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True Grit
(yes they did a remake)

Across Highway 285 from the Chili Line Depot, in Tres Piedras, New Mexico, sits what appears to be a shut-down food market. The sign above the door simply says "Grocery Store". I found the front door, dilapidated chair and poster covered windows an intriguing still life image.

Thanks for stopping in.
BR

Why did the tarantula cross the road? Well, no, not just to get to the other side. Fall in the desert is the time of year when male tarantulas go on a march to seek out females. It's not that they particularly look for roads to cross, but because there are so many of them in such a large expanse of territory, there are bound to be some of them that come across roads. (Some of them can cover 50 miles in their lusty trek.)


The above is from Margie Klein at ... http://www.desertusa.com/dusablog/tarantulas-on-the-march.html

A great time was had by all! Met some wonderful people from all over the globe. We talked photography, digital processing tips, the latest and greatest cameras, shared stories, laughed and just generally chewed the fat.
My humble photography display was set up in the Mission Embudo. I sold some images and made some great new contacts.

The Mother's Day Rio Grande Whitewater Festival was founded in the 1950's by Los Alamos paddle boater Jim Stretch Fretwell. After competing at Colorado's FiBark on the Arkansas River for many years, Stretch started a whitewater race closer to home on the Rio Grande in Taos County near the town of Pilar, now known as the Pilar Racecourse.

The River Rendezvous on Friday with keynote topic of stream flow outlook for Colorado and New Mexico, by Rolf Schmidt-Petersen (NM) and Patric McDermitt (CO). Dagmar Llewellyn addressed the group concerning climate change and it's impacts on the water resources in the Upper Rio Grande Basin. John Bailey, representing the BLM, and now newly appointed to manage the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument spoke of it's management plan. Then came the fun and prizes with the Thowbag Competition followed by a most delicious lunch provided by the Pilar Yatch Club Cafe. Lunch was followed with a float down the Pilar Racecourse with celebrated author and boater Paul Bauer. His book, The Rio Grande: A River Guide to the Geology and Landscapes of Northern New Mexico is a must for those celebrating life in the outdoors of Northern New Mexico.

Featured festival events on Saturday and Sunday included: Slalom for kayak, canoe and Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP); the Kayak Rodeo; SUP, raft, canoe and kayak downriver races; Mom and Child downriver race; National Migratory Bird Day at the Rio Grande Visitor Center: Dutch Oven Cook-off: Open mic-campfire tunes; Kayak Clinic and demos; Interpretive guided hike with a BLM Ranger; Mother's Day Benefit Breakfast for New Mexico River Outfitters Association and finishing the 3 days with an Apre's Race Awards and Party at the Blue Heron Brewery.

Within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument lies the best whitewater rafting that the Desert Southwest can provide through one of the most scenic sections of the Rio Grande Gorge, and it's known as the Taos Box of Northern New Mexico. This is a classic 16 mile, pool and drop run, with the best of the Class IV rapids located in the final 4 miles, known as the Rio Bravo Section. The river gorge is home to numerous species of wildlife, including big horn sheep, river otter, beaver, mule deer and racoon, just to name a few.

Such an enchanting country. We arrived in Huaraz which was our gateway into the Andes for glacial hikes and our launching point on the Rio Maranon. I want to return.
Here's an image of a couple of adventure travelers rafting on the Rio Maranon.

Sold this image to a buyer in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They also purchased two iPhone cases. Thanks!

Thanks goes out to Sandy, Utah for starting February right. I fills my heart with joy to know that someone will be seeing this image on their wall. It's one of my favorites because it was a special journey for me. Maybe it will be in their motorcycle shop, actually that would be perfect. Zed (my motorcycle) likes company.

Autumn time in New Mexico at the Bosque del Apache just before sunrise with Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese awakening from their night. The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, fondly known as "The Bosque," is in New Mexico near the small town of San Antonio, NM, 9 mi. south of Socorro, and less than an hour and a half from Albuquerque.
Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese and many other migrating birds make the Bosque their winter home in beautiful New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment with incomparable sunsets, delicate multicolored mountains, intense blue skies and special light.

The pink of the sunrise is reflected on the ice.


Speaker to the delegation. Bosque del Apache is Spanish for “woods of the Apache,” and is rooted in the time when the Spanish observed Apaches routinely camped in the riverside forest. Here, tens of thousands of birds–including sandhill cranes, Arctic geese, and many kinds of ducks–gather each autumn and stay through the winter.



Sunset Flight. One of the most amazing bird watching sights in this great state lies in the Rio Grande Valley, South of Socorro. You do have to get up early, before sunrise, and stay late, after sunset, to get the most out of your visit.



My work is rooted in my experience in nature. As an outdoor enthusiast and a whitewater raft guide, I have found myself in some pretty amazing places. Having a camera in hand was perhaps the only way they would believe me. It could be a Iphone, a simple point and shoot or my nikon camera. The challenge for me has been learning how to use my gear and knowing its potential. I utilize digital processing to enhance what is already there. Striving to find a balance between the physical and its essence. The natural wonder that I feel in the outdoors reminds me of my childhood musings, where my sense of adventure was free from erroneous limitations, where there were no rules. It is this sense of play that I share via my photographs.
The Bosque is a special place.
Thanks for clicking in.

The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep of the Rio Grande Gorge are having a great population increase. In 2005 there were none. In 2006 the NM Fish and Game brought in 23 and as of 2014 there are over 200. My explorations into the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument bring me face to face with these majestic creatures. Image created just East of Taos New Mexico.
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep occupy open, mountainous habitat either above timberline or in open canyons and slopes below forests and woodlands. They are characterized by low reproductive rates, long life spans, and populations that can be bottom-up regulated by nutritional constraints or top-down limited by predation.








Thanks for stopping in.
Britt