Danger, Fire

You've probably heard the sad news that Boulder County suffered two raging fires on December 30th, this coming only three days after a mass shooting in Denver killed five people. It's been a rough few days on us Coloradoans. Over 900 structures burned in Boulder County, most of them homes, and as I type this the remains of one person have been found while another person is still classified as missing. The destruction was breathtakingly quick, all too reminiscent of the Waldo Canyon Fire in 2012 and the Black Forest Fire in 2013, collectively destroying about 857 homes here in our own city. Thus far it's been a dry, dry, dry winter and the winds have been insane. The threat of fire has us all on edge, even those of us who live in the middle of the city.

It Never Ends, Does It? It Will Never, Ever End.

Sorry for the tardy post. I worked late and afterward I was so tired, I didn't remember to do a blog entry until it was past midnight. I'll backdate this to make it March 31st.

If you live in the US, I'm sure you heard about the mass shooting at the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder on March 22nd.  Ten people were killed. I have friends who live in that neighborhood and shop at that supermarket. It could have been them who died. I'm so glad it wasn't, but the fact that anyone there died at the hands of a gunman that day is unacceptable. I do not understand why our government officials cannot stand up to the gun lobby and pass common sense legislation. It is actually harder to get a drivers license than it is to get a gun in many parts of the United States. That is ridiculous.

As for me, on March 22nd I went grocery shopping too. Monday's my day to take care of such things. To think that I could have been murdered in my tracks while picking out a half gallon of milk on a Monday afternoon is just beyond belief. Our society is sick. Something has to change. We need to vote out these idiots and put compassionate humans in charge. I'm sick at heart.

A couple of days ago Pat and I went grocery shopping at the King Soopers on Uintah, and immediately inside the door we were greeted by this sign. There's really nothing you can say to bring solace. I grieve with the loved ones of the people who were murdered in Boulder on March 22nd, and the loved ones of the eight people killed in Georgia the week before.

The Ladies of the Lake

Actually I have no idea if these are ladies, gentlemen or something in between! These critters made great test subject while I was doing a family portrait session at CU Boulder a few days ago. Varsity Lake has got some HUMONGOUS koi! I swear they're the size of submarines!

Untitled

I have always thought it was funny that, in this hemisphere at least, college campuses look their absolute prettiest when no one's around to appreciate it! This is the little waterfall that feeds into Varsity Lake at CU in Boulder.

CU Boulder

On Monday I drove to Boulder for some clients who asked me to take their family portraits on the CU campus, at Varsity Lake. I've done shoots in this spot before but  never knew what the lake was called. Isn't this a pretty place? And since it's summer, there was hardly anyone around. It was a little bit drizzly out, but we persevered and got some nice pictures despite the rain. I even managed to snap a few for the blog.

Sunday Style!

This photo has been lurking on my hard drive since mid-April and I rejected it because it's a little blurry at the bottom -- I shot it through my car windshield at a red light in Boulder. But since I failed to get a better style photo for this week (fashionable people of Colorado Springs, where are you?!?), I decided to pull it out and use it today. I just really like her cool shoes! Everyone should dress so well to walk the dog!

Sunday Style!

Another chic Boulder-ite! I like her boots! Forgive the brief post. I spent yesterday shooting a fabulous wedding in, you guessed it, Boulder, a hundred miles away. I'm writing this post and scheduling it to go live after midnight MST, by which time I will be fast asleep. See you Monday!

Tulip time

The Pearl Street Mall in Boulder is known for its flower beds, especially the tulips in springtime. Here's a shot I managed to grab between pedestrians. I love tulips and other springtime bulbs! One of these days I'd like to make it to Holland in the spring. I've seen the pictures and it looks amazing from windy, sere Colorado!

Blue man

Another image from Boulder. This busker was doing his thing on the Pearl Street Mall, and he was tearing it up! The Pearl Street Mall is always an interesting place for people watching.

Very odd

I love it when random things like this cross my path. I was at Chautauqua Park in Boulder doing some engagement portraits when this lady sauntered past holding a stuffed coyote. Huh? I just happened to have a camera in my hand (duh!) so of course I snapped a picture. I think she was on her way to a photo shoot herself, because there was a reflector propped against a nearby fence. I wonder what was up!

Chautauqua Park

Another image from Boulder. Chautauqua Park is the most popular open space in the city. There are always lots of hikers and sunshine-seekers to be found there, like this group headed straight for the famous Boulder Flatirons.

Sunday Style!

The Pearl Street Mall in Boulder is a great place for people watching! I was there a few days ago doing a photo shoot, and while my clients were changing clothes I spied this hip couple. Love her hair!

International Scout

Do you remember Scouts? They were made by International Harvester in the 1960s and '70s, and had a very blockish, utilitarian look to them. I always wanted a Scout. They're just cool. Seeing this old guy in traffic the other day brought back a fond memory. I had a friend years ago who had a soft top Scout, and a bunch of us took a little road trip in it one fine summer day. I think we were headed to Boulder. The top was down and we had to shout to be heard. I took a picture of my friend Susan as we cruised along -- the sun was shining, she was wearing Ray Bans and the wind was blowing her hair into her smiling face. Susan never likes how she looks in pictures, but she's gorgeous and radiant and happy in that snapshot. I think we all have a moment like that from our youthful days, a real snapshot or maybe just a snapshot in our mind's eye, of a road trip a on perfect golden day with good friends. If you're lucky, you were riding in a cool old Scout.

Untitled

Water is always a good subject, whether it's a big vista or a tight close up. This is a natural wetland in Boulder.

The Flatirons

The Flatirons are to Boulder what the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak are to Colorado Springs. I suppose they got their name because they look like flat irons -- although some people postulate that their resemblance to the famous Flatiron Building in New York City was the inspiration. I was doing some portraits in Boulder's Chautauqua Park a couple of weekends ago, and how could I not take a picture of this gorgeous view?

Trachemys scripta

What is a Trachemys scripta, you ask? Why, it's a common "pond slider" turtle. I saw these guys basking in the sun on the CU campus in Boulder last week. I was in the middle of a portrait shoot and grabbed a quick photo of them in passing. When I was a child I had the occasional pet turtle, but now as an adult I can't decide if these guys are cute or disgusting. Ha!

The end of the rainbow: $29.95

Apparently there is high speed internet and cable at the end of the rainbow. This photo was taken on Highway 36 on the way into Denver from Boulder. Nice rainbow.

Skywatch Friday

Kind of a blown-out sky, but sky nonetheless. This photo was captured in Boulder last weekend when I was doing some engagement portraits. It was a lovely, mild day but the sky was hazy and cloudy. I do like the barn, though! Very picturesque!

To see more Skywatch Friday pictures from bloggers all over the planet, just click HERE.

Massive flooding in Colorado

Lyons, Colorado, September 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

I suppose by now you've watched the footage on the news and seen the grim photos online. Large swaths of northern and eastern Colorado have been completely, utterly devastated by flooding of biblical proportions. We've literally had seven straight days of heavy rain, and it only let up this morning. President Obama has declared Colorado a disaster area.  I'm in it. I'm in Colorado Springs, which received something like 13" of rain in less than 48 hours. (For some perspective:  our average ANNUAL rainfall in the Springs is around 15".) It's been insane. At times it felt like the water would never stop coming. As I type this, I don't hear the noise of raindrops hitting the roof of my house. It's strangely silent. Today, Tuesday, they are saying that it will finally be sunny and dry. My flood-weary friends in Manitou Springs will be relieved beyond measure. The stress has been nearly unbearable for them, living directly in the path of unpredictable flash flooding resulting from the Waldo Canyon burn scar. One of my friends has now made the sad decision to move out of Manitou, because this has all been just too much for her.

Colorado Springs has seen its share of flooding in the last few days, but parts north of us have had it far worse. The above photo was taken in Lyons, a picturesque town not far from beautiful Estes Park. I have shot many weddings in Lyons, most recently THIS one. Last summer I shot a wedding at a gorgeous ranch in Loveland called Sylvan Dale (photos HERE, showing a much more sunny, happy day), which is now a total ruin. In fact, the Big Thompson River, which runs through the property, apparently carved itself a new path and completely annihilated all the existing buildings, barns and even the ponds. I am heartbroken, and I can't even imagine how the owners must feel right now. Thankfully they were able to save all of their livestock before the water got out of hand, and that's a blessing.

Estes Park is under water, and so are parts of Greeley. Boulder is hard hit, along with the suburbs between it and northeast Denver.  Then there's Longmont, Jamestown, practically all of (mostly rural) Weld County; Fort Collins (where just nine days ago I shot a wedding under sunny skies), Fort Morgan, Golden, parts of Denver, and of course Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs. People were being rescued by helicopter. Over a thousand are still unaccounted for, although I suppose that might be in part because cell phone service and electricity have been nonexistent for the last several days in the hardest hit areas. As many as a thousand are left stranded. They are saying about 1,500 homes have been destroyed, and close to 18,000 have been damaged. Some people may not be able to go home for months, because entire highways have been washed away. The loss of property is staggering, and yes, lives have been lost too, which is even worse.  We are all so stressed! We need relief!

My big fear is this:  living in a dry, arid climate like Colorado (well, normally, anyway) -- how many of these people had flood insurance? How many of them are looking at a total loss of home and property, and no way to recover it? My heart breaks for anyone in this position. Thankfully Pat and I live on top of a large hill, so we're not in a flood plain so to speak, but this crazy, weeklong event has proven that anything can happen.

They say it's a thousand year flood. Lucky us. If you would like to see more images of the devastation around my beautiful state, click HERE, and for video click HERE.  As for me, I am very much looking forward to a sunny day today.

I'll leave you on a (bitterly) humorous note. We could all use a laugh. 

Boulder

I was in Lyons, Colorado for business purposes yesterday, and on the way home I drove through Boulder.  This was taken during a millisecond break in traffic on Broadway Street at Pearl, right in the heart of Boulder's cute shopping district called the Pearl Street Mall.  Boulder is definitely not the town for me, but I do enjoy visiting it from time to time.