Upta Camp

If you're from Maine, you'll know this is a Bob Marley reference (as in the comedian, not the musician). I visited a friend and former teaching colleague yesterday at his camp on Thompson Lake. It was a beautiful day, a bit on the chilly side actually; the water was warmer than the air. Paris didn't seem to mind. She got plenty of swimming in and even a boat ride. Owning a camp in Maine is the way to go.


Chewing on a stick looking out at the water.


Looking regal on the boat.

Backyard birch

I was sitting on the couch today looking out the picture window and the birch tree was looking pretty sweet in the sunlight. Here's my favorite picture that I got. I like the ethereal, summer-bleached look of it.

Photo shoot

Today I helped out my brother-in-law, trying to get some pics that he could use on his new in-progress website. We borrowed the music hall at the local university and went to town. It was an interesting experience. I confirmed one thought that I had previously, which is I much prefer working in natural, rather than artificial, lighting. Maybe with more experience I'd like artificial better than I do now, but natural is always best, in my opinion. I think to get really good at studio-type work, I would have to apprentice with someone, but I'm not sure that's where I want to go with photography. Nevertheless, it's good to get a variety of experience.


Full hall lights.


Ahhh... natural lighting. :)

Performance art painting

One of yesterday's activities for the boys was painting. Outdoors, fortunately, as there was more paint on the table, the ground, and their clothes than everything else. These guys approach everything with vim and vigor!


Getting into it.


The paintbrushes survived another round of under-fives.

Lemonade Stand!

Yesterday the boys, their mom, and I set out for the end of the road to sell lemonade and chocolate chip cookies. This turned out to be a great way for them to make some money to buy a new toy. We're pretty sure they drank more lemonade than they sold, but nonetheless it was a success.


"It's a great day for lemonade!"


Learning the art of selling.

The Urban Landscape

So I'm back in Maine! Transitioning once again, so the blog takes a back seat for a bit. Holy humidity is all I have to say. I never understood the difference between dry heat and humid heat so much as I do now. Despite the heat, Maine is a pretty cool place to spend the summer/early fall. I've been spending some time in Portland, wandering, drinking smoothies, and snapping a few shots. This permanent vacation thing is actually a little hard to get used to, but I'm getting there. :)


Outside one of the area's most popular restaurants before rush hour.


Ah, The Movies... a gone but not forgotten landmark with uncomfortable chairs, unreliable sound, but some of the best films around.


Random self-portrait in a boutique window. (One of the few boutiques that hasn't succumbed to the ailing economy.)

Last night in Taos

So tonight is my last night in Taos. As is the case almost every night here, the sunset was spectacular.

It's just hard to beat such magnificent views from the road. Most of the time at dusk I feel like I'm walking around in a pastel painting.

I got a short hike in today. These juniper berries just happened to be catching the light in a really lovely way.

Originally I had wanted to drive up to El Salto waterfall, of which I have pictures from April. However, I decided that the road was just too rough for the Cruiser (I've already had to have one tire repaired from a puncture), so I turned around and found another hiking spot. I felt good about my decision when I saw this car:

... just kidding, this was where I did end up hiking, but parked safely up above.

A first

This afternoon I started a load of laundry, only to discover that there is no dryer! Another green feature of the house, or as David puts it, "It's insane to have a clothes dryer out here." And he's right. The sun and wind are nature's perfect clothes dryer. I had to laugh as I was hanging my clothes out to dry, realizing that I had NEVER done this before. How ridiculous is that? Granted, there are only a select few months when this endeavor would be feasible in Maine, but still. In any case, I'm sold. I decided to take a picture of this momentous occasion, which of course is totally dorky, but whatever. It's not really the clothes drying that is the cool part, but the amazing backdrop for them, the Sangre de Cristo mountains.


Sangre de Cristo means Blood of Christ, so when the sun is setting on a cloudless day the mountains take on a reddish hue, hence the name. They are quite stunning; I don't think the picture fully captures it.

Morning hike

Where I am staying is right next to the Rio Grande gorge, so I started the day with a hike down to "Taos beach," essentially a small patch of river bed where people can go to swim. It was a nice little hike, not a cloud in the sky of course. On the way down I passed a man who says he does this hike every morning. Not a bad way to start the day.

Another visitor

Given the landscape out here, it is pretty common to see lizards out and about. Today as I was reading out on the deck again, a pair of them climbed over the wall and hung around for a while. By the time I got my camera, one had disappeared, but this one remained. Lizards used to creep me out, but they're actually not bad. These guys certainly weren't interested in getting up close and personal at least.

Photo hop

As David was watering the plants this morning, he called up to let me know there was a baby rabbit in the courtyard. So I trotted down with my camera to take some pictures. This is the smallest rabbit I've ever seen - so cute. He was a little wary as I moved in closer, but pretty brave nonetheless. He hopped around to various spots in the courtyard, so I was able to get a few shots. I could really use a zoom lens, though, for these animal pictures!


Spot #1 - enjoying a mid-morning snack.


Spot #2 - "If I hide under this bench, maybe she won't see me."


Spot #3 - catching some rays.

Just my luck

There have been many moments lately where I have felt completely lost, not sure of my past, present, or future. Every once in a while I have a moment where I think, "This is exactly where I'm supposed to be." I had one of these moments this evening as I was sitting outside on the deck, reading a book and sipping a glass of wine. This house is an oasis of sorts, surrounded by magnificent beauty. It is by some stroke of luck that I found it, thanks to my photographer friend out here, and that the owner is so kind and willing to rent me a room for my last week in Taos. I do love this place. Perhaps I will return one day. For now I will try to enjoy what it has to offer. With views like this, what is not to enjoy?


The view from the deck facing east.


The view toward the back of the house facing west.

Hummingbirds

I am currently staying in a "solar castle" near the Rio Grande gorge. It is a large version of the earthships I had written about during my first visit to Taos in February. The house gets its energy from solar panels and a wind turbine, and its water from a cistern system. It's quite amazing. In the backyard the owner has a hummingbird feeder. Apparently hummingbirds' wings move in a figure-8 position, which keeps them hovering (kind of reminds me of water ballet), and their tongues are so long they actually wrap around at the back of their throat. I hope to get some more pictures of these amazing creatures. As it was, I had to wait a little while for these guys to return once I was out there... as if I could actually catch one of them - they're so fast!

Chimayo

I took the "High Road" to Taos today, a scenic by-pass that winds through the mountains. One of the first stops along the way is Chimayo, a town known for its sanctuary. El Santuario is a small chapel surrounded by many crosses of varying shapes and sizes.




A sculpture hangs on the outside of one of the surrounding buildings.


Homemade crosses line the fences.

The Ginormous Canyon

The Grand Canyon? It's more than grand... it's ginormous!!! Holy smokes. It was a beautiful day today just north of Flagstaff, Arizona. I am visiting the area with my friend Juan-Carlos, an up-and-coming actor from Puerto Rico whom I met during my first visit to NM. I do love my road trips, and it's always more fun with company. There are a few more photos than normal posted below - the place is just that amazing.


My rental car is a PT Cruiser - so not Southwest material. We first attempted to get to the canyon on a dirt road, but quickly determined that we were getting closer and closer to the middle of nowhere. You may need to click on the picture to read our inscription drawn in the dust from said "off-road adventure".


I think the people on the plateaus add a little perspective to the enormity of the scene.


Cool cliff formations.


There was a fair amount of smoke in the air today. The fire danger was listed as high, but there's also a lot of controlled burning that takes place here.


On the way out of the park there are several Indian Markets. Here are one vendor's dream catchers blowing in the breeze. The vendor is in the background.