celestial meanderings

Saturday night, there was the first in a sequence of three"supermoons".  Scientists writing for the online publication NASA Science News indicate that "the scientific term for the phenomenon is 'perigee moon.'  Full Moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the Moon's orbit. The Moon follows an elliptical path around Earth with one side ("perigee") about 50,000 km closer than the other ("apogee").  Full Moons that occur on the perigee side of the Moon's orbit seem extra big and bright."

Some photographers "major" in night photography - whether photographing man-made phenomenon or the sky - they do a majority of shooting at night.  I am not that kind of person and, as a general rule, don't do much night photography.  Thus, I am here to say I am lacking dramatic moon shots.  But the entire idea of celestial events made me think about our reaction to them as opposed to those of the people who came before us, including the ancestral Pueblo peoples at Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico.

The supermoons that occurred in the period when Chaco was occupied - 850 and 1250 A. D. - were no doubt noticed, given the image below.  It is said to be a petroglyph of the super nova of 1054.  I dare say Chacoans were probably more aware of their surroundings than many in our tech-laden world.  

According to the National Park Service, the complexity and size of the buildings at Chaco are a testament to the "organization and engineering abilities" of the people who lived there.  The photograph below is of the back wall of Pueblo Bonito

Window at Talus House

The next "supermoon" will be on August 10.  Given the fact that Chaco has been designated as an official International Dark Sky Park, perhaps it would be a good idea to visit this amazing place next month.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

layers

12 May 2014.   The calendar on the wall displays a photograph of lush, green lady ferns beside a stream in Banning State Park, Minnesota.  But here on the mesa, there is snow on the windows and the sky is bleak.  Snow in May is not without precedent.  Friends of ours from Colorado claim that the most terrifying drive of their 70+ years was when they left our house some years ago, again in May, making their way over U. S. Highway 64 from Tres Piedras to Tierra Amarilla.  The road is narrow, and drop offs occasionally are not for the faint of heart.  In blinding snow, hold on for dear life.  As they did.  The good news about snow in May and fire season, is that moisture of any kind is welcome, and the high winds have diminished, even if temporarily.

Given that backdrop, I turn to photographs in bright sunshine - layers of earth.  Not being a geologist, I cannot tell you the depths nor the ages of the layers, but instead use the photographs as a demonstration of visual beauty and interest.

The first is of a series of dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Reserve in southern Colorado.  The light and dunes constantly change, providing endless photographic possibilities.  I love the way clouds alter the look of the dunes.

Echo Amphitheatre near Abiquiu has distinct geological layers that are stunning in color and shape.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument contains passageways through the layers of sandstone, waiting to be discovered.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

El Malpais, otra vez

A place is beguiling when it keeps popping up a person's mind at the oddest times and places.  Thus, El Malpais, otra vez.  Today's blog features more sandstone knobs, hoodoos, and arches in the making.  It is amazing how trees manage to plant themselves in such harsh but also opportune places.

In case you plan a trip here in the near future, the visitors' center is a wonderful source of information, as are the websites of both the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

A new year

A pot of pinto beans is simmering, snow is falling, and a new year is poised to open. What represents the new, rebirth, life, or opportunity more than water, in whatever form it takes.  It is unmatched in  persistent strength and unerring dedication to its course.

The acequia system in northern New Mexico is centuries old but is alive and well, providing the life blood for farmers both large and small.  A branch of this system runs through Casa Gallina in Taos.  Owner Richard Spera says that regardless how much ice builds on the surface during the winter, the acequia water always flows beneath it. Double clicking will enable you to see the ice detail.

Even icicles eventually change form and release waster to the earth.

So as the curtain is raised on 2013, may the water of life nourish and inspire us to respect, cherish, and nurture all that is Planet Earth.

until next year,

DB

a passion for the image

The long view

In southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, where the Rocky Mountains give way to the plains, there is an incredible openness to the land.  The human eye is unable to absorb all the detail.  It gives new meaning to "the long view".

 
Before refrigeration and warehousing became standard for storage of perishables, farmers dug areas into the ground, or built up mounds for storing grain, potatoes, and other crops for the winter.  We have to assume that these wooden structures were above the mounds to vent any gasses and moisture building up within the earthen burrow.

Who knows?  This sort of thing may become the "new" trend.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

Life and Yellowstone

a hot pool in the White Creek area of Yellowstone

Life is a strange ride.  There are highs and lows, joys, and sorrows, and everything in between.  One of the great joys of life for my brother-in-law, Bob, and his wife (my sister) Debbie, was Yellowstone National Park.  I'm not completely sure about the number of years they have been visiting but I believe it is 30 or more.  Some of those years included two visits.  They loved being part of the park's "geyser gazer" community, a group of volunteers who watched the geysers, frequently sprinting from one geologic feature to another when hearing on walkie-talkies that a particular geyser was erupting in the geyser basin or on the parimeter of it.  They recorded vital information including the length of time and frequency of activity.  Anyone who has visited Yellowstone and stayed more than a hour, knows that there is much more to this stunning geothermal landscape than Old Faithful.  Faithful is the operative word - it is very consistent in its eruptions.  But there are many other features that erupt irregularly, and when one of those starts to become active, the buzz among the gazers who are waiting in and around the basin, is palpable.

Bob and Debbie literally drove people to Yellowstone, and coerced, cajoled, and begged others to visit the park so that they could share its unique and spellbinding qualities.  Their knowledge of the park would fill volumes, and they could answer just about any question a visitor had.  The goal - to spread the magic of Yellowstone around the world and from generation to generation.  They did just that.

Bob died earlier this month, but I would lay wager on the fact that right now, he is doing one of his favorite things - watching geysers in Yellowstone.  Although Beehive was particularly special to him, I have no photographs of it.  The images below were scanned from Fujichrome Velvia slide film and taken on a trip with Debbie and Bob in September of 1994.

Castle and Lonestar are not in the geyser basin per se but a nice hike beyond it.

Castle

Grand

Lonestar

Here's to you, Bob.  Happy Gazing!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image