the New Year

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Wow, 2009 is winding down at a rapid rate.

We've been here at Ghost Ranch since May, with one month spent up in Tierra Amarilla.

It's been cold and snowy here for quite some time now, and we've decided that we've had enough of 12 degrees and slushy snow (regular readers may remember that we were in the snow in Santa Fe last year).

So early next week, we'll be moving down to Bosque del Apache, where we've wintered for several years now.

Both of us are excited to be going back to Socorro. Many of our favorite restaurants are there, not to mention the Buckhorn in San Antonio. There is also a nice, newly renovated movie theater, a great thrift store and a nice selection of supermarkets. Ghost Ranch has been wonderful, but I have to admit, we're looking forward to a bit more civilization.

And then there are the sandhill cranes. . .

But for now, we're still here at Ghost Ranch for a few more days. Lately I've been shooting like crazy, then playing with my pictures in Photoshop. I seem to run in cycles, and right now, I'm in the middle of a saturation cycle.

I look at the many photographs I see of Ghost Ranch, and I'm usually in awe of photographer's ability to capture this magical place. I see some folks who seem to go heavy on the saturation, then others who go straight to black and white.

I seem to be all over the place, never sure where each series of photos will take me.

This set seemed to look best with the saturation turned down low, but not all the way to black and white.

So without further comment, here's probably my last Ghost Ranch series for a while.

in front of the office

facing Kitchen Mesa

towards Corral Block

trees, heavy with snow

a tiny bird

the snow glitters like diamonds

chimney in snow

clouds on cliffs

I know.
I went a bit overboard
on the color here,
but I liked the look . . .

cliffs peeking through snow

again, chimneys

red mounds

horses in the wild

As always, any image can be enlarged by clicking.

So this is my final post for 2009.

I'm looking forward to 2010,
sure that it will be a fine time.
Hope you are all
having a good New Years Eve.

As always, remember

And a Very Merry Christmas To You All

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We had all these plans . . .

We were going to go to the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo to watch the tribal dances, but we just didn't get up in time . . .

We had a lovely invitation to dinner, but circumstances prevented our attending . . .

Then we made reservations to eat at the one excellent restaurant within a thirty minute drive . . .

When we woke up this morning, we looked at each other, and I asked Terry if he would mind if we just stayed at home and I cooked? He said if that would make me happy that was fine.

The ranch has been very quiet and I haven't been cooking much for several weeks now, and I was ready to go!

We have a nice chuck roast that I've been hankering to stick in the oven. And homemade macaroni and cheese has been sitting in the back of my head for weeks now.

Then there's Gooey Cake . . .

Have you ever had a Gooey Cake? It's a Paula Deen recipe, so you know it's good and healthy, right?

So it's a home made Christmas dinner for us!

I'll come back later with recipes and a full report of how wonderful this Christmas has been.

In the meantime, here's a look at the ranch after a recent snow.

Hope you all had a wonderful day!

Visions of Ghost Ranch

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Our friend John came to visit us at Ghost Ranch, so we took a drive to shoot some pictures.

The sky was a dull gray, making getting a good shot questionable, still, I'm pleased with some of my shots.

As always, you can click on any image to see it at a larger size. And this entry won't have a lot of text, just a lot of photos.

We missed
the real close up
of this bird,
but this was the best of my attempts.

This entry has lots of trees.

Since the sky was so gray,
I decided to compensate
with lots of foreground.

More trees,
I love these junipers.

The dampness of the snow
really
makes the colors of the hills
come alive.

MORE trees.
Sorry, but I love them so.

Pedernal still gets my attention.

The trunk
of this stand is truly complex.
I couldn't decide
on a closeup or a wide shot.
Obviously,
the wide shot won out.

Then

there are the chimney rocks.

For some reason,
the light in this one worked.

I liked the way the snow
lies in stripes.

And no matter the weather,
the plants continue to thrive.
The desert is an amazing place.

My favorite shot of the day.

If we get more snow, I have hopes of getting a different series of pictures of these same peaks, so prepare yourselves.

I feel a lot more pictures coming on.

I hope you're all enjoying this Holiday season as much as I am.

A Christmas Party

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Our friend Kay had an open house tonight. It was the first time this year that I've been to a house that was fully decorated for the Holidays, so I wanted to share a bit of the cheer.

A perfect Christmas tree.

I don't know why
I like this picture,
but I do.
It makes me feel warm.

I'm trying to learn
to take pictures
with no flash,
so bear with me.

I like the softness of natural light.

A lovely red cardinal.

I wanted to snag
this chile ornament
and take it home with me.
But I didn't.

Christmas Portrait Number One.

Christmas Portrait Number Two.

Flowers of the season,
what luscious colors.

My attempt
at shooting a picture
while zooming
the lens.
I'll continue to practice
(I think I need it!)

A beautiful little creche.
Kay made this
while learning about
micaceous pottery.
It's actually a lantern,
but does double duty
for Christmas.

This gathering was a perfect time,
good food,
good friends.

Just what the holidays
are supposed to be.

Snowflakes and Smiles

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We got in the car this morning
and my jaw literally dropped.

The patterns on our windshield
were so intricate and fabulous.
They transformed the landscape.

I've never seen Cholula Red
look like this!
(As always, click to enlarge.)

To a California girl like me,
this was one of the
most beautiful sights
I can remember.

On to another kind of beauty . . .

I love the faces of New Mexico.
This is Andrea,
she works in the kitchen.
I love her smile.

And this is Amelia.
In my last set of portraits,
I shared two pictures of Krystal.
Amelia is her Mother.
Good genes will tell.

I could spend ALL my time
taking pictures!

As always, you can click to enlarge