Capturing Winter Light

Greetings from the Deep Freeze! I awoke this morning to 10 degrees and 10 inches of snow. 

I admit I stayed in my jammies until around noon 

when I started noticing unusual shadows and highlights in the dining and living rooms.

Winter light can pose challenges as well as creative photographic opportunities. 

The sun is lower in the sky, casting unusual shadows and highlights 

where you didn't notice them before. 

Walking though your house you may notice potential shots

 that were invisible in the harsh light of summer.

This post is not about changing your white balance or stepping down your f-stops 

because I keep it simple with my Canon point and shoot camera. 

You can find some excellent tips online for these more specialized adjustments.

No, today's post is about noticing how things change in the filtered light of winter. 

My number one tip is simply to pay attention to what's around you. 

The winter sun is lower in the sky, creating a softer light, making winter, 

as some experts say, the best season for photography.

Remember how strong summer light created harsh shadows. 

Well, winter light filters the sun, turning those shadows into creative shots.

Winter days are shorter so tip number two is take your outdoor photos during the Magic Hour 

when a golden glow cast a warm tone on your photos.

This is the mountain by our cabin as the sun sinks in the sky.

 Magic Hour is the time just before and after sunrise and sunset. 

Also known as Happy Hour! Well, during sunset that is. LOL

Here's one I didn't know until I read it online . . . batteries don't last as long in cold temperatures 

so have extras on hand or make sure your rechargeable batteries are fully charged. 

That's tip number three.

Taking a photo of an object next to a window can produce a lovely soft, shot.

The main message of this post is simply to be more aware of your surroundings this winter

and you may discover a whole different look to your photos.

I like the contrast of dark and light in this photo.

Roxy certainly is aware of her warm surroundings on these cold winter days. 

She always seems to find a spot of sun. 

And, yes, she likes to keep a small plate close by in case a snack becomes available. 

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My Wild Ride

It's not often you have the opportunity to climb to the top of the world.

But that's what it seemed like when I bumped up a narrow dirt road 

to the top of the Rocky Mountains across from our rustic cabin. 

It started when I flagged down my cabin neighbor, Charlotte, (below)

and asked her to give me a ride in her ATV. 

She readily agreed and strapped me in, then snapped a net across the open doorway.

It didn't look sturdy enough to keep me from becoming a projectile into the blue sky.

I was expecting the ride to be less than an hour, 

just bopping around the side roads near our cabin. 

Boy, was I wrong!

Yes, Charlotte did point out neighbors' cabins as we chugged up higher and higher. 

We passed a remarkable old mill that the new owners are encasing in a house.

Can't wait to see the finished product. 

Then we took off across an area hidden from the county road below.

Really, it was more of a path than a road. 

Uh oh. 

  

The narrow road skimmed the side of the mountain. 

The view was straight down. 

I grabbed the side bar that was keeping me from sliding down the mountain,

laughing nervously. 

But what gorgeous scenery.

It felt like another world. 

We didn't see any other people or animals during the two-hour ride.

We climbed to a mountain cirque (an ampitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion.)

This one is called Horseshoe Mountain (13,898 feet).. 

This is what Horseshoe looks like in the winter.
It's easy to see why it's called Horseshoe. 

At the base of the cirque was a magical small lake called a tarn. 

A tarn forms when there is seasonal melting on the floor of the cirque.

This was my favorite place. 

Now, we just had to get down off this mountain!

I'm not much of a daredevil (any more)

and am not sure I would have taken this wild ride had I known what was involved.

But Charlotte was an excellent driver and I'm so thankful I got to see this side of the mountain.

It was so worth it.

Thank you so much Charlotte!

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Early Fall Changes

Hi friends and Happy Fall. 

I hope you're enjoying some beautiful autumn weather where you are. 

Here in Colorado, the nights are cool enough for an extra blanket 

and the aspen leaves are turning bright orange and gold 

while there's snow dusting the mountain tops.

I'm enjoying a few new blooms that brighten a fall landscape in my garden.

Inside the house, fall inspires me to make a few simple changes and do a little cleaning. 

I always seem to do "fall cleaning" rather than "spring cleaning."

The foyer gets a new look for fall with some natural touches, 

an old window, a vintage silver tray and a straw-covered wine bottle. 

A view of the little "great" room. 

I love the warm look of the wooden bowl and a deer antler on the dining table.

More wooden bowls and some dried hydrangeas crown the china closet. 

The mantel in the dining room is lined with candles, warming up this space.

Wrapped wine bottles punctuate each end of the mantle. 

I've added a small table in back of the couch that holds an ironstone pitcher 

filled with cotton ball stems and another unusual wine bottle. 

Looking into the dining room from the living room. 

Warm textures, soft colors and a chunky throw bring the changing season inside. 

It won't be long before cars line up
to view the changing colors of the leaves in our beautiful mountains.  

Happy Fall Everyone!

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Late Summer at the Cabin

Late August is a wonderful time to visit the cabin. 

The air is fresh and cool, a nice change from the 90+ degrees in Denver. 

The wildflowers are blooming and the daytrippers have left to get ready for back to school. 

The cabin is surrounded by wildflowers and rock outcroppings.

After a storm ... mist settles into the pines.

When it storms at 11,000 feet, the lightning literally bounces off the mountain tops.

We've whittled down our "to do" list.
Our front deck had too much space in between the boards, making it very unsafe. 

Here, Ron is putting 2x2s in between the boards to close up the spaces, a simple fix.

 I really like how it turned out!

We'll use this deck more often now that we won't twist an ankle.

Inside the cabin we brought a primitive bench I had up to the living space.
It makes a perfect small coffee table.

We're loving this room.

Roxy is really adapting well to the altitude.
She's our new Scrabble partner!!
I think she's saying, "What do you mean Grrr is not a word?"

'Til next time.

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Ready for a Sweetness Overload?

Brace yourself for the sweetest faces you've ever seen! 

Ready? Here they come!

Alpacas! All fifty of them on a beautiful ranch in Colorado. 

I'd met the lady rancher/weaver at a vintage market earlier this year 

where she was selling Alpaca socks, scarves and other items. 

As we talked about these adorable animals, she told me they open their ranch 

once a year to the public. I made a note to follow up and find out when it was. 

When the day finally came, I couldn't wait to see these unique animals close up. 

What made this so fun was being allowed to walk among the alpacas, 

quite a different experience than viewing animals at a zoo.

Sometimes we saw them at a distance, other times they were curious about us 

and checked us out up close and personal.

There were several yearlings that were just too cute for words.

How do you catch an alpaca?

You sneak up on them from the rear and straddle them from behind,
then hold onto their long necks.

And no, this picture is not out of focus.

That's just how soft and airy their hair is.

Alpacas are not pack animals. They're raised for their wonderful hair!

This ranch was located in an area I'd always considered the plains

but it was surrounded by giant pine trees and green green meadows.
Heaven.

Alpacas, originally from Peru, come in several different colors -- 

white, dark brown, light brown. black and light gray.

And when they sleep, they really rack out. 

Their breathing is so shallow, they appear to be dead.

This group had been sheered three weeks ago but they do get quite a thick coat.

I must have taken a hundred pictures but I think my favorite was these "babies."

Don't you just love their "leg warmers and top knots?"

And lest we forget . . .

this adorable farm dog eyeing a few treats while all the attention was on the alpacas!

What a perfectly beautiful day.
I think I left a piece of my heart on this ranch. 

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Mountain Cabin Summer Update

We've finally been able to reach our cabin in the mountains. 

The last time we attempted it, there was still lots of snow blocking our road. 

So, now that the snow has melted, we've visited the cabin a couple of times so far this summer.

Everything is so green!

I had purchased a super comfy chair from Habitat for Humanity back in March

and now we could finally moved it from the middle of our guest room floor to the cabin. 

Then I moved all the furniture around until it was cozy and not too crowded.

I think this arrangement works!
What do you think?

Here's a "before" picture of this tiny space on the day I bought the cabin..

It's come a long way. I think it doesn't even look like the same room.

My main objective in the cabin was to have a comfortable space.

For those of you who don't know, this cabin is only about 350 square feet!

One more thing I added was a thick area rug to soften the tile floor. 

Roxy is happy to have her favorite green chair back. 

I'd found an old galvanized bucket under the back deck of the cabin 

and thought it would make a cool battery-powered chandelier. 

Ron took the project on and I just love it. It looks especially pretty at night.

In keeping with our Rustic Western theme, we had fun decorating with
 old snowshoes (above) and this incredible elk antler we hung over the bed.

A few sweet items in the bedroom. Don't you love the little western vest?

Some old lanterns look perfect atop our cast iron stove.

There's an interesting story here . . . I was standing on a ladder trying to hang a lantern from
a beam when I couldn't quite reach the nail. I put one leg on the stove and one on the ladder

and wham! The ladder went out from under me and I went sailing onto the tile floor. Ouch!

Just a few bruises and some pain but all is well now Won't do that again!

We replaced the long table top that had been under the front windows with a shorter top

that fits perfectly as an end table next to the loveseat. I added a few western items

like this 1920's calendar, some dried grasses and feathers, and a deer antler.

Last year when the cabin was broken into, the burglar shredded our magnetic door screen.

We hung a new and improved one guaranteed to keep the hummingbirds from flying into the cabin!

And when all the decorating is done (is it ever?), 

we retreat to the secluded back deck with this amazing view. 

More projects next time. 

Stop by for a visit!
I hope you're having a wonderful summer.

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