Another Rainy Day at Chautauqua

Yep, just one of those rainy days.  The sun never came out so it made it easier to stay inside at our conference! However, we still did get in a few shots.  This campus is just awesome!  Our meeting room is in an old house with windows all around and a feeling that many people have been transformed in this space. We meet in the upper floor and then hang out on the porch.

The grounds around campus would be very inviting to sit and chat . . . if the sun were out.  If nothing else one could sit and laugh at squirrels that tease photographers (at least in such low cloudy light).

Flower beds abound.  Aside from being pretty well beaten down by constant rain, some of it pretty heavy, they are fun targets for a quick dart out with a camera between rain showers.

Tom did hike a bit up the mountain yesterday.  Moody, wet, rainy.

The cottages are decked out in wet finery and there is some evidence of a change of season.

Our conference ends at noon. We plan to spend another night in the Boulder area before heading back over the Trail Ridge Road early tomorrow, hopefully getting some morning sunlight and before the afternoon rain sets in.  We have had many suggestions from our friends here.  How about Banff, since you are already in the area? Or Glacier National Park? The fish market in Seattle is a favorite.  Or an island off the Washington coast.  Or . . . the world since we are in the area!!!

Hoping all of you are doing just splendidly.  If not, get out and shoot!  If so, get out and shoot!

From Chautauqua

Chautauqua in an historic landmark.  It is one of the few remaining chautauquas remaining in the United States and the only one west of the Mississippi that has been in continuous operation since its founding. Chautauquas represent a cultural movement that was popular in the late 19th century which valued lifelong learning, voluntary simplicity, love of nature and the arts.  These activities were centered around campuses that included an auditorium, cottage and dorm living, community dining and open spaces for hiking and communing with nature.

This chautauqua started as a tent city and gradually grew to 99 cottages of which 58 are available for nightly rental. Our conference is perfect for this sort of setting although we usually get together at even more remote places where we can be together as a large community of about 80 people.  Tom and I are staying in a cottage that feels like a mansion after a week in hotel rooms!  We calculated that it is about 600 square feet including the front screened in porch. Full kitchen with a gas stove, microwave, all the basic amenities, comfortable bed, full bathroom . . .  We could easily live in this amount of space!!

This campus is just filled with gorgeous flowers and statues.

There are 48 miles of hiking trails and thousands of acres of open space within walking distance of our cottage! Tom took off yesterday morning to catch some golden sunrise light.  Here are some of his views of the Flatirons.

It has rained all night with some bright sharp lightning and very loud thunder.  We were headed out to hike this morning and turned around and came right back into our cottage! We love rain and clouds but they can sure do a number on golden hour photography.

Another day of conference for us.  We may still get in some shooting later on.

Stay dry.  Shoot often.

Rocky Mountain National Park

We arrived in the rain.  Of course!  A visit to the Visitor Center to pick up maps and more and we were off to drive the Trail Ridge Road.  For those of you who described it as being a 'must see, must go, fabulous life experience . . . you were absolutely right. For those of you who have never been on it, please add it to your bucket list and put it at the top.

The road up and over the hill is just two lanes and there is no passing.  There are many pullouts and on a Saturday traffic is heavy and slow. But people are wondrously patient.  Tom took most of the photos as he hopped in and out of the car while I watched for a spot to park or just drove slooooooowly while he clicked away.

In spite of the periodic rain, some of it heavy, the birds were abundant and some of them new to me. I have no idea what kind of bird this is but it is banded!

We rounded a curve and traffic had stopped!  Red lights in a row.  Accident?  Nope, just elk crossing the road? It seems that the understood acceptable behavior is for each car to slooooowly drive by the elk alongside the road and take a photo or two and move on.  No horns from the back.  Just patience.  The elk were very close.

The image that I like the best of the many taken is the following:

We then inched up and took the first photo in this set.

This morning finds us in Boulder at Chautauqua. We are at the base of the Flatirons and the views are spectacular.  We are starting a two 1/2 day conference, one that I have gone to yearly for 8 years.  My daughter, Erica,  has joined us for the conference (life is very good). As I post this Tom is already out shooting what he fully expects will be a great sunrise. Expect photos from this historic location in the days to come.

By the way, we have really enjoyed the comments via email and the photos you have sent us of your own shooting to share with our photog friends!

Have a great week.