If I had to pick a favorite photo of the San Diego trip, it may be this one. Final bits of the sunset at Solana Beach, CA on February 15, 2026.
I almost captured the top of the tower here. Stairs leading up to the entrance of the Boston Avenue Methodist Church in downtown Tulsa, OK. Human to scale. Kansas/Oklahoma road trip, July 2020.
One of 11 covered bridges in Alabama, and one of only six in its original location. This is Kymulga Bridge, located on the grounds of the Kymulga Mill in Childersburg, AL. It is still a working mill, as can be seen by the tractor that's about to cross the bridge.
Modern torii gates and a pilgrim? Or just part of the grounds of the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Birmingham, AL?
If I have to point to my favorite photograph taken with the Olympus, this would be it. A view of totality during the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse, as seen from LaChance Winery in DeSoto, MO. (Hint for future eclipses: if the path of totality gets near a winery, see if they'll have an event and/or allow you access. One thing wineries don't have a lot of are trees to crowd your view.)
A test of Caira, with a bit of post-processing. The next time I visit Resurrection Cemetery, I will look for this marker as my grandparents are buried next to it. I will also be on the lookout for Resurrection Mary, though that’s a different story.
San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church in Golden, NM, just off the Turquoise Trail. May 16, 2026.
Laura approaching San Francisco de Asis Church in Golden, NM. This can be seen along the Turquoise Trail.
Continuing a theme from Taos, a frame within a frame of the grounds to San Francisco de Asis Church in Golden, NM. You pass through a small cemetery on the way to the church entrance. May 16, 2026.
Welp, this wasn't a view I wanted to see. Our flight out of Albuquerque was diverted from Dallas to Lubbock due to mechanical issues, causing a nearly 24-hour delay in our return home. At least I got a nice sunset out of our time at the Lubbock airport. May 16, 2026.
Final bird shot from our temporary abode in Santa Fe, this time of a female Black-chinned Hummingbird. May 15, 2026.
A distant view of our temporary house in Santa Fe, May 15, 2026. Taken with the Canon QL17 GIII rangefinder with Kodak Ultramax 400 film.
The tasting room of Keeping Together Brewery in Santa Fe, which repurposed a former greenhouse to smashing effect. Hello, Averie! May 15, 2026.
Killing time in downtown Santa Fe, we encountered a car show at the Plaza. This would be an early 60s Chevy Corvair hardtop, which is almost identical to the convertible owned by the folks whose house we stayed in. May 15, 2026.
Here's the front end of said Corvair. Santa Fe Plaza car show on May 15, 2026.
A 1970 AMX, with a modern interior and massive Marantz sound system. Santa Fe Plaza car show, May 15, 2026.
The interior of any AMC could never approach what this 1970 AMX has (though I wonder how usable an equalizer would be while driving?). Santa Fe Plaza car show, May 15, 2026.
A view of the Santa Fe Plaza, with the Saint Francis Basilica in the background. The front of the 1970 AMX is the second car from the left.
While there was a yellow Saab Sonnet V4 on display, this Saab 96 two-stroke (from either 1966 or 1967) took my internal prize as the oddest car at the show. I believe the hot rod flames are ironic here, but I could be wrong. Santa Fe Plaza car show, May 15, 2026.
Numerous Black-chinned Hummingbirds feeding at the visitor center at Bosque Del Apache NWR south of Socorro, May 14, 2026.
A close-up of two male Black-chinned Hummingbirds on a feeder at the Bosque Del Apache NWR Visitor Center, south of Socorro. May 14, 2026.
A male Bullock's Oriole warily eats its orange while watching out for pesky humans with cameras. Still at the Bosque Del Apache NWR Visitor Center, May 14, 2026.
Prickly Pear Cactus flower at the desert garden, located outside the Bosque Del Apache NWR Visitor Center south of Socorro. Tons of Gambel's Quails were running around the grounds here, but they're really fast and are camera-shy. May 14, 2026.
We surprised two javelina when we were walking on a trail that covered an old path of the Rio Grande. These not-pigs (they're peccaries) weren't too startled by us, though they were aware of our presence. Bosque Del Apache NWR south of Socorro, May 14, 2026.
After our javelina encounter, we kept seeing turkey tracks along this old riverbed of the Rio Grande. Would we startle a turkey later on? Bosque Del Apache NWR, May 14, 2026.
The answer: Yes, we did startle a turkey, but not along the old riverbed. This turkey was walking in a field that's often flooded around springtime. Bosque Del Apache NWR, May 14, 2026.
A close-up of the Chupadera Mountains, which form the western border of Bosque Del Apache NWR. Somewhere out there is Interstate 25. May 14, 2026.
Laura enjoys the view of the Chupadera Mountains and the field where a turkey was wandering about. Bosque Del Apache NWR, May 14, 2026.
Framing a door at Taos Pueblo, May 12, 2026.
About to enter Ten Thousand Waves spa outside of Santa Fe, May 13, 2026.
A desert willow tree at A & J's house in Albuquerque. May 13, 2026.
J, Laura, Orbit the mascot, myself, and A at an Albuquerque Isotopes game. May 13, 2026.
Yes, the Isotopes lean into the Simpsons reference, so I had to get a photo with Homer. Albuquerque, May 13, 2026.
Laura stops to smell the fragrance from Spanish Broom flowers, Santuario de Chimayó, May 12, 2026.
Shade at Santuario de Chimayó, May 12, 2026. Taken with the Canon QL17 GIII rangefinder, using Kodak Ultramax 400 film.
Along the High Road to Taos, likely around Truchas. I believe Wheeler Peak is the highest mountain visible here. May 12, 2026.
Taos Pueblo. Laura didn't mean to match the turquoise doors and signs here, but it was a happy accident. May 12, 2026.
San Geronimo Church at Taos Pueblo, May 12, 2026.
A view into the courtyard and entrance to San Geronimo (aka Saint Jerome) Church, Taos Pueblo. May 12, 2026.
A view from the courtyard at San Geronimo (aka Saint Jerome) Church, Taos Pueblo. May 12, 2026.
Hlauuma (North House) at Taos Pueblo, May 12, 2026.
The view from Valles Caldera National Preserve, somewhere west of Los Alamos and east of Jemez Springs. May 11, 2026.
Aspen trees practically glowed in the high altitude (over 8500 feet) at Valles Caldera National Preserve. May 11, 2026.
Along the way to Jemez Springs. The contrast between the cottonwood trees and the red cliffs was astounding, though the view through the windshield admittedly tempers this. May 11, 2026.
Jemez Pueblo Welcome Center, across from some of the reddest rocks I've seen anywhere. May 11, 2026.
A view rivaling what can be seen in Sedona. Jemez Pueblo Welcome Center, May 11, 2026.
My backup photographer, What T. Duck, admiring the sunset back in Santa Fe. May 11, 2026.
Santuario de Chimayó, May 12, 2026.
A paper vase in the "Paper Trails: Unfolding Indigenous Narratives" exhibit at IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe. May 10, 2026.
From "Paper Trails: Unfolding Indigenous Narratives," at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. May 10, 2026. This museum was my favorite of the three I saw on May 10.
