It is hard to describe, exactly, how this scene affected me as I made this photograph. I was in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro, New Mexico, one of my very favorite places to photograph. I find the entire refuge to have a large and diverse range of wildlife in it, and as you are there you never know quite what you will see.

This day, however, the refuge was fairly quiet. The inhabitants who were there preferred to stay hidden, which was a pity. It was early fall, too early yet for the majority of migratory birds to arrive, so seeing any bird this trip was something of a rarity. Still, there was plenty to see and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

My trip that day was done, and I decided to sit by the shore of a pond and enjoy the last of the day, for it would be dusk soon. As I sat, I simply relaxed, enjoying the sun, enjoying the day, and mostly, enjoying the few canada geese who were at the far side of pond. It was a time of peace, solitude and reflection; the rest of the day began slipping away even quicker than before. When I look at this photograph I am reminded of that time; of that peace and quietude, that perfect afternoon in the bosque. I hope that you feel much the same, and may the peace of the bosque be with you.

Morning in Yellowstone National Park. It’s a time to start a new day, and a time to catch up with old friends to see how they are doing. It doesn’t matter that the ones catching up are elk, for they miss their friends, too What struck me about this scene, however, is the calf next to its mother. Standing there, not quite patiently, yet not ready to leave her side, either. Still, it is inquisitive and it can’t wait to get about its day.

Elk are social animals, with the females choosing to live in loose herds, while male elk typically live alone or in small bachelor groups. Being social, they are friendly to each other, and watch out for each other. The morning ritual is an important one, for many reasons.

Yellowstone National Park is home to approximately 20,000 elk in the winter, and up to 30,000 elk in the summer months; its pristine environment and habitat are perfect for the animals that live there. Here, the bends of the tributary that later flows into the Yellowstone River afford a perfect place  for water and forage, and, importantly to these elk, a perfect place for the morning meeting.

Shortly after this moment, the calf received its wish, and it was off into the day’s adventure.

Crystal’s Repose

Halcyon Sandias

Crystal’s Summer

Back in 1892, well before the widespread use of electricity, the need for power tools certainly existed at the Sheep Mountain Mine near Crystal, Colorado. After all, there was silver in that mine, and mining it was backbreaking work. Not having a power plant nearby, human ingenuity came once again to the forefront.

There just happened to be a small, yet powerful river nearby: the Crystal River. A power plant was built just above a small fall on the Crystal River–this power plant ingeniously turned the water’s motion into compressed air using a horizontal water wheel, which was then fed to the mine and tools that used it. And with that advent, mining in the Sheep Mountain Mine became just a tad more efficient. The mine eventually closed in 1917, and the residents of nearby Crystal drifted away… the mine, power plant and town all faded into the past, just as so many mining towns eventually do.

Yet, Crystal remains a very special place and today, the power plant (now colloquially called “Crystal Mill,” even though it was not and never was a “mill”) remain an iconic Colorado location. Although the buildings next to the mill have long since collapsed, Crystal Mill itself remains standing steadfast against the elements and time. Crystal Mill is also virtually unique in the United States, since very, very few such power plants were ever built in the first place: to have one still standing is a true rarity. Nestled against the river and in between a beautiful stand of aspens, Crystal Mill remains today as a symbol and a sign of Colorado mining at its finest.

Oddly, even today the town of Crystal does not have electricity, even though it does have a handful of seasonal residents. In talking to these sons and granddaughters of the original miners, they don’t miss it and life there is wonderfully idyllic. Time marches on, but not everywhere.