Uploads from Cobra0435, with geodata

Dive

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:24:13 -0700

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

A mid morning photo walk at John Martin Reservoir. There are an interesting variety of birds resident here, from two different Eco Systems. While there are the standard native and migratory species you would expect to see on the prairie, the reservoir waters have attracted additional species, and one rare breed, the LeastTurn. The Least Turn will fly over the water looking for its prey, and when spotted, will dive from above to capture a meal.

Here you see the Least Turn just after a Diving Attack.

Nikon D7000 Nikkor 70X300 VR Zoom ISO 640 F16

Camping

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:14:43 -0700

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

A little light painting caught as an ember from the fire swirls thru the viewfinder ;-}}

Cherry Creek

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 11:40:04 -0700

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

Geocaching can take you to some awesome and historical spots!

Here is some Colorado History and one of the great Tragedies on the Eastern Plains
Cherry Creek is where the plains war between the Indians and the whites began. The war lasted 12 years and culminated at the Little Big Horn River in Montana in 1876 with the Custer fight.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Julesburg

The Sand Creek Massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho on November 29, 1864 caused a large number of Indians on the Kansas and Colorado Great Plains to intensify hostilities against the U.S. army and White settlers. On January 1, 1865, the Indians met on Cherry Creek (near present day St. Francis, Kansas) to plan revenge. In the meeting were the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers, the Northern Arapaho, and two bands of Lakota Sioux, the Brulé under Spotted Tail, and the Oglala under Pawnee Killer. Roman Nose was probably among the Cheyenne warriors. The Indian army numbered about 1,000 warriors. They decided that their target would be Julesburg, Colorado, located along the South Platte River.
Julesburg was a prominent way station on the Overland Trail. It consisted of a stagecoach station, stables, an express and telegraph office, a warehouse, and a large store that catered to travelers going to Denver along the South Platte. The residents were described as "Fifty men...all armed to the teeth with everything arranged so they could fight behind sod walls. One mile west was Fort Rankin (later Fort Sedgwick) with a complement of one company of cavalry, about sixty men, under Captain Nicholas J. O’Brien. The fort, although only four months old, was formidable, measuring 240 feet by 360 feet (75 by 110 mts), and ringed by a sod wall 18 feet (5.5 mts) tall.

The Julesburg Battle is unusual in that the main source of information about the battle comes from the Indian side, mostly from George Bent a half Cheyenne/half White warrior who participated in the battle. Bent later told the story to anthropologists George Bird Grinnell and George E. Hyde.
The Indian plan was to lure the soldiers out of Fort Rankin into an ambush and overwhelm them. Big Crow, a Cheyenne, picked ten men as the decoys. They charged at the fort and retreated in haste. Captain O'Brien led most of his men and a few civilian volunteers out of the fort to chase the Indian decoys. About three miles from the fort, O'Brien had almost ridden into the ambush when young Indian warriors fired at the soldiers prematurely, alerting him to the presence of a large number of warriors hidden behind nearby bluffs. The soldiers fled back toward the fort with the Indians in pursuit. The Indians caught them about 300 yards from the fort. Some of the soldiers were cut off. They dismounted to defend themselves and were killed. The surviving soldiers and civilians, including Captain O’Brien, made it back to shelter in the fort. Fourteen soldiers and four civilians were killed in the battle. Bent says that no Indians were killed or wounded, although the soldiers claimed they killed about 60.
All the civilians in the community were sheltering in the fort and the Indians, unopposed, looted the stage station, store, and warehouse carrying away a large amount of plunder. The soldiers in the fort fired a couple of artillery rounds at the Indians without effect.

Responding to the attack, General Robert Byington Mitchell gathered together 640 cavalry, a battery of howitzers, and 200 supply wagons at Cottonwood Springs (near present day North Platte, Nebraska) and marched southwest to find and punish the Indians who had attacked Julesburg. On January 19, he found their camp on Cherry Creek, but the Indians had departed several days previously. With more than 50 soldiers incapacitated by frostbite in the bitterly cold weather, Mitchell gave up the chase and returned to his base. The only action during his expedition was when a small band of Indians rode through his camp at night, firing into the soldier's tents.
The Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho had decided to move north to the Black Hills and Powder River Country of South Dakota and Wyoming. En route, from January 28 to Feb 2, the Indians raided ranches and stagecoach stations along 150 miles of the South Platte Valley between what are today the towns of Fort Morgan, Colorado and Paxton, Nebraska. The Sioux struck east of Julesburg, the Cheyenne west of Julesburg, and the Arapaho in between. At night, Bent said “the whole valley was lighted up with the flames of burning ranches and stage stations, but the places were soon all destroyed and darkness fell on the valley.”
Bent participated in a raid near the Valley stagecoach station, near present day Sterling, Colorado. The Cheyenne captured 500 cattle and had a skirmish with a company of army cavalry. The army claimed they killed 20 Indians and recovered the cattle; Bent said none were hurt, two soldiers were wounded, and only a few cattle were re-captured by the soldiers. Most of the Indian depredations were unopposed, although three Sioux warriors were killed in an attack on a wagon train. Bent noted that nine recently-discharged soldiers who had participated in the Sand Creek massacre were killed by Cheyenne and their bodies mutilated.
On February 2, the Indian caravan of several thousand women, children, and livestock crossed the frozen South Platte 25 miles (40 km) west of Julesburg, heading north. The warriors raided Julesburg again, took the remaining supplies, and burned all the buildings. The 15 soldiers and 50 civilians sheltered in Fort Rankin did not venture outside the walls of the fort. Captain O'Brien and 14 men, who had been away from the fort, returned during the raid. Their presence was concealed for a time by smoke from the fires. Nearing the fort, O'Brien scattered the Indians with a round from his field howitzer; the men in the fort fired another howitzer to aid him, and O'Brien and his men dashed to safety inside the fort.
With the Sioux leading, because they were more familiar with the route, the Indians left Julesburg behind and proceeded north across the divide between the South Platte and North Platte rivers. They would have additional skirmishes with the army at Mud Springs (near present day Dalton, Nebraska) and Rush Creek.

==>>> Here is another account. = home.epix.net/~landis/sandcreek.html Follow link for full story

In September of 1863 the Governor of Colorado Territory was named John Evans. He attempted to get the several chiefs of the Cheyennes and the Arapahoes who signed the 1861 Fort Wise Treaty that gave up the lands assigned the tribes by the Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1851 to get all the Chiefs to meet and agree to take a reservation along the Arkansas River....... Read the full story by following the above link.

I've been at the Sand Creek Monument years ago, but it was later closed due to disputes between the land owners and government officials. At that time, there wasn't much there, just a two rut trail across a pasture and a worn out sign marking the location. Finally, a few years back, the Federal Government decided to make Sand Creek a National Monument and their work on the site began. I've tried to drive there three other times; the first two ended in no access roads at all. The last time, last summer, we went one Saturday, but found the gate locked because their hours are 8am-4pm weekdays only.
Sadly, in today's society and hustle &bustle, not too many city dwellers are interested in driving 120 miles one way to. See this historical site.

Schnauzer

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 11:07:47 -0700

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

Man's Best Friend

Friendly and loving, schnauzers become part of their families and can get along well with children if raised and socialized properly. They are protective and energetic, and will alert members of the household to any potential danger. The schnauzer, ever alert, makes an excellent watchdog, although its watchful nature can lead to persistent barking. To avoid annoying the neighbors, dog owners should make every effort to curb excessive barking through training. The breed is of above average intelligence and can be independent minded, so early training and diverse daily exercise is recommended.
Schnauzers are known for their distinctive beards and long, feathery eyebrows. They are generally a salt and pepper color, black, or white. Typically, they are shaved down the back while the hairs on their legs are kept long and curly. Some show schnauzers have their back hairs "stripped" by hand. It is traditional to have the tails trimmed and the ears clipped to give an alert appearance. The schnauzer's beard and leg hair should be brushed often to prevent mats from forming. Schnauzers have a double coat. The top or guard coat is wiry, while the undercoat is soft. Stripping removes the undercoat and stimulates the hard top coat to come in fuller. The undercoat coat should be "stripped" (loose, dead hair is plucked) at least twice a year. A stripped schnauzer will have a hard wiry coat as described in the breed standard. A shaved pet will lose the hard top coat and only exhibit the soft undercoat. Schnauzers are a type of dog that sheds less often than most dogs but is not hypoallergenic, as allergies are caused by dander. Dander can be controlled by feeding the dog a higher quality diet, and grooming it frequently.

Source: Wiki en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schnowser

Blizzard!

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 08:36:38 -0700

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

Winter Weather is here!
By 5 PM last night, the snow was coming down sideways, with big flakes. Visibility was about a city block. By this morning, we have around 4 inches, but some drifts up to 30 inches or more.
Here's the Weather Service Advisory:
Local Severe Weather Alert for Brush, CO

Morgan County
Winter Storm Warning in effect until 6PM MDT SAT

WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING

TIMING

SNOW

HEAVY AT TIMES

WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. THE SNOW WILL THEN BEGIN TO TAPER OFF LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS

STORM TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM 9 TO 16 INCHES BY SATURDAY EVENING.
WIND/VISIBILITY

NORTH WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 45 MPH. VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS DUE TO HEAVY FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW. BRIEF WHITEOUT CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN OPEN AREAS.
IMPACTS

BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL SEVERELY REDUCE VISIBILITIES AND CREATE HAZARDOUS AND SLOW DRIVING WITH NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. ROAD CLOSURES ARE A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY. THE STRONG NORTH WINDS AND COLD TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO CAUSE DANGEROUS WIND CHILL VALUES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL

KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT
FOOD
AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

Apache Trail

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:45:28 -0700

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

The Apache Trail from Apache Junction thru the Tonto Nat. Forest leads to the Theodore Roosevelt Lake. This Bridge and reflection was just too much to pass up, so we took the pullout and all made several images.

Effects OnOne PhotoSuite 7 and Nik ColorEfexPro
Map location Approximate

Image ©2012 Ray Hanson All Rights Reserved.

CanyonLands

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 17:25:30 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

CanyonLands National Park, Utah ©2012 Ray Hanson
www.nps.gov/cany/index.htm

From the Archives, May, 2012. Map Location Approximate
Skies were overcast, so wanted to try some Topaz Plugins to ramp up the Detail and Exposure.
Adjust 5 has a real nice adaptive Exposure control, with up to 40 regions. I used 18 regions on this one to balance out the dull overcast tones, and rescue the distant details and cloud cover.

Processing in Light Room with Topaz Plugins. (photoFXlab)

Barrier

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 08:37:15 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

During the early to mid 1800's, buffalo populations were dwindling due to large demand for their hides while the west was opening up to new settlers. Cattle herds became larger and larger as there was unlimited grassland for grazing. The land was wide open, and huge ranches sprung up across the western plains and mountain valleys. Slowly, as more people migrated west to settle on homesteads and eek out a meager living, the availability of open land began to shrink, and there became more demand for land. The huge cattle operators were now faced with people who wanted to encroach on what they thought was theirs, and disputes arose as to who had property rights and title. Barb Wire played a critical role in the old west, but created as many problems as it solved.
©2012 Ray Hanson

Below is From WIKI: "In the American West"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbed_wire

A rangeland fence
Barbed wire played an important role in the protection of range rights in the U.S. West. Although some ranchers put notices in newspapers claiming land areas, and joined stockgrowers associations to help enforce their claims, livestock continued to cross range boundaries. Fences of smooth wire did not hold stock well, and hedges were difficult to grow and maintain. Barbed wire's introduction in the West in the 1870s dramatically reduced the cost of enclosing land.[21]

Rusted barbed wire in a roll
Barbed wire also emerged as a major source of conflict with the so called “Big Die Up” incident in the 1880s. This conflict occurred because of the instinctual migrations of cattle away from the blizzard conditions of the Northern Plains to the warmer and plentiful Southern Plains, but by the early 1880s this area was already divided and claimed by ranchers. The ranchers in place, especially in the Texas Panhandle, knew that their holdings could not support the grazing of additional cattle, so the only alternative was to block the migrations with barb wire fencing.[22]
Many of the herds were decimated in the winter of 1885, with some losing as many as three-quarters of all animals when they could not find a way around the fence. Later other smaller scale cattlemen, especially in central Texas, opposed the closing of the open range, and began cutting fences to allow cattle to pass through to find grazing land. In this transition zone between the agricultural regions to the south and the rangeland to the north, conflict erupted, with vigilantes joining the scene causing chaos and even death. The fence cutters war came to an end with the passage of a Texas law in 1884 that stated among other provisions that fence cutting was a felony; and other states followed, although conflicts still occurred through the opening years of the 20th century.[23] A federal law passed in 1885 forbade stretching such fences across the public domain.[21]

Junction

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:58:52 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

Tri-State Junction of Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas

Ancestry

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:46:19 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

Maternal Ancestor

My Great Grandmother came from the Peru and Nebraska City Areas of Nebraska.

Here's Look'in AtYa

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 22:36:34 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

While driving around and thru Devils Tower, we drove som back roads and found this faun in a farm yard, guarded by a barb wire fence. I apologize for getting the wire right across the face, we just pulled over and made the composition thru the passenger side window as the opportunity popped up.) Time was not on our side ℜ ࿊ ℜ

Happy Fence Friday!
Thanks for stopping by ;-}} if the yellow border is too strong, I Apologize. Please suggest another color!!

Camera: Panasonic DMC-ZS20
Processing PhotoWizzard-HD on iPad 3, uploaded via FlickStackr.

Live Lobsters

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:18:44 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

EastHampton Mass. August, 2010
New England, best place for Fresh, Live Lobster!! (It was sure Good :)))

FX by Perfect Effects 4

Image Copyright 2010 Ray Hanson All Rights Reserved

Forgotten

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:51:08 -0700

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

Lost and forgotten, the prairie is dotted with old homes that once cradled and fostered families thru good times, bad times, the dust bowl, the depression, drought, and prosperity. Their stories can only be imagined now, as we chance a glimpse on our way by.

Frames by imikimi HD

Campfire

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:26:49 -0700

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

A warm campfire for cook'in or keep'in warm

Had a few vacation days to use up, so we decided to do some early season camping. Thinking about how cold it would be in the mountains this early, we decided to go South. After looking at the options, we decided to try John Martin Reservoir, on the Arkansas River in south eastern Colorado. They have a very nice campground, and this early we had our pick of sites. We picked a spot next to Lake Hasty. The weather was seasonal, but didn't have any really nice days. Today, we wanted to roast some hot dogs, so built a fire for that, enjoyed a nice lunch, then we enjoyed setting around the fire for a while after lunch. The wind was cold and gusting off an on, so the fire felt good.

Thanks for your interest and visit, feel free to browse my photo stream, but bear in mind that all images are Copyright, and making copies is not authorized without my expressed written permission. If you are interested in a copy of this, or any other image, feel free to contact me for details.

Processing done on an iPad with PhotoWizzard HD
Unfortunately, Photo Wizzard strips off the MetaData when uploading to Flickr

Monument Valley

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 09:38:00 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

Waiting for sunset, so many possibilities, this one of the views I chose as the Sun was getting lower, nearing that magical moment.

Ford's Point, a favorite place enjoyed by John Ford, who made dozens of westerns here in Monument Valley during the 50's and 60's. Visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ford to learn more about John Ford.

Tranquility (Explore 9/4/2012)

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 20:30:25 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

Thanks for all the views and comments,
I hope each of you have a Warm and Happy new year ツ

Location approximate
The Wyoming sky had scattered clouds, which were so unique, I wanted to share this with everyone.

JPG straight from the camera: The new FZ200 Lumix, Apature Priority, Scenery mode.

Monument Valley (Explored Dec. 2, 2012 Thanks!)

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 14:04:41 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

The Traditional Highway view approaching Monument Valley from the East.

The winds were picking up early in the morning. Once the winds pick up, dust gets moved up into the atmosphere and visibility is reduced drastically. It's difficult to get a Blue Sky once the dust is in the air. We left Bluff, where out Motel was, early in order to beat the winds. By 10 AM, the skies were already filling with dust.

Most of my Landscapes have the benefit of a Polarizing Filter, that helps cut through some of the effects of Dust, and helps deepen the Blue in the sky.

Thanks for dropping in, I hope you enjoyed your visit and I appreciate all your kind comments ;-}}

Waterford Street

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:18:34 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

Desert Gold (Explore 11/13/2012 Thanks!)

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:28:02 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

A mysterious Tree growing in the Desert sands of Scottsdale, Arizona. Driving north on N. Scottsdale Rd towards Carefree there is a Desert Garden along the highway. This tree was near the parking lot and looked so ready to shoot.

Image Copyright 2010 Ray Hanson All Rights Reserved

SnowWhite

nobody@flickr.com (Cobra0435) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:49:59 -0800

Cobra0435 posted a photo:

Its Winter! With temperatures hovering around Zero last night, I thought it was time to get some Wintery Images uploaded.
This is about 10 Miles south of Flagstaff, AZ two years ago, just before Christmas. They had heavy Deep snow. But, by the time we were half way to Tempe, we lost the snow and it was 60° by the time we got there.

Lightroom with Perfect B&W Effects
Map location approximate