The Love Affair of Metal and Amber Waves of Grain

I love when John captures this style of photograph.  I'm one for the rugged, yet conflicted beauty in barbed wire and amber waves of grain.  Both items captured in this photo, while standing on their own can be easily depicted as strong; even delicate. But, when found together, the subjects become strong in their passion to also become displays of  simple beauty.  It's almost as if a passionate love affair has been interrupted.

When Fall Steps In

Fall.  The changing of the seasons is spectacular and awe-inspiring in the Rocky Mountains.  The scrub oak leaves, once green with the spring season, begin their slow evolution to dynamic spicy reds, sweet orange and brilliant yellows.  Soon the Aspens and Cottonwoods will follow suit, and the mountains will look like a grandmother's quilt; a family blanket of mother nature and her children.

The Surge of Lightning

 

Electricity. No need for the black and white experience with this photograph. Mother Nature provides her own illumination with a one-two punch of energized threads . A recent storm that swept across the mystical Yampa Valley brought claps of thunder and lightning. The magical show could be seen for miles , and to the naked eye, the flashes were abundant. However, capturing these marvels of nature often times prove difficult in that you just can't count on lightning striking twice in the exact same spot.

A Smile and the Doorman

 

The Broadmoor Hotel, in Colorado Springs, CO is a step back to a long forgotten gracious elegance.  Nestled in the majestic shadow of Cheyenne Mountain, this 3,000 acre hotel is a depiction of old western elegance, with a dabble in modern amenities and Italian themed architecture.  We walked the grounds this past July, and were mesmerized by the well manicured lawns, the sensational and abundant displays of mother nature, the shops and art displayed throughout the interior of the hotel.  We came upon this young doorman who obliged us a photograph.  He greeted each patron with a infectious smile and warm hello.  Of all the employees we encountered during our trip to the Broadmoor, this doorman, in our opinion ,was what fine hospitality is all about.  Thank you for your service, Sir.

Shakespeare's Hamlet Butterfly

Metamorphosis.  One of the scientific wonders of the world.  What once was a caterpillar, becomes a butterfly.  Although Shakespeare spoke of "shuffling off the mortal coil", I don't believe that this butterfly considers his pupa stage as mortal.  It's just another wonderment of Mother Nature and transformation.   This little winged creature fluttered onto our awning, rested a moment and was off again; searching nature for his next stop on a warm summer day.

Calypso in the Pale

During a recent weekend adventure, we drove up the Greenville Mine Road in search of sites unseen.  A local rancher was running livestock and we found ourselves in the midst of Calypso.  Perhaps this mare thought she was hidden, but her beauty shines brightly.  Rural Routt County still garners a treasure trove of the old west cowboy pioneer life, as is evident by the well worn cabin behind the mare.  The story beckons you to look just beyond the pale, and an open door to imagination, sites unseen, roughneck cowboys, ghost stories of gold mining and perhaps Calypso.


...Of these things, speak, Immortal One,
And tell the tale once more in our time....  Homer's Odyssey

Wisps of Wonderland

 

Whimsical wisps of fog unfurl like a veil on the ranch floor. If you look closely, a cloistered white roof top of a rancher's barn can be detected; but ever so slight.  The freshly cut hay brings depth to the photo and resonates a simple way of ranch life; when the chores are completed and free time is but a brush stroke from God across a freshly cut field.