This past Sunday evening I was given the task of replacing some burned out florescent tubes in the Vet Clinic Stock area. I brought over the ladder and set it up, climbed up and removed one of the tubes so I could determine which kind I was replacing. When I returned from the storage area with the new tube, I found that the kittens had already discovered the new climbing challenge.
This Tabby made it almost to the top before turning around and deciding to find the quickest way down.
One of my favorite classes to photograph when I have been working the Arabian Horse Shows in past years is Country Pleasure. When I realized that the annual Texas State Fair USEF Show was Friday night, I decided that I had to go and get some images I don't usually get when I photograph as the Official Show Photographer. I decided to focus on a study of the Country Pleasure riders showing different perspectives, all with the classic left leg up position that only happens in when the horses are in the trot gaits.
Another aspect of this class I enjoy is the classic dress with hat and coattails. These are such formal classes.
This past early July, when I visited Northern New Mexico with my Parents, We stopped a few times along the road 8 miles south of Taos to view the Rio Grande Gorge. My first impression was that that is some slice out of the desert. While it is not near the width of the Grand Canyon, it is most impressive in how you have a flat desert plain and then a deep gorge that has divided the desert. Can you imagine how the pioneers riding west must have felt when after traveling hours across this flat plain and then suddenly encountered this deep uncrossable chasm. 
Eight or so miles south of where We saw the Rio Grande Gorge, the highway descending nearly to river level. Along a five mile section of the Rio Grande south of the Visitor Center at Pilar we saw some river rafters enjoying the rapids. 
We had seen where they had put their rafts in, so drove further down the highway for a good vantage point to see them come around the corner and down the river below us.
Day 2 of the Fasig-Tipton Sale was topped with the sale of an More Than Ready x Audacious Colt consigned by Roger Daly (Bottom Photo). Read more about Day 2 in this bloodhorse.com article by Shelby Downs.
Bruce McCarty encourages a bid from a buyer.
Hip #310 - More than Ready x Audacious Colt sold for $110,000.
This past and next weekend is the Hatch Green Chili Festival at Central Market, and I had to make a few trips to buy fresh fire roasted green chili and sausages made with these chilis. Today at the Fasig-Tipton Summer Yearling Sale, I was inspired to once again cook and post a related story. On the way home from the sale I made a stop to buy some fire roasted chilis, my favorite Fischer & Weiser Mango Ginger Habenero Sauce, and some Hatch Green Chili Pork Sausage, as well as some Purple Kholrabi for stirfry. While Boing and then browning the Hatch Green Chili Pork Sausage, I prepared the stir fry vegetables. I combined thin strips of one Purple Kholrabi, One Carrot part of a Hatch Sweet Onion, and one Hot Fire Roasted Green Chili torn into strips. I stir fried these vegetables until the Kholrabi and Carrots were about done, and then added one Yellow squash cut into strips. When the Squash was done, I added a enough of the Mango Ginger Habenero sauce to cover all the vegetables and then served over rice with the Sausage.
The top selling horses today at the Texas Fasig-Tipton Summer Yearling Sale, came at the beginning and end of the days sale. The top selling filly was Hip #27, a Gulch x Miss Chipps at $105,000 was consigned by Legacy Bloodstock, Agent and purchased by Leprechaun Racing. The photos below this are of Hip #27, first in the walking ring before the sale, and then in conformation in the bottom photo. The overall days topper (top photo) was Hip 233, an Even The Score x Whata Rock Colt consigned by Elysian Bloodstock and sold for $120,000 to the Lee Young Farm. You may read about the first Days sale on the Blood-Horse Auction Page in an article written by Shelby Downs.
This weekend is preview time for the Fasig-Tipton Summer Yearling Sale. All the Yearling Prospects should have arrived today and the barns will be open tomorrow for folks to review and look for prospects for racing or Pinhooking. Monday and Tuesday of next week the sale will start at 10am. I will be the photographer covering this event for
Our instructor called in sick this past Thursday, so we were invited to sketch on our own. I went to the American Galleries and sketched this DMA favorite by Edward Hopper: Lighthouse Hill.
This past Wednesday evening I was visiting my horse in the lower pasture and discovered the sunset from his point of view. Click on the eye to see what he saw.
The last week has been hectic as I worked to complete a large print order, photographed 2 Days of the Summer Cutting Spectacular Sale for Western Bloodstock, and then processed the images and prepared the presentation book and image DVD for the Sale. On Wednesday I shipped out both projects and now have a little time to post on this blog once again. The image above is of the Summer Sale Topper, Shortys Starlight being auctioned along with her foal by embryo transfer to the recipient mare behind her. She sold as a package for $130,000. Details of this sale may be found in this press release: Upturn for NCHA Summer Spectacular Sales in a downturned economy
Today I headed to Ft Worth to Prepare for the Western Bloodstock Sales starting Friday Morning. After getting my strobes set up I went over to the Non-Pro Go 2 of the Summer Spectacular Derby. 
I found the cowboy in the top image when I had just come into the coliseum. I took a number of side images at the floor level first. I particularly like when the horse has a good power position with front legs bent and nose level with the cow.
The cows are all against the gate waiting for the cutter to enter and push them out and pick out the best one. One of my favorite locations to shoot in Will Rogers Coliseum is high above the floor behind the working area.
I like to capture the image as the horse is staring down the cow and the horses back legs are buried in the dirt and mane is flying.
My parents home in the Red River Upper Valley is one of the few stucco homes in the Red River area. The morning of July 5, I took this photo showing the contrast of the tan stucco with the blue sky and the reflected sky in the windows. I also took the photo below of the southern ridge and the sky with clouds.
This is the day we were to go to Taos. I had been reading some of the books on the cabin bookshelf about the area and was learned about some of the early Taos Pioneers of Arts and Literature that were known throughout the modern world. Three names that show up in this history are Mabel Dodge Luhan, Dorothy Brett, and Frieda Lawrence. Mabel Dodge Luhan was the a cultural leader in the area and invited many well known writers and artists to her home and ranch in the Taos area, including Georgia O'Keefe and D.H. Lawrence, who lived in the area before moving on to their respected lives in other areas. D.H. Lawrence returned to Europe only to come back to the Taos area in an urn ultimately to have his ashes poured into the cement of his own memorial. Georgia O'Keefe returned to New York, ultimately to come back to Northern NM to paint 20 or so years later and remained the rest of her life.
Road to Mabel Dodge Luhan's Lorenzo Ranch, where she entertained many visual and literary artists. Additional photos including those of the D.H. Lawrence Memorial and Dororthy Brett Cabin may be seen in this Gallery.
Mabel Dodge Luhan's home in Taos New Mexico. This home is now a retreat and Hotel on the east side of Taos. An interesting note is that this home was briefly owned by Dennis Hopper when he was directing movies in the area. Easy Rider was filmed in the Taos area in the mid 60's as the Hippie invasion shook the Taos area. Additional images of this home are also in the gallery link above.
I Spent the 4th of July in Red River. At 9am we headed to downtown Red Red River to find a spot to view the annual 4th of July Parade. I think nearly everyone in the Valley was in Red River that morning. We had to go to the west side of town to find a spot. The photo on the right was one of my favorite entries which I call Segway Sam. He wandered up and down both sides of the street handing out treats. There were many great floats and other entries in the parade of which I have posted some highlights in this Gallery.
My first full evening in Red River We went to the Moreno Valley Cowboy Evening at Bobcat Pass. This was a great evening of cowboy steaks or chicken, Beans, Corn on the Cob, Biscuits, and finished off with a great cinnamon roll. Entertainment started with Dulcimer Dan singing and playing nearly every stringed instrument known. There was also dummy roping, horse shoe tossing, and a great after dinner show of singing, cowboy poetry reciting, stick horse racing, A little cowboy zydeco by a campfire.
My first full day at the cabin we took a short hike up the Copper Canyon Road. This groundscape is a photo I took during this hike. Additional images may be found in my Day 2 Gallery.
On the way to Red River we made a few photo stops to document the dramatic cloud and sunset views.
Georgia O'Keefe Museum on Johnson Street in Santa Fe, NM.
Cafe next door to the Museum.
