Hidden Deer

The wind barely has enough life in it to gently rustle the brush, but that’s OK. It has been a long day, and the afternoon grows late, meaning it is almost time for the wind to be done for the day. It is still wintertime, too, and although the sun is providing a most wonderful afternoon, the night will be cold, and one is best bundled up. That, of course, includes the wind. With a last half-hearted gesture, the wind puffed once, and then packed it in for the evening.

The sun wasn’t ready to give up the day just yet, though, and continued its slow journey to the horizon, bringing the most wonderful hues of gold everywhere.

The sun wasn’t the only one out enjoying the afternoon, either. This hidden deer was quite at peace in the golden field; she was still as all can be, not moving an inch, but yet… there was this complete sense of serenity. She was well hidden, and knew it, and was safe, comfortable and very much enjoying the last of the day.

With a gentle click the camera’s shutter closed, and the hidden deer was left to enjoy the rest of her golden afternoon.

Fall Foretold

You know it is about to happen, even without looking at the calendar. There is a certain–something–in the air that tells you; perhaps it is the quickening of days, perhaps it is that slight cooler evening, or perhaps, just perhaps, it is the unmistakable signs that nature herself provides.

For example, you might be walking in the mountains next to a clear blue stream. Rounding the bend you see it: the bright red leaves among the otherwise lush and green foliage. Surely, you are seeing things, but as you walk closer you realize it is not an illusion, for the red leaves remain red leaves, and the foretelling is unmistakable.

Fall is coming. Fall is coming. The summer will be departing, but still, one magical time of the year merely gives way to another magical time of the year, and the progression continues.

Aspen Wood

The Aspens in fall. What an incredible sight!

And the aspens in the fall in Colorado are an even more spectacular sight! Everywhere one looks the colors of the leaves are bright and vivid; vibrant and in every hue of yellow and orange one can imagine. As far as the eye can see the scene before you is just intense.

Yet, this particular shot is one of my very favorites. Taken along the Million Dollar Highway (as near to Telluride as this highway gets, which in this case is about five miles. Still, it is the closest town, even if the road doesn’t even pass through there.) in September, it caught me completely off guard. I was, frankly, looking up at the leaves, and pondering their colors when I looked off to my left. And then…

… this. I was taken by the way the strong sunlight filtered down below to where I was. I loved the shadows that played along the aspen trunks. I adored the hint of fall colors in the background, yet also the greens of summer still hanging on in the foreground. And as I look back on this, the memories of that perfect fall day come flooding back to me as I stood there, deep in the Aspen Wood.

Snowy Caldera

Originally uploaded by david

The Valles Caldera National Preserve is an incredible place. As National Lands go, this is on the newer side, and was just set aside a few years ago; it used to be the privately owned Baca Ranch, but luckily for us, it is now protected and open to the public. Nestled inside of a collapsed volcano caldera, the preserve features wide open spaces as well as stunning wooded areas. This photo is not the wooded area, however.

This represents another shot I have been waiting patiently for. I had the caldera, of course, but I wanted to show a panoramic scene filled with snow as far as the eye can see. And the eye can see really, really far in this photo, by the way. You might think this is “just” a snowy field. In that, you would be incorrect, I’m afraid. This particular scene measures somewhere around (as best as I can figure) two and one half miles from edge to edge. Miles. As in 13,200 feet (or just over 4,000 meters for you metric folks) from edge to edge. However, it gives you just the barest sense of the place; the grandeur, the beauty, the majesty are best experienced in person. Just be sure to breathe when you are looking at it, for it will take your breath away.

Alas, the small sizes of our monitors do not do justice to this panorama. It measures, in real life, several feet across when printed. But this gives you a good idea, at least. A couple of other notes of interest. This panorama is also the header of our main site, Fringe Innovations. And if you look on the left hand side, just in the shadow of the small hill in the middle, you can see Snowbound Ranch.

Snowbound Ranch

Uploaded by david

Winter.

A time of cold and a time of snow. And in this particular case, a time for a whole lot of that wonderful white powdery stuff.

This ranch is located within Valles Caldera National Preserve and from the looks of things, humans don’t bother with wintertime occupation. Who can blame them really, for it would probably take somewhere just this side of forever to get through all that snow. And make no doubt about it… this is a lot of snow. Those drifts are fairly significant.

This photo was taken late in the afternoon with the dying sun, providing the long shadows. The ranch sits in the lee of a small hill, casting it in shadow (and one would presume that whomever built this placed it quite intentionally); shadows that grow even longer during the late winter afternoon. If you look close, you can see that the structure has been left to its own devices.

The Valles Caldera National Preserve is an interesting place; one, at the moment, full of snow. But that just adds to the charm and serenity that holds it in thrall until the springtime thaw.