three lenses, one flower
July 19, 2026
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7 Comments
"Gardening is an active participation in the deepest mysteries of the universe."
Thomas Berry
Last week, the weather was a bit more gentle, with occasional fitful light rain showers that brought the temperatures down, even if temporarily. A friend of mine says that rain is nature's fertilizer. And so it is. All living things seem to come out of...
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getting to the root of things
July 10, 2026
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During the dark of winter, I dream of beautiful fresh mixed lettuce, arugula, green onions, cabbage, potatoes, basil, red, yellow, and heirloom tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes, bell peppers, and absolutely roasted green chiles. Because of an earlier than normal spring, several vendors arrived at the Tuesday Santa Fe Farmers' Market in la...
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water, oh, sweet water
July 06, 2026
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The fanfare and fireworks of the 4th of July holiday - celebrating the American Declaration of Independence - are over, but the work of keeping our democratic republic intact continues. That work now includes how the dwindling water supply of the Colorado River is distributed among seven states and Mexico.
The photographs included in today's blo...
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250 years
June 28, 2026
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9 Comments
As the heat settles over the land, and we begin to slow down during midday to take a break, shade of any sort is always a bonus. But summer is the peak travel season, and people are on holiday. We are traveling to exotic places or those close to home, attending baseball games, World Cup matches (and discovering American fast food and American ingre...
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blooms, Monet, and life
June 21, 2026
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9 Comments
Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, the longest day and the start of astronomical summer in the northern hemisphere. It is also the beginning of astronomical winter in the southern hemisphere. One of the great wonders of the planet on which we live. Nature doesn't bother with marking these events. Instead, birds and other animals, and insects and fl...
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up to the mountains, into the shadows
June 14, 2026
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As the temperatures began to rise, informing us in no uncertain terms that summer had arrived, we felt it was time to head into the Sangre de Cristo mountains, and take a deep breath of the wildly wonderful air at 9,000 feet elevation. Given my obsession with nature, trees, and wildflowers, it was a no-brainer that a camera would be swinging rhythm...
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from the loom
June 07, 2026
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19 Comments
Having participated in some 14 Taos and Santa Fe Wool Festivals, it became relatively easy for both Fred and I to anticipate and give appropriate answers to many questions asked during these events. "Is this your work?" "Where do you get your patterns for these rugs?" "Do you dye your own wool?" "Do you have your own flock of Navajo-Churro Sheep?"...
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wandering along the river
June 01, 2026
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9 Comments
Welcome to summer! Today, June 1, is the first day of meteorological summer, as opposed the 21st of June which is the summer solstice. The 1st of June is more convenient for meteorologists to use as a point in time to reference the beginning of the summer season, which lasts through the month of August. Ah, the strangeness humans use to categorize...
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remember
May 24, 2026
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17 Comments
If you are viewing this blog on 25 May 2026, it is Memorial Day. The name has become a conflation of the original meaning and purpose, and modern culture because it falls at the end of the first big "holiday" weekend of the summer season - a time for barbecues, getting together with family and friends, or beginning vacations in places near and far.
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taste of summer
May 18, 2026
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Once again, we find ourselves on the cusp of a new season as days grow longer, and baby birds appear in gardens and trees. Both spotted towhees and house finches taking flying lessons and doing ungainly landings this week, with wings shaking and mouths wide open waiting to be fed, were definitely smile-worthy. In the human realm, students are gradu...
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inspiration, persistence and perfection
May 10, 2026
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6 Comments
Perhaps it is the onset of spring in earnest. It could be the still images presented by nature and those that have already been photographed for books, magazines, or catalogs. Or drop dead gorgeous stills that creative cinematographers insert into movies and series. Or getting together with other photographers and writers to discuss our work. All o...
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seasons change/times change
May 03, 2026
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11 Comments
Spring is literally everywhere in the Rock Mountain west. In the higher elevations, it has just begun or is beginning, whereas in lower climates, it has already completed its cycle. In Santa Fe, the temperatures have been on a bit of a roller coaster ride, as they frequently are here, so we are somewhere in the middle of spring. Since I started pay...
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the beauty of low tech
April 26, 2026
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15 Comments
After twelve days of being without connectivity which meant the lack of publication of one Monday blog, in today's, I turn to the beauty of low tech that requires wood, a few gears, ropes, nuts and bolts, along with strips of machined metal. The Counterbalance Loom has a long history beginning between the 10th and 12th centuries. Fred's loom is a c...
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At the intersection of high-tech and low-tech
April 17, 2026
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13 Comments
Given the rapid pace of events and communication in the 21st century, it is not uncommon to hear journalists and news readers on daily programs say “We had a show planned for you today, but given the latest news, it will be presented at another time.” It is sometimes the case with blogs as well - today's blog, for instance.
To begin, an orange bli...
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spring surprises unfolding
April 05, 2026
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6 Comments
Whether spring is happening in a yard or around the neighborhood, in the fields or mountains or in gifted blooms, there are endless photographic opportunities at this time of year, as flowers and leaves unfold, presenting surprises everywhere. The images today are of Gerber daisies, used by florists in bouquets for huge splashes of color. The birth...
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© Daryl A. Black