Life at the end of the Line

The Painted Pony Resort is at the end of the line, figuratively and in reality.  Located at the very end of Painted Pony Road, the estate sits on over 750 acres of deeded land in the high desert of southwestern New Mexico.  The quiet and solitude is only broken by the occasional bird watcher, delivery vehicles, and of course guests.  The estate is also at the end of the line for DSL internet services which snakes its way in from Highway 80 and electric power which is delivered to the estates' NE corner 1.75 miles away.

The isolation and anonymity provided by the Painted Pony Resort makes it ideal for those who wish to get away from it all and find someplace quiet for a family centered reunion or other event.  The estate has helped celebrate a dozen weddings, from small intimate family weddings to those with over 100 guests, as well as hosting other group events such as astronomy and artist workshops.

As opposed to estate rentals in urban areas with distractions that reduce family time and distract from family oriented activities, the Painted Pony Resort is a place of ideas and concepts where the distractions are few and the landscape itself provides the entertainment.  While the estate has all the onsite amenities associated with urban settings, satellite TV, wireless internet, pool, hot tub, basketball, and with 13 bedrooms in 4 buildings, it is New Mexico's high desert and the surrounding mountain ranges are the real attractions. So if you are looking for a unique location for your next event, come on down for a visit.

Arriving at the Painted Pony Resort

Aerial view of the Painted Pony Resort, looking south.

Aerial view of the Painted Pony Resort, looking east.

Aerial view of the main complex at the Painted Pony Resort, looking east.

U.S. Bike Route 90, a new Bicycle Route Through Arizona Includes a Highway 80 Segment

Bicycling in southern Arizona and specifically around the San Simon Valley and the Chiricahua mountains is a great way to experience the landscape.  The open air, the 360 degree views, the slower pace all allow one to experience the area that is not possible in a vehicle.  In the past bicycle groups have visited the area staying in Rodeo at both Mountain Valley Lodge and the Painted Pony Resort during their trips.  Lizard Head Cycling Guides and Bubba's Pampered Peddlers have both stayed at the Painted Pony Resort when cycling in the southwest or on a coast to coast tour.  To spread the information about the potential of scenic cycling routes in the area, published routes were collected and posted as reference material to highlight the potential for cycling adventures in and around the Chiricahua Mountains.

Well things have continued to improve with reference to bicycle routes in the area.  The State of Arizona has just designated a new cycling route across the state which includes Rodeo and the surviving segment of Highway 80 that runs through the valley, see here.  This bicycle route is part of a nation wide effort to create bike routes across the United States.  U.S. Bike Route 90, the Arizona segment, will connect with other state routes creating bicycle friendly routes across the nation.  Arizona's newest bicycle route will be a welcomed addition for visitors to the area.

Guests bicycling at the Painted Pony Resort.

U.S. Bike Route 90, Arizona's bicycle route segment from Rodeo to Blythe

The Highway 80 segment of U.S. Bike Route 90 runs from Tombstone to Rodeo

Same Time, Same Subject, but from Arizona and from New Mexico

The wide open western skies of the San Simon Valley just beg to be photographed and the monsoon season always brings interesting views.  Recently 2 photographers, myself and another photographer captured the same cumulus monsoon buildup independently.  We were both outside at the same time and saw the same thing although miles apart and not in communication with one another.  We independently took the same image at approximately the same time, but from completely different locations, one of us on the west side of the valley, the other on the east side.  Then we both processed our images into black and white to enhance the impact of the image before posting them.  It amazes me that we both saw the same thing, were both impressed by the view, then captured it.  And since the other photographer was in Arizona when taking her photograph, while I was in New Mexico, it makes it the more interesting to me.

My image of the cloud is somewhat larger and it could be argued that I was closer to the cloud in question resulting in a larger image, but the more likely explanation is that I used the zoom.

Cumulus build up from the New Mexico side of the San Simon Valley.

The same cumulus buildup from the Arizona side of the valley.  Photo by Statia Dougherty

Addendum:  The other photographer was shooting in Black and White mode on her camera and did not have to convert to grayscale in post production.  I do not have that option on my little point and shoot camera so an extra step is required to produce Black and White images.

Arizona New Mexico Bicycle Tour

A group of riders arrived this afternoon at the Painted Pony Resort after an 88 mile ride from Bisbee.  Lizard Head Cycling Guides is escorting a group of cyclists across the basin and range region of southern Arizona and New Mexico.  Traveling along Highway 80, the Broadway of America, the group is taking in the views and covering some ground on road bikes.  There are currently 2 cycling tours in Rodeo, a coast to coast group and the southern Arizona New Mexico group.

Lizard Head Cycling Guides trailer

Lizard Head van and trailer at the Painted Pony Resort

A Finished Image from the Chiricahua Mountains in Southern Arizona

Water is vital to the health of all living things and in arid climates such as the desert southwest this is even more important.  Below is a partially desaturated image of a well known landmark in the south fork of Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua mountains.  Known as the Bathtub, it is a small waterfall that pours into a deep pool along the trail.  On a hike with guests from the Painted Pony Resort the group stopped for photographs at this spot and everyone spent time composing and capturing images.  This is my contribution.  The blue of the falling water stands in sharp contrast to the desaturated background highlighting the importance of water in the desert.

Blue water in a black and white landscape (click to enlarge)

Winter Sunrise in the San Simon Valley

With sunrise views of Portal Peak and the Chiricahua mountains and sunset views of the Peloncillo mountains the San Simon Valley has spectacular views everyday.  Below are 2 images of the morning view of the Chiricahua mountains taken just a short time apart.  The first, a large panorama shows the view as sun was cresting the Peloncillo mountains illuminating the Chiricahuas, while the second image shows Portal Peak just a short time later with the valley in complete sunlight.  The changes in lighting and cloud cover create completely different impressions of  this sky island in southeastern Arizona as seen from the Painted Pony Resort in southwestern New Mexico.

The Chiricahua mountains at sunrise

Portal Peak a few minutes later

Oktoberfest in Portal AZ

Late October in Cave Creek Canyon and with the colors changing in the Chiricahua mountains it was time for Oktoberfest in Portal.  Saturday morning broke clear as local participants began to gather in Portal for another Oktoberfest celebration.  Sponsored by the Sew What Club of Portal and benefiting the clubs scholarship program local vendors set up their tables and the silent auction featured baskets filled with goodies based on a variety of themes. Grilled brots, German potato salad, and home made sour kraut were on the menu for lunch as well as home baked goodies were for sale.  This years crowd was even larger and parking spilled over out of Portal and into Portal Rescues parking lot up the hill.  With families and dogs it was a great way to enjoy a nice fall day in the canyon with change in colors in full swing.  A slideshow of images from Oktoberfest may be found on the Portal, AZ - Rodeo, NM website and at Chiricahua Sky Island, Rodeo.

Saturday morning at Oktoberfest in cave creek canyon.

Lunch was brots on the grill.

Advantages to Fencing, Creating a Seed Reservoir

New Mexico is a fence out state, requiring landowners to fence out cattle belonging to another.  While this may seem odd and fence in makes more sense, the idea of fencing out cattle and other livestock has a long history.  But there are other advantages to enclosing parcels of land with fencing.  By fencing out livestock, native grasses begin to re-establish themselves which then go to seed.  Native grass seed spreads down wind and begins to create new areas of gasses,which if left ungrazed will continue to spread, reinvigorating the land and contributing to the topsoil allowing even more grasses to become established and grow.  If the adjoining lands are grazed this spreading of native seed is an advantage to the cattleman since a constant source of new seed is available yearly.  So, by fencing areas with local native grasses such as the San Simon riverbed, a grass seed reservoir is created from which native grasses can spread across the adjoining landscape helping not only the native wildlife but the neighboring rancher as well.

A winter view of grazed (left) versus ungrazed (right) landscape

Monsoon view (same location as above) of grazed (left) versus ungrazed (right).  Note grasses with seed heads on the ungrazed area.

Monsoon grasses in New Mexico.  The predominant winds are from the left (south).  The right side of the fence is grazed New Mexico state land while the left is ungrazed private land.

The same view as above before the monsoon rains

Rainbow Friday

Awoke before sunrise and upon stepping outside was greeted by a spectacular double rainbow with Portal Peak and the Chiricahua mountains in the background.  Although overcast, there was a patch of blue sky on the eastern horizon allowing light from the rising sun to refract through the light misty rain creating this gift as a way to start the morning and celebrate the arrival of guests at the Painted Pony Resort.  The monsoon totals are 5.65" and it is not over yet.

Double rainbow in the San Simon valley

Chiricahua Peloncillo Heritage Days 2013

It is time again for the Chiricahua Peloncillo Heritage Days celebrating the areas natural and cultural heritage.  The weekend of events starts with a reception and talk Friday evening at the Chiricahua Desert Museum.  On Saturday there will be talks, along with food and a farmers market at the Chiricahua Event Center.  On Sunday several excursions are planned, one to visit some rock art sites in the area and another on raptors in the Chiricahua Mountains.  It is shaping up to be another fine event.

Chiricahua Peloncillo Heritage days 2013 flyer

Rock art hike

Raptor walk

Digital Photography Workshop Announcement

Flyer for digital photography workshop

Sew What Forum

Saturday, April 27th - 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. (AZ time)

Portal Rescue Classroom

Speaker: Bruce Thompson, Photographer

With the popularity of inexpensive digital cameras and the ability to easily capture images of the world around us, photography remains a popular activity.  But what makes an interesting photograph?  Professional photographers routinely make interesting and captivating images but this is not about professional photography it is about the rest of us who are exploring the world as we see it and capturing images that reflect our perception.

The goal of the workshop is to explore the idea of “how people see” from an individual and personal perspective.  While the biology of vision is the same in all humans, the neural processing of those images differs between people. In other words, what I like you may not like and vice versa, so what do people like?

The workshop will cover:

1.  Composition 

Location or viewpoint

Scale 

  Single images

The little picture and mid scale picture

The outside is just as important as the inside

The edges of your scene

Don’t just stick it in the middle

  Multi image panoramas

The big picture - How to digitally make a panorama

Drawing the viewer into your photograph

2.  Image processing (Photoshop is not a bad word)

Software

Photoshop

Gimp

Panorama software

Image processing

The color curve

Saturation

Levels and contrast

Depth

Desaturation (old school)

Tilt shift

3.  Online image storage

  Places to store and show off your work

Storage sites

How to get your work indexed on the web

Renaming files

Alt tags and descriptions

Participants should bring their personal digital camera, laptop/tablet/paper and pencil for notes and references.  We will make 3 images together from the Portal Rescue Station as demonstration pieces and I will show the processing steps discussed.

Bruce Thompson uses the online nom de plume of “BAlvarius” for his online photography and currently manages the Painted Pony Resort outside Rodeo NM.  A Biologist by training, molecular geneticist by trade, pilot by avocation, and estate manager by necessity he was a visitor to the Chiricahua Mountains starting in the late 1980’s.  Becoming a permanent resident at the end of 2006 specializing in low level aerial photography and videography, his photographic interests center on landscape photography.