Keystone

We just got back from a weekend at the Keystone Ski Resort. Although I didn't ski, I had a fun time with the family and got lots of photos to share. I'll start with several random ones, but there are much better shots to come. First is the view off the deck of the condo in which we stayed.

I was amused at the unit number of the condo. One of my favorite rock bands is called Rush, and they've got a famous album called 2112. So, while it may not make sense to most of my readers, here's the door of our unit.

I liked the way the sunlight was playing on the cables of these lifts high up the mountain.

And finally, I found the following pedestrian tunnel under the highway interesting.

There's more to come, including jagged mountains and a sleigh ride. In the meantime, you never know what you'll see at My World Tuesday.

Yellowstone Buffalo

The wild animals at Yellowstone are amazing. The Lamar Valley has some great opportunities to see buffalo (they're actually bison), and here are some shots from there. We were lucky enough to find a huge herd.

They weren't afraid of people. Unfortunately, a lot of people weren't afraid of them either, and you should be very careful around these animals, as they are unpredictable and can move remarkably quickly.

For more animals, wild and otherwise, visit the excellent Camera Critters meme.

Balanced Rock after Sunset

After work today I went to Garden of the Gods to try to get a photo of the 700-ton Balanced Rock in the evening sunshine. Unfortunately I was too late as the Sun had already dipped behind the nearby mountains, but I made the best of the remaining light for a couple of Skywatch Friday shots.

For more photos with lots of skies, both blue and otherwise, visit the awesome Skywatch Friday meme.

Air Force Academy Saber

The United States Air Force Academy is in my city, so it's a big part of our town's culture. For this week's My World post, here are some photos of the saber that graduates are entitled to get. It might be technically defined as a sword, but by tradition it's called a saber.

Before anyone asks, I did not have the privilege of attending the Air Force Academy. For lots more photos from around the world, visit the My World Tuesday meme.

Inspiration Point (Yellowstone)

Near where the Yellowstone River goes down two large waterfalls are two overlooks, one on either side of the canyon. Both were among my favorite places in Yellowstone, and here are a couple of shots from the northern one to illustrate why. This one is known as Inspiration Point.

For more scenic shots, visit the Scenic Sunday meme.

Window Moon

Sometimes I like to experiment with photography - even if the results aren't great, I can learn and become a better photographer. I liked yesterday's Moon as it faded between clouds, and decided to get a photo of it looking through one of my house windows.

I found it very difficult to illuminate the window (which is high and dark) without completely washing out the bright Moon and its surrounding clouds. This might be an example where multiple exposures and HDR processing could help, although I'm not normally a fan of HDR. I don't think this is a particularly successful photo, but it's how I learn, and it's my Skywatch Friday entry for the week.

Ice on the Avenue

In My World we don't hate winter, we celebrate it. Right next to Colorado Springs is Old Colorado City, and each year they hold a small festival called Ice on the Avenue. Despite continuing to try to fight off a cough (which materialized from a mild flu), my wife and I went down there today. There were a handful of ice sculptures, such as this cowboy through which people were sticking their faces to get photos.

There was an area set up to pan for gold.

But for me, the most interesting part was watching how the artists started with these 300-pound blocks of ice...

...and using their various tools, in this case an electric chainsaw...

...turned the ice into sculptures.

Unfortunately I didn't get to see this one finished as we needed to leave. Visit My World Tuesday to see lots of other interesting sights.