Rocky Mountain Waterfall on the Roaring Fork River, Colorado

Can you imagine sitting on this rock, listening to the rush and tumble of the never ending water? Do you ever wonder where the water comes from? I always wonder in amazement that the strong flow never stops. This waterfall on the Roaring Fork River near Aspen, Colorado is not very far from the Continental Divide. The winter skies bring snow and the slow melt sustains the mountain rivers until the cycle begins again. And again. And again.

“Do you have patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?” - Lao Tzu

Rocky Waterfall

An amazing Colorado Rocky Mountain waterfall cascades over boulders and rocks into an aqua blue pool. 

Roaring Fork River near Aspen, Colorado

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Blue Moon 2012

The expression "once in a blue moon" means a rare event. And indeed a blue moon is a rare event. The definition of a blue moon according to Merriam-Webster is "a second full moon in a calendar month," and that only happens seven times in a 19 year cycle. 

As a child I'd heard this expression many times and always wanted to see a blue moon. Blue being my favorite color and the full moon a beautiful celestial event, I could not imagine a prettier site. So the first time a blue moon happened when I was old enough to know, I waited outside expectantly for the moon to rise. Imagine my confusion when the moon was still a luminous pearly white! 

We will be experiencing a "blue moon" this Friday, August 31, 2012. I will have to go check again, just to make sure it is not a cornflower blue. Maybe just in my imagination. 

 

Moon Fog 

A full moon rises in the night sky over an ancient cottonwood tree twisting in the blue gray fog.

 

 

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Sea Dreams

A whisper soft breeze catches my hair and I push it back in place out of the way of my camera lens. The scent of sea air fills me with primal memories of safety and comfort. A bird calls sternly to her dinner as the waves gently swoosh and smack on the sandy shore. As I stand and watch the clouds change color and create dancing light upon the water. A calmness enfolds me. It lingers still.

Sea Dreams
A tranquil Pacific Ocean catches the soft light of late afternoon from a cloud filled blue sky. Bodega Bay, California
12x16 fine art photograph
11x14 fine art photograph

Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

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California Dreaming on the Coast

It was the rainiest summer week anyone could remember on our California visit in early June. Our hosts suggested that we drive to the coast and we might be lucky and drive out of the rain. I understand how the Rocky Mountains affect our Colorado weather, but I had no knowledge of Pacific coastal weather. But our friends were absolutely correct. We arrived at the coast, and the clouds and rain were forgotten behind us.

These California coast nature landscape photographs feature the Pacific ocean's waves crashing into the rocky coastline with that beautiful sunny blue California sky and the dramatic distant rain clouds in the background. All three photos were taken at Bodega Bay Head, California. And as always, I appreciate your comments. Tell me which one is your favorite and why you like it. Cheers!

California Coast 1

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California Coast 2

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California Coast 3

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Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

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As always, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts about editorial, photography, and anything in between in my comments here or on my Facebook Page and Twitter Feed.

June 2011 Colorado Columbine Free Desktop Wallpaper Calendar

Colorado columbine with its sky-blue petals and white centers is one of my favorite flowers. The fact that this wildflower grows quite well here in the extreme temperatures of the northern Colorado Rockies amazes me. It is so delicate looking but so tough! Hummingbirds love the pretty blossoms too making it a great addition for your hummingbird garden. There are lots of hybrids out there in many colors of red, yellow, blue, white, pink and purple, as well as combinations of those colors.

This photograph is a wild columbine that I happened upon hiking on a trail in my area. I was amazed at its perfection and beauty among the tangle of green "weeds." Hope you enjoy it as your June 2011 calendar.

download your free desktop wallpaper calendar for June 2011
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Easy Instructions
After clicking on the size you want
you will be at my Flickr page. Simply click on
"Download the Original size of this photo."
The file will then download to your desktop!

Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

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As always, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts about editorial, photography, and anything in between in my comments here or on my Facebook Page and Twitter Feed.

Windmill Prairie Landscape in Colorado

The high plains of Colorado east of the Rocky Mountains have a lot of open space commonly referred to as open range. It is entirely legal to allow cattle to roam and many ranchers take advantage of this in the warmer months. Shortgrass prairie, prickly pear cactus and scrub vegetation provide the only nourishment to the wandering herd. This region is semi-arid and windmills dot the landscape to provide necessary water for the cattle. With one of the lowest population densities in the United States, you will not see many structures. That is the attraction for me. I love the vast openness and wide expanse of sky. On this spring day, after my two hour drive, I was awarded with the perfect background sky for shooting this iconic windmill.

Windmill Landscape
A western prairie photo of a windmill on the high plains of Colorado surrounded by grasslands. Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado
12x18 fine art photograph
11x16 fine art photograph
other sizes are available upon request - Contact Me

Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

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As always, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts about editorial, photography, and anything in between in my comments here or on my Facebook Page and Twitter Feed.

Spring Crocus Floral Art

Spring is that colorful flowerful sweet smelling season of renewal. And nothing says spring more than the first little crocus popping up through the brown earth. It jazzes my eyes and makes me want more. So I get up close and personal with that little flower until I can see all the striations of color and the orange stamen seems to jump at me. I played around with the background to give the photograph a complimentary colorful contemporary look. What do you think?

Crocus Art
The vibrant indigo blue of a spring crocus macro finds itself on a modern background of complimentary colors.
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Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

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As always, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts about editorial, photography, and anything in between in my comments here or on my Facebook Page and Twitter Feed.

Colorado Wildflower Blank Note Cards

Wildflower season in the Colorado Rocky Mountains is still far off but these three note cards can bring the season to you early. I have three different photos; a lovely lavender penstemon, a bold blue wild geranium, and Colorado's famous columbine. The set includes two of each flower. I love to use the blank cards for birthdays, anniversaries or get well wishes. They also work well for just dropping a note to a friend. So as I am sitting in my studio on this cold snowy March day, I am really dreaming of wildflowers in purple, lavender and blue.

Colorado Wildflowers Blank Note Cards - Set of Six Notecards
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My Colorado photography studio is featuring three different Colorado wildflowers in shades of purple, blue and lavender in this set of six note cards. The cards are printed with a matte finish and measure 4.25" x 5.5". The inside is blank and ready for your own personal message. White envelopes are included. Your satisfaction if very important to me and backed by a money back guarantee.
Price US $9.95

Would you like a chance to win these Colorado wildflower note cards? I am giving them away on Facebook for a limited time. Just hop over and enter now to win this beautiful note card set!

Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

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The Midnight Call of a Steller's Jay in Colorado

I hear the raucous throaty call of a midnight blue Steller's Jay and look outside to see him posing in the early evening moonlight. Jays have quite a diversity of calls and I wish I knew what they all meant. Sometimes it's a fast clicking noise. Other times they sound just like a hawk's cry and the little birds flee from the feeder. I think I know what that one means. Then there is the sound that makes me think I live in an equatorial jungle. We call it the cry of the monkey bird because it does sound like a monkey. At least to me. But this night he sounded like his brother, the raven. Another irascible bird I admire and another story.

Midnight Jay
A brilliant blue Steller's Jay perches on a silvery blue fence rail in a night time midnight setting.
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Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

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March 2011 Free Desktop Wallpaper Calendar

Here is your new March 2011 desktop wallpaper. These royal blue grape hyacinths had just come up last March when a big spring snow flattened them. But they are hardy little flowers that were undaunted and sprung right back up. It is snowing right now in Colorado. Springtime sees our heaviest snows and this year will no doubt be the same. Happy spring!

If you are interested in purchase information for the fine art photograph of this image click here.

download your free desktop wallpaper calendar for March 2011
1024x768
1280x800
1280x1024
iPhone4

Easy Instructions
After clicking on the size you want
you will be at my Flickr page. Simply click on
"Download the Original size of this photo."
The file will then download to your desktop or iPhone4!

Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

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A Naturalist's View of Feathers

Since I was a child I have been in the habit of collecting little pieces of nature. I have collected a whole basket of heart shaped rocks not to mention a boat load of other rocks I found interesting. I have a giant beetle and a dragonfly that are still iridescent. Sometimes I will spot a flash of color and be rewarded with a brilliant feather. Flickers and Steller's Jays are common in the northern Rocky Mountains and I have collected their feathers too; one brilliant orange the other deepest blue. Which one do you like the best? What do you like to collect?

Flicker Feather
A single orange feather rests on a blanket of sparkling snow.
Flicker Feather, Northern Colorado
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Jay Feather
A single blue feather rests on a blanket of sparkling snow. Steller's Jay Feather, Northern Colorado
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Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

Grandma's Blueberry Table

I have many memories of grandma in a colorful gingham apron standing over her kitchen sink on a humid Ohio's hot summer day. She would be washing berries or some other fresh fruit or vegetable from her garden for dinner. She lovingly prepared the finest table you can imagine in her small kitchen where we would all barely fit around the table. Everything was homemade, fresh, and delicious. This photo reminds me of those halcyon days.

Grandma's Blueberries
A crystal goblet of deep blue blueberries topples over in a cascade of blue on grandma's table.
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Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

A Healthy Start with a Bowl of Berries

Last year I lost 17 pounds. I gained a couple back over the holidays but I am getting back to better habits again. The Christmas cookies are gone! I have no doubt I will lose the last few pounds and be back to the weight I was in my twenties. No kidding! You may ask how I am doing this. The easiest answer is quality homemade food; no sugar, no white flour, no food in a box. It is satisfying, nourishing and weight reducing. And I could not feel more energetic. If you would like to know more details on how you can lose those excess holiday pounds I highly recommend the "South Beach Diet." It is a healthy plan and has worked for me. Now I'm going to make this luscious bowl of berries disappear!

Berries
A bowl of fresh red raspberries and blueberries splashed with milk
makes a healthy breakfast still life.
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Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

Mountain Valley View - Colorado Rocky Mountains

It is the first snowfall. It arrived late this year and followed a sunny summery autumn. So imagine the shockingly cold surprise and sparkling white beauty of this season's first snow. As I breathed in the prickly fine air the world about me seemed new. The sun was catching the fine crystals setting off brilliant sparks on each tree and bush. As I looked down our mountain valley to distant peaks all the shades of winter's blue were around me. My favorite color. I hope you enjoy it too.

Mountain Valley View
The distant hazy blue Rocky Mountains of Colorado are seen through a picture frame of snow clad pines.
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Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

Botanical Nature Abstract - Aqua Spray

As I gaze at the natural view of autumn grass I am inspired by the beauty and invent a playful landscape. In the magical world of imagination a tuft of grass is transformed into a fountain spraying aqua blue water reminding me of the jets of water skyrocketing at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Daydreaming can be great fun.

Aqua Spray
A tuft of grass bursts into a fountain of aqua color.
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Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

Botanical Abstract - Midnight Sparkle

The moon turns the sky a cobalt blue as the stars wink above. Below delicate filaments catch tiny jeweled drops in the midnight air as if to catch the stars themselves and bring them to earth. The fluffy seed turns color and looks like a fireworks of frozen evening colors. Time passes slowly if you can catch a star.

Midnight Sparkle
A fluffy seed is transformed into sparkling midnight fireworks in blue, green, aqua and lavender.
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B

Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

Venetian Gondola Serenade

O Sole Mio! I can not help but have this song run through my mind when I see a gondola. It is one of the most famous Italian songs in the world. I have heard that even though Venetian gondoliers sing this song for tourists it is actually a Neapolitan song. If my photo has gotten you in the mood for Italian serenades check out more Italian songs here.

Venetian Gondola
A romantic Italian gondola rocks gently in the aqua blue canal at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

Vintage 1957 GMC Pickup Truck

The year was 1957. "American Bandstand," which featured teenagers dancing to Top 40 chart music hosted by Dick Clark, makes its network debut on ABC. The Volkswagen Beetle reached it's 2 millionth vehicle and a gallon of gas cost 24 cents. The first space satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched by Russia, then the Soviet Union. Kids played with Slinkys and Hula Hoops. Denim jeans were only $2.49. Jobs were plentiful and times were good. And fifty-three years later those good times continue to roll for this aqua blue beauty of a pickup.

1957 GMC Pickup Truck
A vintage 1957 aqua blue GMC pickup truck catches the last light under a pink sunset outside of a darkened Harbor Freight Tool Store. Fort Collins, Colorado
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Etsy JulieMagersSoulen

Stepping out of My Steel Box

If you are familiar with my work then you know I tend toward natural images found in the Western USA. Today I am stepping out of my comfort zone. You might think I took this photo in a major city, but in fact, it was taken at a rural interstate rest area in Wyoming. It is what my eye saw when I looked at that reflective steel face shining like a beacon in the sun. Let me know what you think.

Steel Box
A wedge shaped building with a face of reflective steel shines in a blue cloud filled sky.
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Etsy Buy Handmade JulieMagersSoulen