How could I not be inspired by this place?
I remember when I wrote in my journal a few years ago, while rafting and fishing the Green River of Utah with Robert, that I dreamed of living right on a big river in the interior West someday. I dreamed of waking up and falling asleep to the roar of it. That day is finally here and I cannot tell you how deeply I am cherishing every moment — every morning, every afternoon, every evening, every change in light, every clear sky, every cloud, every moonset, every sunrise.
It has turned cold. Finally. Last night, at nearly midnight, I asked Robert to walk down the driveway with me to the main road, a distance of a half mile or so, just to hear the water raging against the night, to see the mist billowing, to feel my face sting in the cold and to sense the stars chiming on the ends of their anchors. It’s my favorite time of year now.
I always say that my job as a photographer is to simply discover, reveal and exploit the beauty of a place, person or object. I’m doing that here, now. It’s good work.
In the studio, everything has feathers or is feathers. I’ve gone bird crazy. I’m simply making what I’m seeing (sometimes design is as simple as that). I live on a big river in the high desert and this place is brimming and bubbling with every kind of bird you can imagine (almost) and the waterfowl are just beginning to really emerge including the swans. Swans!!!
I love the swans.
so raw :: the river green.
and you :: the queen of this watery kingdom.
Xx
I love it here.
Please tell me that they are trumpeter swans! I am enamored of them as well. I just moved to northern Minnesota and have discovered the trumpeters! They are just leaving our region for the winter and perhaps going to yours? They were virtually extinct in this part of the country since the 1930’s and were reintroduced to the region about 20 years ago and are making a decent comeback. They are wonderful and HUGE! – Liz
Of course!
They might stay for the winter…this is the banana belt of Idaho!
Does your pup have a perfect circle of brown on him? Or am I just seeing things?
p.s. i love your little nook here of the internet.
He does! One. Perfect. Polka dot.
I’ve never seen a river quite like that. No wonder it inspires dreams…
The first cold days are tasty. Everything is fresh even though it’s old and wilted from summer past. It’s amazing how snow can transform a beige and grey landscape into a sugar coated, other-worldy place.
mmmmmmmm, feathers. Yes!
Me neither…it’s moody, too. It’s different every day. This morning it was very green. I was glad to have my camera along for my walk.
Feathers and leaves. My favorite designs for any and everything. Your life is blessed.
I think…me too. Feathers and leaves.
I have no words to express how beautiful I find these images.
That makes me happy.
Thanks for being here, Genie!
Wow..those photographs in the fog… simply extraordinary…almost like in a dream or in a different world…hope one day you go back to doing postcards…really extraordinary pictures.
(hope the rash is better if not gone completely).
Oh…postcards…they’re hard to do. They’re pretty expensive to have printed up. I might print up a batch of something sometime soon.
I’m feeling pretty good! I had a couple of setbacks with the rash but think I’m over the hump now. I’ve had two really wonderful sleeps two days in a row now AND I have washed everything I own 3-5 times, including towels and bed linens. In hindsight, I felt really awful for the better part of a month, before the rash actually popped up…I’m amazed at how well I feel right now!!! Everything just keeps getting better!
Thanks for asking about the rash!
I discovered your blog yesterday and now I am obsessed. I love how you capture nature and everything in it: it´s pure poetry.
I hope to see some other stunning shots very soon!
https://pandaonavespa.wordpress.com/
Thank you and welcome here!
Good heavens, these images. Dying!!! It’s that PLACE; You’re living with every piece of your heart and soul there. I’m blown away by what’s transpired, feeling like I just took a trip to Newfoundland or something!
Swans and you, both Canada natives. No surprise you would meet up there.
Love the Prussian blue-steel-grey color behind that perfect feather.
It is this place.
People always tell me they imagine me most frolicking in lush forests but the fact is, the high desert in winter is my jam. It’s my JAM!!!
AND…the river…the river……..
These beauties bring me right back to one of very favorite of magical books, Eowyn Ivey’s “The Snow Child,” except your mascot is a pup instead of a fox!…”What happened in that cold dark, when frost formed a halo in the child’s straw hair and snowflake turned to flesh and bone?”
Swans!!! Oh, I love them!!
And I love that you went to visit the river at midnight. Sometimes I do that – just have an utterly overwhelming urge and I have to immediately stop what I am doing, no matter the time, and go out and stand with the elements, feel them on my face and in my lungs. Thanks for sharing all the beauty of that place!
That river is insane. The color, the roughness, brutally beautiful. I love it all. Thank you!
Good work J…thank you for sharing your beautiful discoveries…i especially love the green river rapids with white caps…so lively and wild!
Very surreal.
I like it all…especially the Vibrant Green River Rapids With White Caps!
Other-worldly!!!
Could be the same swans that were flying over our house a month ago! I’m always that anything that big and boat like can fly- but they do!! XO
always AMAZED. always…
Procrastinating on work and catching up with your blog this morning – these are so mystical – straight out of a fairytale – a modern day ice queen if you will. : ) Thanks for sharing!
Such a different world you bring…in a beautiful and casual way. Thank you.