'.

Speaking of which, taking pictures in the cold has its own challenges. First off, its impossible to handle the camera while wearing nice cozy mittens. After a winter morning shoot, I usually can't feel my fingers anymore.

More important is the issue of bringing the now sub-zero camera into a nice warm, humid house. Condensation is not good for your camera. I used to collect the silica gel desiccants that come with some products (shoes, electronics, wicked witches, etc). By placing the desiccants and the cold camera equipment in a plastic bag until the temperatures equalize you can help keep moisture out of the camera and off of the lenses. Recently I found a silica gel desiccant product that can be reactivated in an ordinary oven. Unfortunately, I expect it to last for months before it needs to be reactivated - I guess I'll have to find another way to warm my numb, blue fingers.

Be sure to checkout other photos from Sky Watch Friday

Siamese Twin Arch

Here's a view of Pikes Peak as seen through the Siamese Twin Arch. I've been going to the Siamese Twins in Garden of the Gods quite often. There are a lot of interesting photos - if only I could capture them. This photo is about the 4th attempt of this view.

Click on this link to see another photo of the Siamese Twins. I'm still working on a shot that shows the whole formation.

See the angled, almost straight line going up the mountain? That is "The Incline" - the remains of an old cable car. It's a great hike and an awesome workout. A local running club, the Incline Club, used to use the Incline for training. Click on this link to see another picture of the incline.

L is for Left Behind

This is my first entry to ABC Wednesday.

This photo shows the kitchen of the Miller house in the ghost town of Bodie, CA. The town started due to the a gold rush in the 1850's. By 1915, it was pretty much abandoned.

This kitchen still contains many items that the owners left behind.

For other photos brought to you by the letter L, click on ABC Wednesday.

My World Tuesday: Their Best Side?

In Colorado Spring's Ute Valley park there is a nice little pond surrounded by Cat Tails. The water attracts a lot of birds, especially Red-winged Blackbirds and various ducks. I live nearby, and hike in the park a lot. It's a great little oasis of nature in the city.

I often take my camera and stop at the pond in an attempt to photograph some of the birds. I can't decide if this photo shows that the local Mallards are tired of my paparazzi ways with them and are showing me their disdain. Or, perhaps, they want to be photographed from what they believe to be their best side.

This is part of my world. To see others from around the globe, visit My World Tuesday.

Blue Monday: Bluebird of Serendipity

A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip up to Castlewood Canyon state park to photograph some of the birds that live there. The park has lots of trails that wind through a couple of important habitats. As soon as I got to the park, I saw this dead tree looming of over the parking lot. I took a few shots of the tree for a few different angles. While I was shooting, this Bluebird (I believe that it is a Mountain Bluebird) flew up and started singing...

Happy Blue Monday!

Scenic Sunday: Colored Soils

Here's another shot from the Paint Mines Interpretive Park showing three of common color soils that you can find there.

Be sure to check out other Scenic Sunday posts.

Skywatch Friday: Raining Fire

I was at a friend's place the other night. Looking out the back, I saw a great sunset happening over the distant Pikes Peak. Luckily I tend to keep my camera with me, and took a few shots. The sky looked pretty impressive with this mass of dark clouds hanging over the mountain with a narrow band of color at the bottom.

Be sure to checkout other photos from Sky Watch Friday

PS: The title "Raining Fire" is from John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High"

Dragonfly

This week's Thursday Challenge is "DELICATE" (Glass, Lace, Jewelry, Plants, Breakable Things,...).

For this entry, I choose to show my mom's bead work and workstation as seen through her magnifying glass. I've watched her create designs like these. To me, it looks exceedingly tedious. I I'm don't believe that I'd have the patience to deal with those tiny beads. What's worse, if she's not happy with how the project is going, she'll strip off all the beads and start over again. That is dedication, and it pays off with the end result.

Good job mom!

Blast from the Past: To the moon!

So, back in '69 when I was a wee lad, I got to ride on a rocket and take some photos. I know the picture is not that great, but my hands were too small to properly hold on the camera, and my skills were not up to snuff yet (not to mention the helmet gets in the way).

It was a ton of fun - but, I'll tell you, blast off scared the snot out of me. We blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A at 8:32 am EST on July 16, 1969. The Saturn V packs a wallop! About 76hrs later, we hit lunar orbit insertion.

The next day, we landed at Mare Tranquillitatis. Neil had to manually fly the module to locate a safe landing spot. Luckily I missed this harrowing event. I slept through the landing (the time was 20:17:40hrs, sadly past my bedtime).

While the real astronauts performed experiments on the surface I mostly took photos. Although, I did take my favorite Wham-O Superball to play with, I found that it didn't hold up to vacuum.

Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were all real friendly and I enjoyed the ride.

To this day, I still don't understand why they let a 5 yr boy come along, and why it is not better documented.

Anyway, Apollo 11 was a great success.

Perhaps in a future blast, I'll discuss my participation in the 1972 Super Bowl VI - That Staubach is one class act.

This is the last Blast from the Past Wednesday - I'm moving it to Saturdays.