Some Photographs

I have a lot of photos that I've been meaning to post on the Cholula Red site, however since this is easier (if not as good looking) I've decided to put some of them here.

Several of these have been posted on my other sites, but since this blog will also serve as a personal journal, I ask you to excuse the duplicates.

If any of these strike your fancy, remember that if you click on an image, a full size version will open.

This first shot is one of my favorites, taken at the Fry's Electronics Store in Burbank, California. The whole store carries through with a wonderful Science Fiction theme, and this front door beats anything we've seen in Roswell!


When we were camping in Oceano, we decided to take a drive and see some of the local color. Suddenly, there by the side of the road we saw a herd of dinosaurs rising from a small jungle. Of course we had to stop and explore.

The place is the Oceano Nursery, and what a delightful spot it is! Chock full of unusual plants, the grounds are also covered with metal sculptures of various breeds of dinosaurs and other exotic outdoor art.

I particularly liked this shot as it reminds me of the end of Jurassic Park, when the T Rex battles the velociraptors under the "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth" banner.


This is one of my favorite photographs, I often use it as a desktop picture on my computer.

It was taken at an amazing spot in Los Angeles, close to where the fabled Sunset Boulevard intersects with the Pacific Coast Highway. Known as the Lake Shrine, this is a lovely retreat with a tranquil lake, an old windmill and a wonderfully serene atmosphere. While most folks are not aware that it exists, it is a lovely spot to visit and unwind, especially if you've spent some time in the hustle and bustle of Southern California.


This was taken in Utah, on out first major trip in Cholula Red. We were traveling from Oregon down to the Balloon Fiesta and I spotted this valley and snapped this photo out of the window as we were driving down the road.

Like so many places we see, we hope to return one day.


Shortly after I took the previous photo, we saw a sign for a Dinosaur Museum. Even though we were "Destination Driving", we took the time to tour the Museum (and try as I might, I can't find a web link at this time, I'll try to provide one later).

This was a fine museum with a lovely sculpture array at the entrance. This piece is mounted on the sign for the Museum, I particularly liked the way it looks like it's ready to pounce. I can also appreciate the mastery it took to create this huge piece, designed to balance so gracefully on such small points.


This photo was taken from the rim of Canyon de Chelly. This canyon has been continually inhabited for longer than anyone can remember. This is truly a place where the spiritual and mystical seem to be alive and thriving.


When we were in the Painted Desert, the colors were so striking and vibrant, I could not seem to put my camera down. While I used to think the desert was barren, plants like this have taught me that this was a huge misconception on my part.


This was also taken while we were in the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest. Did you know that these two parks are adjacent to each other and actually one in the same? We didn't until we took this trip.

This path leads you to a group of petroglyphs.


A shot of the famed Zabriskie Point in Death Valley. This was taken right before the sun rose on a glorious day.


Another shot taken the same day, but shooting away from the Point.


This was taken at City of Rocks, located between Deming and Silver City, New Mexico. This is certainly one of the best places in New Mexico to take pictures, the formations are unique and beautiful.


This shot was taken in the early morning at City of Rocks. I liked he look of black and white for this shot.


Another shot taken at City of Rocks. You can climb all over these monoliths and who knows what you'll find? This place is a true adventure spot.


One day we ventured out from City of Rocks to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings. Unfortunately, this is my only shot as I dropped and broke my camera climbing up to the dwellings!

While I hated to lose my camera, I did get a wonderful new one (Panasonic Lumix FZ30), and at least I got this shot before the camera died. I thought this water was lovely.


I just can't resist a good sunset. This was taken in 2006 at Rockhound State Park, outside Deming, New Mexico.


This shot was taken at a closed Museum we stopped at somewhere in Utah (sorry!). I took it because it reminded me of our goats, Henry and Lulu, who are back home under the excellent care of our friend Sandee.


A shot of the Painted Desert. While I know the photos aren't near as vibrant as the real thing, I love the memories they elicit.


This was shot at Hyde Memorial State Park. I was attracted to the light shining through the leaves.


This is a shot I took while we were on our way to Devil's Tower. This is one of the spots I've always wanted to visit, and it did not disappoint!


We spied this little fellow at Percha Dam, outside of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. We watched him for days as he worked on his nest.


A nice story goes along with these next two shots. We were traveling along the Columbia Gorge towards Portland to get our solar panels upgraded. We had read about a herd of Wild Mustang sculptures that were supposed to be along a ridge on this route, so we were keeping our eyes open. Finally we saw them on a ridge above the gorge.


Once we found them, we were so impressed that we turned around and went back for a better look. While we could go up on top of the mountain, we were looking for a better photo op when we saw a small dirt path that appeared to go around the back of the mountain. Because I REALLY wanted these shots, we unhooked the Tracker and off I went while Terry stayed with Cholula Red.

I traveled in four wheel drive for about two miles, watching the trail deteriorate, and not getting any better shots of the horses. Finally, I decided to turn around. On my way back to the rig, I got this shot, which is one of my favorites. If you look closely, you'll see the rig in the lower right.


We visited Carlsbad Caverns, but unfortunately, I didn't bring my tripod so none of the photos came out. I did, however get this shot of a display in the lobby that I thought came out quite well. It's a display of what the oceans that became this area would have looked like millions of years ago.


We found Oliver Lee State Park to be one of our favorite campsites. Even though it snowed a bit, we still enjoyed it immensely. This is the first time I've had a chance to play with photography in this environment.


This shot was taken right out of the window of the rig at Oliver Lee State Park.


I took this shot early one morning as the clouds were creeping over the mesas at Oliver Lee State Park


One day while were at Oliver Lee State Park, Terry went out and started shooting the desert after a snowstorm. Like me, he hasn't had a lot of experience with taking photographs in the this element, but he got this shot, which I thought was extraordinary. This tree was right outside the rig and we watched it change every day.

While I love this shot, I was stuck inside for several days with the snow, so I played with it for a bit (using Photoshop) and came up with this. I'm not sure if it's an improvement or not, but I love how you can change the whole mood of a photo with software!


We took a trip to White Sands and it was a memorable day. There were still traces of snow on the ground, but the weather was amazingly beautiful and balmy. I probably took too many shots, but these are the ones that are my favorites.


This shot features Sierra Blanca, which is the central peak of the Sacramento Mountains. Sierra Blanca can be seen from all around this area, providing a contantly changing vista.


When you visit White Sands there are incredible panoramas in virtually every direction. These mountains really speak to me, I seem to keep taking pictures!


Another view from White Sands.


And one more, very similar to the one above, just slightly different enough that I wanted to include it here.


Finally, I'm including this shot because it carries so many happy memories. Terry and I made these cupcakes for Thanksgiving 2006. We were at Santa Rosa Lake in northern New Mexico. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with our friends Andy and Mimi and Jonna.


And finally, another glorious New Mexico Sunset

Once again, Life is Good.