Heron Lake State Park Camping Weekend

This past weekend, we were camping at a state park in northwest New Mexico, at a lake called Heron Lake. On Friday morning, we took Miki for a walk from the campground down to the lake. The above image was taken right along one part of the shoreline. It was such a pretty morning!

Here's the same shoreline, but just a bit further back! I always love to show green in New Mexico. So many folks think the everywhere in the Southwest is just like Phoenix! And, as you can see from the image above, that simply isn't true!

This image was taken as we walked back to the campsite. These trees seem to be those that would grow in a sort of boggy soil. However, the soil wasn't really boggy on this morning - it was just very soft sandy soil. Still, I do love the look of these trees, don't you?

As we walked along the rocky upper shoreline, these pretty white flowers were blooming all over the place! I don't know what they are called. I did find some Georgia O'Keeffe painting of just these flowers. What did she call them? White Flower!! I think I'm in excellent company calling them exactly that!

The evenings were great, too! We only got to have a campfire on the first evening we were there (a state-wide open fire ban went into effect the next morning), so this was the only sunset we saw from outside. The little gnats and other biting bugs were just too overwhelming without the shield of the smoke from the campfire to protect us. Still, this was a pretty beautiful site!

Enjoy!!

Macro Flowers ATCs

This ATC swap was focused on photos taken of flowers - close up! The above photo was an unexpected find for me! I was just looking thru some flower photos and found this incredible shot of what I think is the middle of a posy. It's just so soft and magical......

Here's a fun little shot! The little bee on the head of the flower is just the perfect shot. And, can only be seen if you take a close-up of the flower.

Can you guess what this is a shot of? It's the blossom of a barrel head cactus. Isn't this a cool shot? I just love these little blooms!

Enjoy!!

Wild Horses of Placitas

This past weekend some friends visiting from Chicago & I participated in a photo workshop of the wild horses in Placitas, NM. Here are a few of my favorite images. The one above is just fabulous, and the horse (a mare, I believe) just stopped and seemed to pose. She was just so majestic, I just loved photographing her.

This shot captured the beauty of the area in which these magnificent animals live. They are not entirely safe, however. Some unknowing, but well-meaning people feed them, which totally endangers them because they then stop migrating and foraging and begin to depend on humans. And, when the people stop feeding them?? Also, food fit for domestic horses is not fit for wild horses, who, of course, have no vets to come to their aid when they become ill. Very well-meaning, but dangerous to the horses. Still, this image certainly creates the wonder of living in the wild, and the peace that can exist for these lovely creatures.

And, this one is just so charming! There were 4 foals born this spring, just a couple of months ago. This little one, called Kentucky (because she began racing around in a very short time after birth), was my favorite! That's her mom that she's close to. However, it's very interesting how the rest of the band tends to watch out for this little one as well as her mom. But, she is a little charmer!!

Enjoy!

Smoky Sunset & Sunrise the Next Morning

Altho we're not in any fire danger from the Wallow Wildfire in southeastern Arizona, we have been feeling the effect of the smoke for about the past week here. The above image was of the sun setting the day before yesterday. Typically, it would be very bright and hard to look at. But all the smoke in the air really softens the effect of its rays, and makes the sky seem either cloudy or darker than it really is. Smells like a campfire, too.

The next morning I took this beautiful image of the sunrise. Altho I'm thinking there was still some smoke in the air, it was much clearer (at least until the afternoon), and the sunrise was quite spectacular.

Again, I don't know for certain, but I don't recall seeing these "ribbons" in the sky before, so I'm thinking it might be some residual smoke. If it is, I find is somewhat amazing that even when the world is being destructive to itself (altho I've heard the wildfire was started by a human), it still manages to create some beauty at the same time.

Enjoy (altho I hope they contain the fire soon).