The past two weeks I have made three trips down to Belen, New Mexico in Valencia County, about 40 minutes south of Albuquerque for rural land photography shoots. The landscape and conditions out there changed dramatically in one week. Two weeks ago I could not even reach the property I made the top photo from. There was too much snow on the dirt road, so much I could not even see it and even my Jeep Renegade Trailhawk was starting to sink in it too much. I could not risk getting stuck some 4 miles off road with no help around. One week later the snow on the road was gone and the mud had dried up and I drove right to the property no problem.
Lordsburg, New Mexico is about 4.5 hours southwest of Albuquerque and was the location for my lasted multi-day rural land photo and drone shoot for Hemingway Land Company. I had never been to this area of New Mexico before so I did not know what to expect. The skies cooperated providing clouds for a spectacular sunset each night, with mountains in the background each time too. In fact, pictured above are the aptly named Pyramid Mountains. This is a very peaceful and quiet area, where nothing happens in a hurry. Lordsburg itself feels that way. This is a place to come for low-stress living, but where can you buy an iPod??
I do not often eat out at restaurants, as I think it is the least value for money in nearly all of modern society. However, after a very long day of photography and drone video at 40+ rural land properties the day before in the middle of nowhere west of Taos, I thought Jessica and the dogs (well, they at least got free water!) deserved a treat. In our previous trips to Taos, we never got to stop at Overland Ranch, which is really just a very mountain-town looking style shopping plaza. This time we did and in it we found the Farmhouse Cafe with its wonderful outdoor setting.
This 4K drone video made in New Mexico features a remote area of desert and mountain in Valencia County, about one hour south of Albuquerque. I drove my Jeep Renegade Trailhawk down 7 miles of unmaintained dirt road to reach this location for a rural land client. While waiting for the sun to go down to make the last of the photos I needed to, I flew my DJI Mavic Pro drone over the desert and toward the mountains. The wind was strong, giving high wind warnings on the drone's remote control, so I dared not go higher nor closer to the mountains.
Ever since I first drove into Albuquerque, New Mexico in January 2017 and saw the Sandia Mountains, I knew I had to summit them at one point. Over 14 months later I finally had the opportunity to hike to the summit, my first summit since having ACL knee surgery 3 years ago. Hiking to the almost 3000 meter summit was a physical and mental test, not just for me, but also for Jessica who came with me and our dogs Kiki and Artie.
I have already shown you what it is like to fly right under the Bixby Bridge in Big Sur, California. And what the view looks like from beside it. This, now, is a view from only what a drone can see hovering out over the Pacific Ocean. I find it a lonelier view without the Sea as the background to the bridge. Is this what the Sea feels when it looks toward land? Is the Sea, sad?
Since living in Japan, I have adopted their custom of viewing the first sunrise of the new year, which is often paired with seeing the last sunset. For 2017, I was able to see one of the more epic views for the sunset, having climbed up to the top of Cave Rock, all of Lake Tahoe was spread out before me. The sun dipped below dramatic clouds just above the horizon casting golding light on snow capped mountain peaks and reflecting off the lake itself. It was even more special because of who I was with, my whole family made it to the top of the rock, Jessica (girlfriend), Kiki (beloved puppy), and Artie (Jessica's dog).
