The Third Leg: Boulder to Santa Fe

Even if I didn't have business in Santa Fe, the roughly twelve hour detour to spend the same amount of time there would be worth it. What an art town! Highly recommended.

But, no pictures. So instead I offer you the end shots. These are bookends for each panorama, so I know where one stops and another begins.


Sometimes they are functional like this grey card, used to set the camera's white balance. Or, they tell me what filter I am using.


As previously blogged, a lot feature my favorite tripod, the roof of my car.


But sometimes I let my dogs be the feature.


And if not they still find their way in.


Honestly though, mostly I have a huge collection of pictures of my feet, in this case, the rare sans footwear.


ps. This blog was brought to you by my iPhone, which I now know is smart enough to know that when I shake the living daylights out if it, I want to undo the last stupid thing I did (like pasting a rather lovely person's phone number over this entire blog (minus this ps.) before hitting save).

-jb boyd.

Boulder Rocks

The location and the way the City of Boulder set up it's open space policy decades ago assured it to be unique, but my crazy crew of cousins makes it even more special every time I visit. This time proved no different. Wether being fed like a pig led to slaughter, water skiing (or in my case, water eating) on a lake at sunset in the shadow of the Rockies, or climbing to a perch on the side of the earth, I had a smile on my face the entire time.


This is from the top of the Third Flatiron, overlooking Boulder, Denver, and the seemingly endless plains of the Midwest. Personally though, call me lazy. I like letting gravity do the work.


Finally, on the beginning of a safe descent back to sea level, you can see the rock we climbed over my left shoulder. Thanks again cuzs!!!


-jb boyd.

The Second Leg: Jackson to Boulder

Sometimes the best parts of a long trip are when you return to familiar places.


One of these is the stretch of road that crosses the western half of Wyoming. It is a beautiful area ringed by mountains, and luckily on this day, pock marked by the shadows of clouds.


This photo illustrates the use of the ladder to gain perspective and space, while the last is the opposite point of view, just a few inches off the ground. In this case, the low angle creates a unique space as the bushes become space markers, connecting the foreground to the middle ground and beyond.


-jb boyd.

Whenever Asked...

...the rather mundane question of, "What is your dream ride?" my answer is "A 4WD cherry picker that gets 30mpg." Needless to say, the conversation quickly moves on from me, and I don't bother to check the trades to see if Detroit is unveiling one anytime soon. But seeing that my aging champ of a Subaru fits a ladder, I make due.


The added height builds in foreground perspective, and the ladder fits nicely on the roof. Except a few odd looks from passing cars, and being nervous on the windier days, it works well. But a cherry picker would be better. I wouldn't have to worry about finding a curve to drop the road from the photo.


PS. Turns out I have been without electrical outlets and a reliable Internet connection for a bit too long. Oh, and I also had a blast of time in Boulder. So please don't think I have the luxury of the longest road trip of all time. I am back in Charleston, but behind on my postings...


-jb.