Red Rocks Friday

The return of Red Rocks Friday finds us at Garden of the Gods, the southernmost exposure of the Fountain Formation along the Front Range. 

Preserved as a city park in Colorado Springs, it was given to the city in 1909 by the children of Rancher Charles Elliot Perkins in keeping with their father's wish that it remain free and open to the public.

I've visited at least a half dozen times beginning in 1993.  Now that we live here I drop in about every other year on my visits to Pikes Peak.  For more on the Colorado Springs area visit Jules' Blog.

The Official City web link is here, but I thought it was rather commercial.......link above is to Wikipedia.


Now we'll follow the red rocks further west in Colorado............................

Weekly Volcano #22: Mount Saint Helens Anniversary

Can't believe that I missed this one.  Last Wednesday, May 18th, was the 30 Anniversary of the eruption of Mt St Helens.  I guess I was too preoccupied with the Blog Anniversary.  But a week later is still timely.

The classic view, taken from the Visitor's Center, which is located at the campsite of David Johnston, the geologist on sight when the eruption began.  His famous and haunting last words "Vancouver, Vancouver, This is it!".  The Cascade Volcano Observatory is located in Vancouver, Washington.

And thus began my career in volcanology.......often walking in the shadow of David Johnston as my career paths crossed his.  More on that with next weeks volcano.

Longs Peak Journal Perspective

I've posted this as the new banner image for my other blog.......

Photo Beginnings: Kumler Chapel

Also on the Western Campus. 

The Kumler's were probably a wealthy family whose female members attended Western College.

Photo Beginnngs: The Fungus Among Us

A Tree on the Western College Campus of Miami University. Western College had been a private women's college.   In the 70's that type of education was passe, and only the most prominent women's colleges survived.  The college was across the road from Miami and was absorbed into the state school.

Photo Beginnings: My First Sign

The Assignment was 'social commentary'.  

I found something ironic about a parking sign in a stairwell.

Photo Beginnings: My Best Attempt At Sports

For my Blog Anniversary I will post a series of photos from my first black and white photography class. I'll let you guess the Era from their clothing, because basketball fashion has changed significantly.

The "Ohio" is Ohio University, my team in white from Miami University, Miami being a name that originates in Ohio.  The name of a Tribe belonging to Tecumseh's People; and two rivers in the area where they lived.  I mention that because my alma mater is about a hundred years older than the City of Miami.  The name was taken to Florida as part of a real estate scam to rip-off Midwesterners.  Just one of those things!

All of these photos were taken without filters (hadn't discovered them yet); little or no contrast added during printing; using my beloved Minolta SRT-SCII, and Tri-X Pan film.

Happy Anniversary!

Celebrating one year sharing with ou all!

And For You, My very favorite landscape

From Fern Canyon, California:

I have to say I think it is one of my best landscapes..........

Weekly Volano #21: Mt Theisen, Oregon

Mt Theisen is another eroded volcanic core of a basaltic shield volcano, about 290,000 years old.

Located north of the more famous Crater Lake, in the Cascade Volcanic Arc.

Perspectives on Monday

Back to Arches National Park for more Perspectives.

Sorry it's not an Arch is it?  I'll show one sometime, but I really loved this dead tree.

And look at the clouds!

Spanish Lincoln: The Torreon of Las Placitas

The original Spanish Settlement was 'Las Placitas del Rio Bonito' in honor of the nearby brook. Water being a luxury in New Mexico, a decent stream was celebrated.

The Torreon was basically a Keep without a moat.

The Spanish Settlers took refuge here from Mescalero attacks.

I'd say maybe 20 people could get by inside.

( If you are wondering what happened to Billy The Kid, well I realized that the film was still here undeveloped.  So we will visit the Spanish town of Las Placitasm while we wait).

Weekly Volcano #20: Sierra Blanca, New Mexico

We stretch our definition a bit to get this one in.  Sierra Blanca is a prominent peak within the Mescalero Apache Reservation.  On the opposite side is a ski resort owned by the Mescalero.

They were able to prevent the Spanish from successfully settling this part of New Mexico, and eventually were able to recover this land from the US Government.

On the Trail of William Bonney

a.k.a. Billy the Kid.  Who couldn't possibly have done all of the things he was accused of.

I hadn't realized that the mountains east of Alamogordo were his territory.  

More about the Lincoln County War during this week.

Mosaic at the Billy the Kid Museum.
(Cropped Mamiya 6X6) 

Happy Birthday to Me!

Also my blog avatar.........I think I'm 3 years old in this picture.

It was made by printing on high contrast film and developing in regular paper developer.

The background is composed of maps of the countries that are part of my family tree.

White Sands Sunset

We'll end this week at White Sands with a sunset.

Evening Glow

Another shot from our sunset walk.

A Sunset Walk through the Dunes

Wandering along a nature trail at sunset.

The actual sunset was not that spectacular, but there was a bit of a glow 

if you looked in the opposite direction.

Weekly Volcano #19: More From Mt Shasta

I'll have to admit that I was hard pressed to find another photo of Mt Shasta to start of the month of May.  I guess that means that I'll have to make a return trip to the mounain to take more photos ;=)

We return to our New Mexico theme tomorrow...........

White Sands Tuesday

The sun was trying to peek out on this afternoon.

Perspectives from White Sands

I prefer the one above with more foreground.  But which do you prefer?

Journey to White Sands

If you emember back in March we spent a week in southeastern New Mexico.

Well all of the slides are back and the B&W developed.  So we'll leave Patagonia for a while and 

spend some time in New Mexico.

We had all kinds of weather, snow, rain, overcast.  But it was nice to get back to the desert,. Although nothing is quite like Death Valley, we intend to make New Mexico our desert retreat.