Travel Photo Challenge Day 8 Taos Mountains

Dawn glow

We go to Taos in northern New Mexico for Day 8 of the Travel Photo Challenge. In August 2009, Laurie and I attempted to hike to Wheeler Peak, the highest peak in New Mexico at 13,167 ft (4,013 m). We got up to around 12,500 feet and turned around because the weather was becoming cold and stormy. We still had a wonderful time with beautiful scenery.

The photographer of the day is picpholio nature photography at https://picpholio.wordpress.com/. picholio combines photography with his love for nature, walking and cycling. He mainly shoots in Belgium and the surrounding countries and does especially great macro photography.

Jupiter with moons and Saturn getting ever farther apart. December 28, 2020.

Canadian Geese echelon flying over the Rio Grande with the Sandias in the clouds.

On the way to Wheeler Peak, 13,167 ft (4,013 m)

Travel Photo Challenge Day 7 Troglodytes

Marble doing her best troglodyte imitation.

Jupiter & Saturn. December 28, 2020. The clouds blocked Jupiter’s moons tonight.

Day 7 of the Travel Photo Challenge takes us to Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico. These photos were taken in 2004 on our way back from Big Bend in Texas. You can learn about Carlsbad Caverns at https://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm.

Speaking of troglodytes, I’m doing two favorite photographers/artists/writers/musicians tonight. Not that they are troglodytes, at least I don’t think they are, but it’s because troglodytes have come up in one form or another over the last couple of days with these two bloggers.

Just today, Dale at https://adelectablelife.com/2020/12/28/weekend-writing-prompt-189-troglodyte/ posted a 95-word weekend writing challenge with “Troglodyte”. Dale is a wonderful photographer, writer, and cook, she’s posted some great looking food. Dale is an Artgown model, she has the Peach Tree, and she also has a great sense of humor.

Marina at https://marinakanavaki.com/ posts music from https://oannes.gr/ as part of her blogging. Oannes posted “Jet Set Junta” by the Eligible Bachelors at https://oannes.gr/the-monochrome-set-jet-set-junta-eligible-bachelors-1982/. I commented that the song reminded me of Loquillo y Los Trogloditas. Marina is a wonderful artist, photographer, writer, and musician. She is also an Artgown model, has the Incognito Pear Tree, an adorable dog, plus she has a great sense of humor.

Carlsbad Caverns

 

Travel Photo Challenge Day 4 Christmas And The Continental Divide

Christmas 2020 sunset

One reason I don’t generally do photo challenges is that life in real-time is so much more interesting than the challenges. For Day 4 of the Travel Photo Challenge, I am starting off with four photos that are less than four hours old from when I took them to when I’m posting them. To help maintain proper social distancing, and keep things nice and airy, we celebrated Christmas with family outside this afternoon. We had two fire pits and two space heaters spread out to keep us warm.

I’m not featuring another photography today, I will resume with a featured photographer tomorrow. My Day 4 Travel Photography is from December 2009 when Laurie and I hiked on a short portion of the Continental Divide Trail west of Cuba, New Mexico.

The landscape was not as exciting as the badlands, except we could see Cabazon looking to the southeast. Cabazon is the largest of 50 volcanic formations in the Rio Puerco valley between the Jemez Mountains to the northeast and Mount Taylor to the southwest. Mount Tayler is a large volcano that stands at 11,305 ft (3,446 m) above sea level. Jemez Mountains has Valle Grande, a large 13.7-mile (22.0 km) wide volcanic caldera with a high point at 11,253-foot (3,430 m) above sea level. Cabazon stands 1,100 feet above the valley floor. The top of Cabazon is 8,000 feet above Sea Level.

The Continental Divide Trail is a 3100 mi (4989 km) trail between Chihuahua and Alberta. The continental divide snakes its way up the western side of New Mexico, through Colorado, heads northwest across Wyoming, along the border between Idaho and Montana, and then up the western edge of Montana. Runoff and rivers on the western side of the continental divide flow into the Pacific Ocean. Runoff and rivers on the eastern side of the continental divide flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

We celebrated Christmas outside and kept warm with fire pits and space heaters.

A Christmas bunny dropped by to wish us seasons greetings.

Jupiter & Saturn on December 25, 2020.

Looking SE from the Continental Divide Trail at Cabazon and another large volcanic plug in the distance. December 2009.

Travel Photo Challenge Day 3 Badlands

Merry Christmas! Resa’s Tree over the casita around Christmastime in 2004.trees

My photographer for Day 3 is Randall who has Global Sojourns Photography at https://dalocollis.com/. Randall is a fantastic photographer and an excellent writer who combines philosophy with his travel photography.

Jupiter and Saturn shining through a thin layer of clouds on Christmas Eve, 2020.

Day 3 is a series of photos from the De Na Zin Wilderness area south of Farmington, New Mexico. On our way back from the Native Plant Society conference in 2008, many of the participants stopped by the badlands. While most of the group was looking at plants, I and another photographer were occupied with the landscapes. We got separated from the group several times. In this area, which is part of the Bisti Badlands, there are whole petrified trees, hoodoos (formations that were platforms for trees), fossils, and well-sculpted barren landscapes.

 

On The Eve Of Conjunction

Our neighbor’s star reflecting on conjunction.

Mia’s tree (center), clouds moon, large cottonwood.

Susan’s Tree, Teagan’s Trees, Gabriela’s Tree, and Tiffany’s Tree from the levee looking northwest.

Shey’s Tree with the moon above.

Tangle Heart Tree embracing the moon.

Saturn and Jupiter. 6:15 pm, December 20, 2020.

 

Twelve Hours

6:00 am. Venus rising in the dark at dawn.

Glenda looking cool on top of an armario at noon.

Sasha napping at noon in the new hammock that replaced one of the worn-out burlap hammocks.

6:00 pm Saturn and Jupiter closing in on each other.

A closer view of Saturn and Jupiter at 6:00 pm. The lights coming off at an angle from Jupiter might be a few of its 79 moons.

Crows, Moon, Mia’s Tree, Tangle Heart Tree

Crows over cranes at dusk.

Crows, crane, Sliver Moon over Mia’s Tree.

Intermission: Daddy owl hooted at me in the dark and got my attention. +2 stops made for an interesting exposure.

Crows and Sliver Moon.

An alignment of Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity, a plane, and the Sliver Moon under the Tangle Heart Tree. Saturn is trying to shine through the clouds above Jupiter.

 

Closer and Closer

Saturn and Jupiter on December 7th.

I wanted to photograph Saturn and Jupiter every night in December, but so far between cloudy skies and getting out too late because I was doing other things and missed the narrow window between when it’s dark enough to see them and when they disappear behind the trees, I photographed them on the 7th, 8th, 12th, 13th, and 15th. Five out of 15 nights is not my best, not my best at all. They are converging, and currently, the forecast is for clear skies on Monday when Saturn and Jupiter conjoin. I’ll see if the forecast is correct, and I’m planning on photographing them every night for the next six nights.

Saturn and Jupiter on December 8th. Saturn and Jupiter in the trees on December 12th.Saturn and Jupiter on December 13th. Saturn and Jupiter on December 15th.