Landmarks Landscapes Sightings
July 08, 2020 Part 2

July 08, 2020 Part 2

After taking a look out of my kitchen window around 7:45 PM and seeing a sky with tremendous potential to deliver some dramatic scenic vistas, I grabbed my camera (and Whisper) and we made a beeline for Lake Pueblo State Park. I have to admit that I did not get the picture that I had in mind, though I might have if I’d set up shop on the South end of the dam instead of the North end, I think I still got some great shots. Featured image above and all those below were captured with the Nikon. All in…

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Landscapes Sightings
July 02, 2020

July 02, 2020

We set out at 6:30 this morning – not really sure why we got the late start but it must have been Whisper’s fault. The sky was hazy once again but there was little to no cloud cover. I think the haze is still smoke from nearby wildfires. No wind today to clear it out. Temperature was a comfortable 60 degrees. Since the sky was so clear I abandoned any hope of a decent landscape and went out this morning with the Nikon D5100 in hopes of getting some birds or critters. Frankly, there was not much going on at…

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Critters Landscapes Sightings Wildlife
July 01, 2020

July 01, 2020

What a difference a day makes! Cloudless sky, no wind, and a temperature 18 degrees cooler than yesterday. I never realized 55 could seem so cool. I had no excuse to settle for a shorter hike as we set out on the trail at 6:20. Once again I was armed with my Panasonic GX-85 and the Olympus 14-54mm lens. The problem I faced today was that cloud free sky. Landscape shots with nothing but blue in the sky are usually pretty boring. I know that in this digital age of photography I could add in some interesting clouds if necessary…

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Landscapes Sightings

June 30, 2020

Windy and warm pretty much describes the park this morning at 6:10. I knew it would be windy when I left the house but I was surprised by how strongly it was blowing at our favorite walking venue. Since the wind was coming primarily from the West it added a noticeable warming component to the 73 degree air temperature. Though the light was quite good it was generally uncomfortable overall. All of this being said, it should come as no surprise that I settled for just the shorter dog walking tour and called it quits after that. Whisper was happy….

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Landscapes Panasonic Lumix GX-85 Sightings
June 29, 2020

June 29, 2020

Another late start this AM – got going around 6:20 in a very pleasant 58 degrees. The sky had a strange haze to it that filtered the sun but didn’t kill the light. I don’t know if the haze is a result of a reported wildfire west of the park or if it a Saudi dust cloud that is currently encircling the earth. Whatever the source it rendered Pikes Peak unseeable today. Though I saw a number of birds and critters today I was not focusing (if you like this pun then it was intentional) on them. I elected to…

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Landmarks Landscapes Sightings
June 28, 2020

June 28, 2020

Started out this morning (6:20) in 66 degree heat – the hottest start so far in 2020. Abundant sunshine might have made the walk miserable but a steady breeze helped make things seem cooler. The breeze also helped keep the annoying flying bugs in check. As far as wildlife photography goes there was not much going on. I did sight a “new” hawk but was unable to identify it. I was standing by a tree on the river bank wondering why all the swallows (who were doing their acrobatics right in front of me) were chirping loudly. This is not,…

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Featured Locations Landscapes

Westcliffe, Colorado

Probably my favorite area to haunt in Southern Colorado is in and around the little town of Westcliffe. I have been finding myself exploring there since the 1970s. Back then it was a sleepy little cow town with a few shops, a restaurant (Susie’s), a grocery store, a post office and a small cinema. Since then the population has grown and the town has tried to reinvent itself as a tourist destination with shopping and skiing. Agriculture and cattle ranching have been consistent aspects through the years. Back in the ’70s I was shooting film and lugging a Mamiya RB67…

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