MAMA, LET YOUR BOYS GROW UP TO BE COWBOYS

We are now in Cortez, Colorado. The weather man was calling for stormy weather starting last night. But, nothing happened. So, this morning, we headed out first thing to survey the landscape. Good thing we did because this afternoon the wind is blowing a gale and you can't see two feet in front of you from the blowing dust. The sky is literally brown.

I am going nuts trying to keep my equipment clean. It seem as though we haven't been out of wind and dust since we arrived in Monument Valley a couple of weeks ago. Clementine (the RV) is nowhere near air tight so as we sit, bobbing and weaving, the dust just seeps. And, poor Shadow (the little tow car) well I think it is safe to say I could grow potatoes in her. The back roads in this part of the country are mostly dirt and gravel. And, it seems every time I get out of the car to try for a photo a pickup comes along going fifty and, oh well. And, of course, you can add to all that the non-stop shedding of Koty Bear.




Boy, I love being back in cowboy country. Cowboys and country folk seem to be the last of what this country was once about, consideration, self reliance and integrity. The fellow in the above image is Kyle. I know this because he told me so.

I was driving down a back road and noticed a couple of cowboys saddling up. Using my telephoto I snapped a few shots out the car window. I moved on down the road where I took the photo of the yearling and foal. Whilst I was photographing the horses along comes this pickup pulling a horse trailer. It pulls up behind my car and stops. A cowboy gets out and walks up with his hand out to introduce himself and his son. He just wanted to say hello and wondered what I was up to. By the time we were done he had invited me to come visit his ranch any time I was by that way again. Only in the country.

I'll bet five guys stopped to ask if I was having any problems and could they help. They most likely don't see too many dizzy dames from Montana wandering around out there.



What an incredible landscape. There is an old saying and it fits me to a tee "You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl." When I look at rolling pastures with cattle and horses in them I actually tear up and choke up. It's so, so very beautiful to me. Can you see the beauty that I feel? Maybe not. :) These are really tiny pictures but they are the largest this program will allow.



There are a lot of old buildings out in this countryside. For some reason the above scene seemed like something old so I decided to take it black and white. It could just as easily be a picture taken in 1909 as opposed to 2009. Isn't digital amazing? Press a couple of buttons and you can move from color to black and white in an instant.



I'm hoping to find more of these old relics. But, the weather is going to have to get around to my side. Gads, it has been a caution. Wind, dust storms and blizzards. Crikey! It's spring! Someone ought to tell Mother Nature!



The mountain in the background is "Sleeping Ute". Much of the land around here is Ute Reservation. If you look at the mountain from just the right angle it really does look like an Indian lying in the desert with hands clasped over his chest and you can even see his feet pointing up. Maybe I'll get a good shot of it before I go. If I do I'll post it.

Well, that was how we spent our morning and it really was a treat.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography