A study in contrasts…

 

One of the things I enjoy most about being retired is being able to pursue my passion for photography. I love to capture a scene that tells a story or triggers an emotion. I did not take them but the two images to the left, both taken in the last few days, do both and they represent a stark contrast in the reality of what America has become as we enter the year of our country’s semiquincentennial - the 250th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence back in 1776.

The image at the top you may not be familiar with. It was taken at ‘The USA House’ in Davos, Switzerland where our President is hobnobbing with the world’s elite while simultaneously badgering and cajoling them into seeing things his way. 

From a photography perspective it’s actually an incredibly well-done photograph. The posters of Melania advertise the upcoming release, January 30, of a documentary about the First Lady’s return to the White House. The Trump poster is, well, a Trump poster but the gentleman holding it is the man who introduced Melania to her future husband at a party at the Kit Kat Club in New York in 1998. His name is Paolo Zampolli and back in 1998 he ran a modeling agency and it was he who helped bring Melania to the U.S. on an H-1B visa from her native Slovenia. The Freedom 250 logo surrounded by stars refers to this year’s U.S.A. birthday celebration. Paolo has since moved on from managing models and most recently has served Mr. Trump as the U.S. Representative for Global Partnerships. 

The bull statue is a replica of the bronze statue near the New York Stock Exchange where in 2008 (I know, ancient history...) demonstrators protested corporate greed in response to that year's financial crisis.And though it's somewhat hard to make out, on the armchair is a copy of Melania's 2024 memoir which is available for sale online for as low as $8.00 or more than $1,900 for a signed copy.

This is the face of America being presented to the world in Davos where the official theme is "A Spirit of Dialog" and 60 heads of State and more than 800 CEO's are in attendance.

Mr. Zampolli posed for the shot as an albeit very fancy and highly staged selfie and posted it to Facebook and Instagram. I came across the image while reading a Washington Post article. Regardless, its quite a photo. AI would be challenged to do better.

The second image, though lacking the production values exhibited in the Zampolli photo, you probably recognize. Its of 5 year old Liam Ramos with an ICE Agent's hand secured to his backpack, being used as bait to lure adults out of a Minneapolis home this last week. I don't care which side of the immigration issue you come down on but the image of a child wearing a hat with bunny ears being used by agents of our government was haunting. No posed selfie here, but this image will remain seared into my brain for the remainder of my days. 

The folks in Davos perhaps can be excused for being too busy hobnobbing with their fellow elites but for us, myself included, just average Americans, this image, not that of Mr. Zampolli, reflects the real world we live in and that we have to deal with in America today. I suspect that long after the pageantry and imagery of our semiquincentennial has faded as a distant memory, little Liam's photo will resonate with the current generation much as an image of Phan Thi Kim Phuc helped in some small way end a war on the other side of the world for mine. (I'm not showing that image as to this day it remains very disturbing but if you're not familiar with it click on the link above.) 

Fall in my neck of the woods

October 1st. Sitting here in a sweatshirt and jeans rather than shorts and tee shirt and almost - almost - turned on the heat this morning when I got up. Back when I was working I would be getting up before the sunrise at this time of year and on my commute I could always tell what time of the year it was as I watched the eastern sunrise move north along the horizon in spring and early summer and then start it’s leisurely jaunt south as fall settled in.

This year of course is like no other. Between COVID, civil unrest in the streets, and it being an election year there’s enough stress to overwhelm almost anyone. Watched the first “Presidential” (it was anything but) debate and all I can say is ouch, just ouch. What a painful experience. I don’t care which side you’re on, vote for whoever you want, but if this is the best America can do then we have a bigger problem than a pesky (if 204,000 lives lost can be called pesky) virus and people marching in rightful protest.

But that’s not what I’m here for today. I’m extremely fortunate to be able to spend much of my free time in the Colorado high country and I don’t think any time of the year is more enjoyable than early fall. The aspen have been changing colors for a couple of weeks now, the temperatures, especially in the mornings, are downright cool, and it seems as if Nature is taking a pause, a silent breather between the hustle and bustle of busy summer and the soon to come somnolent snows of winter.

In the video below you’ll tag along for a meandering trip capturing some of the sights of a fall between 8,000 and 12,000 feet (there’s a reason they call it the high country...). Some of my favorite spots in the state include the areas around Leadville and Twin Lakes, Monarch and Cottonwood Passes, Taylor Park and the Taylor River, and Gunnison and Crested Butte. By the way, they finished paving Cottonwood Pass out of Buena Vista and its a beautiful road trip well worth your time. Monarch Pass is always spectacular in the fall, especially the east side, but just before the top we like to head over “Old Monarch Pass” which is still a dirt road (suitable for passenger cars and SUV’s). We went over Old Monarch Pass last weekend while filming the video and there must have been a recent wind storm as several still-green pine trees had fallen across the road though someone had already come through and chain-sawed a path so vehicles could still get through. 

Once down the Pass we turned right on the beautiful road to the little (“tiny” might be a better descriptor) town of White Pine tucked 10 miles off the highway. Back in 1878 White Pine’s rich silver deposits were beginning to be mined. Though never quite a boomtown it was certainly busier than it is today and that’s fine by me. People still live in White Pine mainly during the summer months and I’m not sure if anyone really winters over as winter road maintenance is minimal making access difficult. On a crisp but sunny Autumn day however, its as beautiful and tranquil spot as any in Colorado. There’s even a small historic cemetery where some of those folks who lived out their final days in White Pine  in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s now enjoy their eternal rest under the shade of a beautiful aspen grove and whispering pines.

Heading over Black Sage Pass, still on dirt roads, towards Waunita Hot Springs takes you through some of the prettiest aspen in the state. The day we drove it we didn’t see another single vehicle between White Pine and Waunita Hot Springs (yes, there is still a hot springs pool though it’s use seems to be primarily reserved for private groups and events). As you crest Black Sage Pass the vistas open up giving some spectacular views.

Gunnison is a town I could easily live in, at least during the month of September! We always take a drive just outside of town along Ohio Creek (you can make this a long loop to Crested Butte over Kebler Pass either by car or bike). There’s apparently a lot of wealth in Gunnison County and along Ohio Creek it’s on display as you can see some incredible ranch homes the equal of anything you’d see in far more crowded Aspen. 

Well, this blog is getting a little long so I’ll let the video speak for itself. It seems each year I try to capture the feeling of what Fall is like in Colorado and each year I wish I could do the season justice. I'm starting to realize how hard that is, but still I try. There’s still time to head up high to see Colorado’s version of fall foliage in a blaze of golds, oranges, reds, and yellows. Oh, and the mountain views aren’t half bad either. It’s easy to get caught up in life in Denver and forget that just a couple of hours away there’s a whole other world that may not take you to a different state but will definitely put you in a different state of mind.