It is President's Day and the mechanical humming of paint spraying equipment penetrates from outside my window.  We are having the house painted today and new windows installed next week.  It's not as exciting as a photography trip to some exotic location, but it takes care of a major "to do" for this year.  Getting the painting and windows out of the way clears the calendar for more adventurous undertakings in 2013.  But, let's not get too far ahead.  After all, it's only mid-February.

So far our travels have been more vacation than photography.  Early in January, Jane and I enjoyed a ski vacation with Joy and Jon Eaton at Park City, Utah (www.parkcitymountain.com).  We thoroughly enjoy skiing at Park City.  It feels like the slopes were designed and groomed to our level of skiing ability.  Over the years, this was our fifth time at Park City and the third with Joy and Jon, we have been able to hone our skills and now feel extremely comfortable paralleling down the slope.  We have found our "grove", one might say.  Of course, this is all limited to the trails with Green Circles.  We totally loose confidence when the Blue Squares appear and panic should a Black Diamond loom ahead.

We had a lot of fun.  That is, untill Jane twisted her ankle on the sidewalk coming home from dinner one evening.  We had all devoured some savory buffalo burgers at the No Name Saloon (www.nonamesaloon.net) and were on our way back to the condo.  Walking from the shuttle stop, she stepped off the sidewalk onto a large break in the gutter, twisted her ankle and when down to her knees.  A visit to urgent care the next day revealed a small crack in a bone in her foot.  So, poor Jane was relegated to wearing a foot boot and using crutches for the rest of our stay.

Jane is a trooper and was ready to travel again in early February to our next destination, Whistler, Canada, (www.wistlerblackcomb.com) for some more skiing.  Our lodging was a most comfortable timeshare condo at Northstar Creekside.  All of Whistler Village was an easy walk from there and what fun it was to stoll along the shops and restaurants all bundled up on our winter wear.  At night the Village was singularly vibrant with colorful, sparkling lights illuminating the pedestrian concourse.  Adding to the ambiance of the Village were the multitudes of people coming and going in their showy, multicolored ski outfits.  The Village is large and easily accommodated the crowds with its abundent shops, restaurants and bars.  We loved it and became part of the crowd finding a different restaurant for dinner each evening.

The skiing experience, however, is a different story.  To begin, the weather did not cooperate with us.  By even the most conservative definition, we are fair weather skiers.  A stormy overcast and light rain in the Village kept us cozily sitting by the fire reading our books for the first few days.  The wait payed off.  After a few days we were treated to blue skies and high clouds and ventured out to experience Whistler Mountain.  The mountain was magnificent, the snow plentiful and scenery breathtaking.  The gondola ride from the Village to the top of the mountain is a stunning twentyfive minute sensory adventure.  The snow capped peaks of the coastal range surrounding Whistler Mountain provided a stunning 360 degree vista.  There are two major ski areas, Whistler and Blackcomb, seperated by the Fitzsimmons Creek canyon.  A peak-to-peak gondola has been constructed connecting the tops of two ski areas.  Jane and I rode this amazing peak-to-peak gondola to experience the spectacular scenic beauty of the area.

Returning to our skiing experience, let me merely recount that not all Green Circles are created equal.  The Green Circle ski runs at Whistler are reminiscent of the Blue Square runs at Park City.  Both Jane and I were more than a little intimidated by the steepness of the slopes marked with the Green Circles.  In addition, at Park City we are accustomed to packed groomed ski runs.  At Whistler the runs were loosely groomed causing the snow to billow into small mounds and moguls as more and more skiers moved the loose snow around.  Needless to say, we lost some of the cockyness we acquired in Park City but still enjoyed the challenge of Whistler Mountain.

Just because there were two consecutive ski-vacation trips does not suggest that my hankering for photography diminished.  My photo-buddy Bruce Hollingsworth joined Jane and me for an exploration of The Living Coast (formerly The Nature Center) at Gunpowderpoint in Chula Vista.   Thanks to Sherry Lankston, Guest Experience & Marketing Coordinator at The Living Coast (www.thelivingcoast.org) we were treated to some one-on-one photo ops with three of their birds on exhibit.  The birds were displayed for us by Lindsay Bradshaw one of The Living Coast avian curators.  We were able to get some charming closeups of a burrowing owl, barn owl and female kestrel.  These birds were not able to be returned to the wild and so are on perminent display at The Living Coast.  Getting portrait style closeups of birds in the wild is nearly impossible so this was an exceptional opportunity for us to obtain some very detailed images.

Burrowing Owl Barn Owl Female American Kestrel

So far, a very good start to the 2013 travel season, two ski trips and some awsome bird shots.  Once the house painting is complete and new windows installed, we will go into extreme research mode as we contemplate and plan where we will go this year.  It will be difficult to replicate last year's great trips, but we will certainly give it a try.  Please come back occasionally to check the blog and catch up on our travel experiences.

I ended 2012 with a Blast!  Not the fireworks kind, but a great photo trip to Costa Rica.  I signed up for Greg Basco's workshop, Biodiversity of Costa Rica, and had a most enjoyable and challenging time photographing that diversity (www.fotoverdetours.com).  There were ten participants in the workshop and I was truely impressed with the photographic skills and accomplishments of the group.  One of the great outstanding features of this workshop was the teaching ability demonstrated by Greg.  For every major shoot, he would inform us of the basic setup and how to prepare for it.  He also would go over the composition and exposure alternatives so that we could achieve the best photographic results.  In the darkness of the rainforest much of the photography required suplemental flash, an area of particular weakness for me.  With Greg's assistance, however, much of the mystery of flash photography was clarified.

The itinerary was also outstanding.  We started and ended our adventure at the Bougainvillea Hotel on the outskirts of San Jose (www.hb.co.cr/). From the Bougainvillea we traveled first to the Selve Verde Lodge (www.selvaverde.com), then to the Bosque de Paz Biological Preserve (www.bosquedepaz.com), and finally the Arenal Observatory Lodge (www.arenalobservatorylodge.com), each for three nights.  Side trips were made to photograph macaws, iguanas, hummingbirds, a variety of snakes, lizards and frogs, and a large variety of small birds.  Images from this last adventure of 2012 can be viewed in the Costa Rica galleries.  I will leave it to each of you to decide on the most intriguing, interesting, humorous, or revolting images.  As I said, it was a Blast!

At this end of 2012, Jane and I wish all our friends and acquaintances a safe, healthy and happy 2013.  As a sign at the Arenal Observatory Lodge proclaimes, "Leave Only Footprints; Take Only Pictures; and Kill Only Time".  Happy trails to all of you. 

Our plans for 2013 include some more exciting trips.  Hopefully, there will be lots of new images to share.  Check back every once in a while for new blog entrees. 

How do you begin a Blog about a monumental, month long, 5,300 mile, fifteenth wedding anniversay trip?  Do you begin with the grand scenic places we visited?  The unique inns and lodges we called home along the way?  Or, the intimacy of sharing new exciting experiences?  I'll begin with a quick recap of this exciting odyssey and then share some of the details that made this fifteenth anniversary uniquely special.

As much as Jane and I travel, there are still places and adventures we muse about experiencing.  One of those was to drive U.S. Highway 395 from its origins in San Diego to its terminus at the Canadian border (www.sdcounty.ca.gov/dpw/organization/old395.html).  Well, we did that!  Another was to stay at a high, remote alpine lodge in the Canadian Rockies.  Well, we did that too!  Although we had been to Lake Louise before, we had not hiked the longer alpine trails around the lake.  Again, we did that!  Finally, we finished our trip with a stay at "our place in Montana", Glacier Wilderness Resort for some needed rest and relaxation.

From San Diego to Hesperia, U.S. Highway 395 has been replaced by Interstate 15.  Although there were several signs along I-15 referring to Old Highway 395, it was at Hesperia that we actually exited the Interstate to begin our Highway 395 sojourn.  There was not much scenic beauty to rave about until we reached Lone Pine, six hours, or so, from home.  From Lone Pine to Lee Vining, our first overnight, we paralleled the east side of California's majestic Sierra Nevada mountains.  We had time for some unplanned sightseeing including Mammoth Mounain ski area, Mono Lake and its tufa outcroppings (www.monolake.org) , and the ghost town of Bodie (www.bodie.com).  Leaving Lee Vining, we made a mental note that this area would make a great fall photography location.

Our next destination required a slight detour from Highway 395.  At the recommendation of our friends Jon and Joy Eaton, we had placed Crater Lake National Park on our list of must stops.  So, from Lee Vining we headed for Klamath Falls, Oregon.  There, we happened upon a local newspaper that headlined a warning about a midge irruption.  Neither Jane or I had ever heard of a midge, but we encountered them big time the next day on our way to Crater Lake.  Swarms of small, mosquito like, insects irrupting from Upper Klamath Lake, formed massive dark clouds over the road (www.craterlakeinstitue.com).  Needless to say, the 4Runner was covered with thousands of the little midges.  This fatal attraction necessitated an emergency stop at a service station to clean the winshield.

Thanks to Jon and Joy for their recommendation.  We enjoyed Crater Lake immensely and would recommend a stop there to anyone traveling in that direction.  The crater, formed by the collapse of an old volcano caldera, was immense and the lake water a stunning deep blue.  We had time to enjoy a short hike to Plaikni Falls and buffalo burgers in the lodge.  From Crater Lake, we traveled to Bend, Oregon for our third overnight.  From the lake, the terrain transitioned from mountainous, wooded forests to open plains of agricultural fields with their unique geometric patterns.  We continued along the same landscape to Spokane and on to Golden, British Columbia, Canada, (www.tourismgoldern.com) by way of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho.

Heading north out of Coeur d' Alene, we traveled between the Purcell Mountains on the west and the Kootenay Range in the east.  The route was sprinkled with quaint little communities, like Kimberly, Canal Flats, Invermere, and Edgewater, as well as a multitude of resorts, like Fairmount Hot Srings, Windermere, and Radium Hot Springs.  Near Canal Flats, we drove along Columbia Lake, the headwaters of the mighty Columbia River.  Our destination was Golden, confluence of the Kicking Horse and Columbia Rivers, and our point of departure for the Purcell Mountain Lodge (www.purcellmountainlodge.com).  This remote, alpine lodge is accessable only by helicopter from Golden.  We spent our fifth overnight at the Kicking Horse River Lodge, a very nice and comfortable accommodation (www.khrl.com), prior to our rendezvous with Alpine Helicopters for our ascent to the lodge (www.alpinehelicopter.com).

If ever I scored big on selecting an anniversary location, this was it.  Starting with the thrill of the helicopter, with Jane in the "second", co-pilot seat, and ending with melancholy goodbyes and hugs, this was by far the best celebration we have experienced.  To start, Purcell Lodge, a member of the Unique Inns group, was an exquisitely stunning accommodation.  Immaculately maintained, spotlessly clean, comfortably furnished and appointed, the lodge provided a serene environment for our fifteenth fete.  Upon landing, we were met by our guide, Kevin, and cheff, Stephane, and that is when the adventure began.  The daily routine consisted of a hardy breakfast, packing a lunch, four to six hours of leasurely hiking, pre-dinner hors d'oeuvres, and a sumptuous evening meal.  There was a bit of a ritual associated with the dinner call.  Stephane would pick up his guitar, find a comfortable spot on the couch, and proceed to sing the menu to us.  His performance was always a much enjoyed preamble to a delectable dining experience.

The daily hikes took us on various trails on the Bald Mountain meadows surrounding the lodge.  Kevin lead the way, always offering several alternative routes and Jane always choosing the most strenuous.  The views were extraordinary.  Sunrise at Mount Sir Donald was especially memorable.  Kevin and I would leave the comfort of the lodge before sunrise to arrive at the edge of the meadow and watch the pre-dawn sky over Sir Donald turn a rosy crimson and light up the glacier-covered mountain peak with alpenglow.  At other times we hiked the alpine meadow, filled with autumn heather, dwarf willow, paintbrush, pearly everlasting, mountain groundsel and broad leaved arnica.  During our stay, in early September, the western anenome flowers had turned to seed leaving showy "hippie stick" pods in vast numbers all along the trails.  Wildlife is not abundant on the meadow.  There is not sufficient feed to support the larger ungulates such as deer and elk.  At the low end of the food chain are the Columbia ground squirrels.  These rotund and nervous rodents provide an adequate food source for red-tailed hawks and the "resident" bear, Bella.  Although sightings of Bella and her cubs are not infrequent, we did not see her during our stay.

All too soon our interlude at the comfortable Purcell Lodge came to an end.  The helicopter flight back to Golden was bittersweet.  We hated to leave the lodge, yet looked forward to rest of our journey.  From Golden we drove the Trans-Canadian highway to Lake Louise for the next chapter of our anniversary trip.  Along the way, we stopped for a picnic and hike around Emerald Lake with its aquamarine waters surrounded by glacier-capped mountains.  We also took in Takakkaw Falls that plunge 1,250 feet from the Daly Glacier to the valley floor.  The drive to Lake Louise followed the Kicking Horse River, flowing west to the Columbia River, and then over Kicking Horse Pass, crossing the continental divide, into the Bow Valley.  Jane and I have been in these Canadian Rockies three times now and the intimate grandeur of their glacier-clad peaks and tranquility of their pine covered valleys continue to create a sense of awe and reverence in our spirits.

At Lake Louise Village we spent four nights at the Paradise Bungalows in a well appointed and cozy log cabin, along the main road to the lake (www.paradiselodge.com).  The last time Jane and I journeyed to Lake Louise, the weather was nasty and we only stopped for a quick lunch and gas for the car.  This time the weather was sublime, by Lake Louise standards.  We enjoyed a very pleasant day photographing and hiking around Moraine Lake.  This has to be, in my opinion, one of the most scenic lakes in the world with its dazzling blue water and glacier carved peaks erupting around its edge.  Another very scenic hike we enjoyed was to the cascades and falls of Johnston Canyon.  Parks Canada (www.pc.gc.ca/) has constructed a steel catwalk along this trail that is cantilevered from the shear rock walls of the canyon.  At times we were actually walking above the roaring river.  The most memorable hike, however, was to the Plain Of The Six Glaciers Teahouse.  It was along this seven mile, roundtrip, trail that the fickle nature of high alpine weather became apparent.  As we reached the end of this 1,230 foot elevation gain trail, grey clouds obscured the mountain peaks and a sprinkling of rain started to spit down on us.  By the time the Teahouse was in sight there was a constant light rain and we decided not to dally but to retrace our steps down the trail.  As we began the descent, rain turned to snow.  Big, massive, watery flakes fluttered from the sky creating a fairyland effect that we ignored as we stoically trudged back to the trailhead.  Our cosy cabin was a welcomed retreat as we warmed ourselves and dried boots and raingear in front of the pot-bellied stove. 

From the homey warmth of the Paradise Bungalows cabin, we headed south to "our place in Montana".  Our place in Montana is the Glacier Wilderness Resort timeshare cabin where we have the last two weesk in September (www.glacierwildernessresort.com).  The bright yellow fall colors of cottonwoods and quaking aspen usually peak during our time there.  The resort is adjacent to Glacier National Park and we spent some time hiking and photographing there.  At Many Glaciers, we had the opportunity to  watch a mother brown bear teach her cubs the art of berry picking.  It was facinating to observe the cubs using their tongues to manipulate the berries into their mouths.  We also endeavored a long hike to Iceberg Lake but only made it to Ptarmigan Falls, still a daunting effort considering the elevation gain.  At the Many Glaciers Lodge we boarded a tour boat on Swiftcurrent Lake to shuttle us Lake Josephine and an easier hike to Grinnell Lake.  While we were at the cabin there were a number of forest fires, some as far away as Idaho, that created a smokey haze over the mountains and deterred us from other hikes.  Instead, we explored the Flathead Valley along the Mission Mountain Range, including the National Bison Range and Mission St. Ignatius. 

Our cabin provided quiet solitude and relaxation that was much welcomed after our adventurous stays at Purcell Mountain Lodge, Lake Louise and Many Glaciers.  So what did we do at our secluded retreat in Montana?  Soaked luxuriously, with a glass of wine, in the hot water of the Jacuzzi on the front porch of the cabin and planned our next trips, of course.  For example, as we drove from Lake Louise through Kananaskis Country, south of Canmore in Alberta, we found the Rockies there to be of exceptional beauty.  So we spent time in the hot tub plottng when we might return there.

For more images from this amazing trip, see the Anniversary Trip gallery.

Jane and I scheduled a major bathroom remodel project to start after our return from Colorado in late June.  The contractor, Rancho Kitchen and Bath (www.ranchokb.com), started work on July 2nd.  We can't say enough good things about Rancho.  The workmanship was outstanding, the workers friendly, the work finished ahead of schedule, and most importantly on budget.  That means construction will be completed well in advance of our fall trip.  Of course, I could not wait two months before taking some more pictures.  So, Bruce Hollingsworth and I made a couple of short trips to while away the time.  First, we plied our skills at Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach, California (www.bolsachica.org).  From there we came back to San Diego for some shooting at Santee Lakes and the Tijuana Estuary.  At Bolsa Chica we met some other wildlife photographers and one of them, Patrick O'Healy (www.ohealyimages.zenfolio.com), joined us at Santee Lakes (www.santeelakes.com) and the Tijuana Estuary (www.tijuanaestuary.com).  After that, Bruce and I spent a few days further afield photographing Bristlecone Pines in the White Mountains and the Alabama Hills adjacent to Mount Whitney.

For me, Bolso Chica was a bust.  This was partially due to my lack of skill in photographing small birds in flight, but mostly due to the lack of birds.  The photographers we met at Bolsa Chica had come specifically to photograph black skimmers and they were pretty much skunked as well.  It was pretty much the same at the Tijuana Estuary.  We attempted to shoot some snowy plovers, but they are very small and difficult to approach for full frame shots.  Our best bird shots, although not numerous, were at Santee Lakes.  There, we spent some time photographing male and female wood ducks.  In July, the males were not sporting there colorful breeding plumage, but were, nevertheless, very attractive birds.  A little chumming with cracked corn brought the ducks within easy range for full frame shots.  We also practiced our patience waiting for a perched osprey to spead its wings and fly off.  It paid off!  We had waited about 30 to 45 minutes, when it finally took flight.  We got some decent images from that little trip.  We concluded, however, that most southern California bird photography locations are best during the winter months when birds are migrating.

To set the stage for our next trip, I need to tell you that the Bristlecone Pine forest in the White Mountains is a long 50 minute drive from Big Pine (www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5129900).  That meant early morning and late everning photography required an extensive drive up and down a steep, narrow and twisty mountain road in the wee hours of the morning and evening.  Not only that, there are two major bristlecone pine groves.  The second grove is an additional half hour on a steep, dirt tract.  I convinced Bruce that it would be best if we were to camp out at the Grandview Campground (www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recreation/camping.../recarea/?...29) about five miles from the first grove.  Bruce was up for it and had all the necessary camping gear we needed for our stay on the mountain.

I would say that our trip to the Bristlecone Pine forest was a success.  The weather cooperated by supplying a very threatening stormy sky without actually raining on us.  Both Bruce and I got some very attractive images of the trees.  I won't go into detail about the age and hardiness of the bristlecone pine but only direct you to my images in the Summer Potpourri of Images gallery.  The images did not come without a price, however.   Bruce and I hiked at least a total of eight miles carrying are photo gear up and down the trails at elevations ranging over 11,000 feet.

At the campground, we chummed in some forest critters with bird seed.  After some time, the critters became habituated to our presence and we spent several hours sitting comfortably in our camp chairs watching and photographing them.  First came the golden-mantled ground squirrels.  They would scurry around, squabbling with each other, and stowing away the seeds in their expanding cheeck pouches.  There were also some much smaller Uinta chipmunks around.  But these were shy, timid, aloof and never within camera range.  That's when I decided it was time for the ultimate critter attractor, peanut butter.  I pasted some of the nectar on the branches of a Utah Juniper tree and waited for the elixir to work.  It did not take long.  First, the golden-mantled ground squirrels availed themselves of the goody.  Then came the Uinta chipmunks.  These nimble creatures took a more direct route jumping from low ground bushes onto the branches of the juniper.  It was quite a circus to watch.

The last stop on our trip to the Owens Valley was Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills (www.blm.gov/ca/bishop/alabamas.html).  I don't mind telling you that I find landscape photography very challenging and the Alabama Hills are doubly so.  With the exception of the Mobius Arch, we concentrated most of our time on photographing Mount Whitney at sunrise and sunset.  On the second day of shooting, we were again fortunate to have billowy clouds over the mountain both in the morning and evening.  The morning alpenglow shots turned out particularly well.

You can see images from these trips in the A Summer Potpourri Of Pictures gallery.  And here is my commercial announcement: you get order prints of any image on my website directly using the "buy" link after selecting the image.  If you would like blank photo-greeting cards of any images, please contact me via the "send message" link under Contact.

Jane and I are now looking forward to the completion of the bathroom remodel and our upcoming trip to the Purcell Mountain Lodge in the Canadian Rockies.  Tell you about that adventure when we return.

June was an exciting month with two great trips.  It wasn't guite a two-fer since both trips had their own costs.  First, Alaska!  We boarded an Alaska Airlines flight from San Diego to Anchorage where we rented a car and headed to Whittier.  Whittier is one of those Alaskan towns where the weather is as independent and varied as its people.  We were to go out with Gerry Sander on his boat, the M/V Sound Access, for two days of pelagic wildlife photography (www.soundecoadventure.com).  Well, the weather was most uncooperative and the best we could do was one day, which turned out to be rather nice, by Whittier standards.  We stayed at the Inn at Whittier, a very nice hotel located on a rocky ledge overlooking the bay (www.innatwhittier.com).  Much to our surprise at breakfast one morning, there was a huge cruise ship docked just a few hundred feet away.  A behemoth like that makes everything else look very small, especially our four story hotel.

Gerry guided us through Prince Williams Sound to several islands with kittiwake and puffin colonies, including Fool Island, Naked Island, and Smith and Little Smith Islands.  Photography was best for us at Tree Island, a small rocky outpost of the Dutch Group of Islands.  Tree Island has a shallow soil layer on top of the bedrock.  Puffins have dug their burrows into the soil right at the contact zone.  Jane and I were able to photograph a mated pair in front of their burrow.  Kittiwakes and gulls nested along the rocky ledges and cliffs of the tiny island and were much more numerous than the puffins.  We also encountered several groups of humpback whales but were only able to get fluke shots.

My original impetus for the trip to Alaska was to photograph the famous white, Dall sheep at Windy Corner along the Seward Highway south of Anchorage.  My research had suggested that these sheep frequently ventured close to the road and could be easily photographed.  So we changed accommodations from Whittier and moved to Girdwood, at the Alyeska ski resort.  Jane had arranged for a nice vacation home rental through Alyeska Accommodations (www.alyeskaaccommodations.com).  Unfortunately, like the weather in Whittier, the Dall sheep had different plans.  Yes we saw some, but they were very high up on the rocky cliffs above the highway and much too far for photography.  After hiking the trail at Windy Corner without any sightings, we abandoned plans for sheep photography and headed to Potter Marsh for potential waterfowl shots.

Potter Marsh is a well know birding area and on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game viewable wildlife list (www.adfg.alaska.gov).  Jane and I thoroughly enjoyed strolling the boardwalk and photographing from the highway pullouts.  I did not realize how closely the Arctic Terns nested to the pullouts and was noisely attacked by an aggravated tern while getting my tripod from the trunk.  It's nest was only a few feet from the car.  To my surprise, the tree swallows that swarmed around the marsh were very habituated to people and we were able to photograph the little swallows from close proximity.

Our last stop of our Alaska venture was at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (www.alaskawildlife.org).  I have had an urge to photograph musk oxen for a long time and the conservation center had a small group of these prehistoric looking beasts.  In addition to the musk oxen, the center also had Alaska's famous brown bears and herds of wood bison, elk and reindeer.  The wood bison and elk had a large number of newborn calves which were fun to watch and photograph.  Jane particularly enjoyed the visitor center/gift shop.  We found it best to be at the center early in the morning before the tour busses arrived from Anchorage with their loads of sightseers.  From our observation, the Center appeared to be well managed, operated and maintained.  The animal enclosures were very large and natural allowing the animals to roam freely over a large area of varied terrain.  Photography through the fences was challenging, but could be accomplished with a little effort.

The second June two-fer trip was to Mount Evans in Colorado.  Mount Evans had also been on my to-do list for a long time.  It was the mountain goats that roam the fourteen-thousand foot heights of Mount Evans that I wanted to photograph.  Jane and I drove from San Diego to Idaho Springs where we stayed for five nights.  The house Jane had rented was right on the road to Mount Evans so our "commute" to the top was fairly easy, although it still took about 45 minutes to drive to the top.  We arrived in Idaho Springs on a Sunday afternoon and decided to drive to the top for some reconnaissance and familiarization.  I'm glad we did because the road to the top was narrow, steep, with numerous switchbacks and sheer drops, in short hair-raising.  The recon trip prepared us for what to expect and our subsequent trips to the top were not as scary.  On Sunday afternoon we were also plagued with hundreds of sightseers.

For the next two mornings we were up at 5:00 AM and out of the door by 5:30.  Getting to the top was no problem and at the top we encounted only a few other hardy souls.  It was cold and windy on top.  Did I mention it was windy?  Each morning, we were buffeted by strong gusts that about blew us over.  In order to take photos, we had to wedge behind large boulders and position ourselves behind other potential windbreaks.  These distractions did little, however, to lessen the delight of sharing the mountain top with several families of mountain goat nannies and their kids.  At times there must have been close to fifteen adult goats and six or so very young kids.  The kids stole the show as they played among the boulders, jumping sure-footed from one to another.  Sometimes three or more youngsters would be on the same boulder, pushing and shoving each other for "king-of-the-hill" honors.  It was shear pleasure to be part of their world for a time.  For the most part, they paid little attention to the nearby photographers clicking away.  As the goat families roamed about on top of Mount Evans, licking minerals from the rocky soil, they would often pass within a few feet of us.  I'll have to admit it made me a bit nervous as the adults with their sharp horns entered my "space". 

Although mountain goats were the objective, we also did the tourist thing.  We visited Breckenridge, Leadville, Aspen (via Independence Pass) and Marble.  We pretty much got our fill of steep, narrow and twisty mountain roads.  The scenary was beautiful, although that nasty bark beetle has taken its toll.  We concluded that another trip to Colorado was needed, but in the fall with the aspen trees in their glory.

You can see images from these two trip in the Varied Wildlife of Alaska and Mount Evans Cuties galleries.

Well, we did it.  After nearly a year of planning and anticipating, Jane and I white-water rafted down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.  What an exciting adventure!  Six exhilarating days meadering and splashing through the grandest of canyons, hiking its remote trails and marveling at its beauty.  We arranged our expedition with Arizona River Runners (www.raftarizona.com).  They provided most everything from knowledgable and skilled guides, pontoon rafts, cots, and sleeping bags to three squares a day.  We merely had to show up, be "in the moment", and partake in the fun, comradery and exhilaration of the canyon experience.

The rafting expedition started at the Lees Ferry launching ramp in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area about 15 miles below Glen Canyon dam.  We met our guides, Kenny, Riley, Easy and Sheila at the Marble Canyon Lodge (www.marblecanyoncompany.com).  After roll call, there were 27 of us intrepid traverlers, and brief introductions we loaded our ample gear into vans and headed for the launching ramp.  There we received our personal dry-bags, life preservers and final safety briefing.  By that time we were all anxious to scramble onto the rafts and head down river.

For six awesome days we marveled at the Grand Canyon's iconic beauty and were doused by the Colorado's cold rapids.  After six exhilarating days, no single experience stands out.  Instead, it was a continuous kaleidoscope of bright colored cliffs, foaming white water, vivid watery reflections, exhausting hikes, turquoise tributaries and bright sunny skies.  Some of the outstanding canyon activities we enjoyed included: a stimulating hike up North Canyon through its wave like slot canyon walls; a respite from the hot sun at the shady Redwall Cavern; a steep strenuous scramble to ancient Anasazi graineries high up the canyon wall; floating carefree like a kid in the turquoise waters of the Little Colorado; a brief rocky scramble up Blacktail Canyon for a refreshing splash under its waterfall; a harrowing hike along steep ledges to the "patio" above Deer Creek Falls; and a treacherous docking and hike along narrow ledges to the turquoise and travertine laden waters of Havasu Creek.

All the wonder and excitement of the canyon came to an abrupt end at Whitmore Wash, river mile 187.  There, after breakfast, breaking camp and a group photo, we were helicoptered some half mile vertically out of the Grand Canyon to the Bar 10 Ranch (www.bar10.com).  At the ranch, our now extended "family" of 27, bid each other adieu as some flew home through Las Vegas and others via Marble Canyon.  The memory of this extraordinary trip through crashing rapids and majestic scenery will linger in our memory for a long, long time.

This fantastic white-water river trip was a vacation and not a photography outing.  Therefore, you will not find a Gallery on the web site with images from the trip.

 After nearly a decade of selling my photo-greeting cards and fine-art photographs at art and craft shows, I have decided to "move on".  It was 2003 when I first obtained my reseller's permit from the state of California.  I honestly did not remember it was that long ago.  Time flies when you are having fun.  For about the last five years, I have sold exclusively at the Bernardo Winery art and craft shows in Rancho Bernardo.  That was close to home and I enjoyed working with Veronica and her crew.  The surroundings there were comfortable and inviting resulting in crowds of visitors enjoying the ambiance and entertainment of the venue.  But, quite frankly, after ten years it got a little old setting up and tearing down for each of the shows.  Plus, I wanted to travel and photograph more and the show dates started interfering with that.  So, with some regret, I am going to concentrate on selling my photo-greeting cards and fine art prints at retail outlets and online.

For my past and potentially new clients, I now offer the convenience of online shopping right here on this site.  I have priced my prints to be competative with art and craft show pricing.  By following the various links you can choose print size, cropping, mat color and frame style.  Then, most conveniently, the framed and matted print will be delivered right to your home, or any alternative location you may prefer.

For those of you who have purchased my photo-greeting cards, and there were many of you, and would like to continue doing so, please "contact" me using the link on the web site.  To ensure quality, I personally make the cards and can arrange to make them for you if you send me an email request.  If you reside in the San Diego area, you can also purchase my cards at the following retail outlets: 

          Callifornia Backyard Birds in Encinitas www.californiabackyardbird.com

          The UPS Store on Highway 101 in Solano Beach www.theupsstorelocal.com/0746/

          The Birdwatcher in Julian www.thebirdwatcher.net

          Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association  in Borrego Springs www.abdnha.org

I have appreciated your past patronage and hope you will continue to consider my photography for your personal use or as gifts.

Southern Arizona is a national hotspot for photographing migrating birds, that is, when the birds are migrating (www.tucsonaudubon.org).  Bruce Hollingsworth and I just returned from a photo trip to southern Arizona and discovered that timing is everything.  Everywhere where we attempted to photograph birds, we found that we were to early and that the "real" migration hadn't started yet.  It is true that, although the winter had been mild, spring turned out cold and late.  Bruce and I commented, as we drove to the birding hotspots, that the terrain still looked like winter.  Desert shrubs were still without leaves and there were no sping flowers anywhere, except peoples' yards.  We had planned an extensive itinerary, three days around Green Valley, three days around Patagonia, and three days around Sierra Vista.  We had taken our own photo-blinds hoping for opportunities to set them up at strategic locations for some close-up shooting.  All in all, the venture was only partially successful.  We did not capture as many images as we had hoped and only had a few new species to add to our portfolios.

Gila Woodpecker

We started our trip at Bill Forbes' "The Pond At Elephant Head" in Amado, Arizona (www.phototrap.com).  We spent a day and half shooting at Bill's place.  Keeper images there are almost guaranteed.  Bill has set up shooting blinds around a very small watering pond and has spent years habituating the birds to his feeders and perches.  Gambel's Quail, Orioles, Thrashers, Cactus Wrens and a variety of finches and sparrows are regular visitors to the feeders at the pond.  We had also hoped to shoot in Madera Canyon where Bill has another setup for shooting hummingbirds from blinds.  The target species was the Magnificent Hummingbird.  Unfortunately, Bill was the first of many to tell us that the birds had not yet arrived.  I'll have to go back in the future to get my Magnificent.

From Amado, we traveled to Patagonia.  All the birding guides rave about the Patagonia area.  We explored Patagonia Lake State Park, Paton's backyard, the Nature Conservancy's Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, and the area around our B&B (Cross Creek Cottages).  The story was much the same, birds had not arrived yet.  At Patagonia Lake State Park we carried our heavy equipment along the wooded lake trail and steep chaparral covered hillsides looking for shooting opportunities.  This of course, was an exercise in futility.  Without a well established feeding station and blinds, photographing birds is a fruitless effort.  But as luck would have it, we did have some success.  As I was carrying my gear up a steep, brushy trail, Bruce spotted a Gila Monster.  It was big, ugly and scary!  We had an exciting time trying to get good images as it lumbered along in the weeds and brush.  The other success at the state park was a Vermillion Flycatcher.  We had spotted the bright red bird perched in a tree, but way to far for a shot.  Then it toyed with us as it fluttered, back and forth, overhead only to perch again out of range.  We had given up and were heading back to the car when we stumbled upon some Pipits.  The little birds were foraging on the ground among the old leaves and grasses.  The Pipits were so preoccupied that we had time to set up our tripods with 500 mm lenses.  Just then the Vermillion Flycatcher swooped in and perched on an old tree snag not far from us.  Although still very small in the view finder, we did get some keepers.

Due to the overall lack of birds, we left Patagonia a day earlier than originally planned and headed for Siera Vista.  There we explored several birding hotspots, including Huachuca Canyon, the Nature Conservancy Ramsey Canyon Preserve, and San Pedro House, in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (www.sanpedroriver.org).  In al those well known hotspots, there were very few birds and no real photo opportunities.  We ended up arranging with Tony Battiste to shoot from blinds at his B&B (www.battistebedandbirds.com).  That proved worthwhile and emphasized again that you need well established feeding and watering stations and blinds for productive shooting.  Morning light was best at Tony's, so we photographed there two mornings.  I got some new species to add to the portfolio, including a Bewick's Wren, Inco Dove, Audubon's Warbler, and Lucy's Warbler.  Not bad, considering it was an off-spring for bird photography.  Tony invited us to come back in the evening to photograph an Elf Owl pair that has a nest on his property.  However, that turned out to be a unproductive.  Although we saw the owls swooping around the trees in the darkness of late twilight, the birds did not perch in the open area we were prepared for.

Images from this trip can be viewed in the Birds of Southern Arizona gallery.  Bruce also keeps a blog and you can read his version of the trip there (www.logofspartina.blogspot.com).