Sunday, July 18, 2010

By the light of the monsoon

It rained Friday evening – one of those Amazon jungle kind of rains where it pours and pours and pours straight down for about an hour, the storm moves on, then the sun comes out.



Post processing: 1. Crop; 2. Remove wires with healing brush; 3. PW's Boost at 25% 4. PW's Sharpen This on reflection; 5. PW's Quick Edge Burn at 21%


This weather pattern should repeat itself many times between now and the end of August. We call it our monsoon season, and it's my favorite time of year ... despite the heat, the humidity, and the muddy road out to the highway.



Because really, when else are you going to see this kind of light?



Hank loves monsoon season, too. The quick drop in temperature as a storm moves through makes him feisty.



I cringe when I see him doing his airs above the ground, thinking he might slip on the landing, but I'm smiling all the while, too, because it makes me happy to see him play like this.



So between the light,



Hank's healthy happiness...



...and having a little water to photograph...


I'm loving monsoon season.

43 comments:

  1. I love the color of the sky, whereas if that was here I would be running for cover knowing a HUGE storm was moving in.

    Hank looks like one happy dude playing around like he is. That brought me a big Sunday morning smile.

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  2. Hank! Hi! It's me, your biggest fan in Texas! *wave*

    He is so beautiful. How's that knee do after such big play?

    I grew up in El Paso and always told people August was the best month because everything smelled like wet desert. Which is the most magical smell in the universe.

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  3. I'd say Monsoon season is a welcome change. Hank is very invigorated by it all. Though I would imagine Deets, not so much ; )

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  4. GORGEOUS!

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  5. I love the photos of him playing - such a happy boy!

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  6. Wow!
    I am trying to think of a new way of saying this are among my favorite. I have used that line too much here. As much as I love all the photos, I guess I have a special heart for the horse and dogs ones. The one of Hank rearing was perfect timing. And blue in sky--made to order.
    Thanks for the editing explanation on the first shot. I forget how even cropping makes a difference.

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  7. Mud puddles are so fun~especially in the desert.

    Love the reflection photo of Hank. Very nice!

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  8. These photos of Hank brought tears to my eyes. He's magnificent.

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  9. The color of the sky is awesome. I'm so happy to see Hank playing and having fun. I can understand the cringe at the airs above ground, but he looks so happy it's hard not to smile.

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  10. Love the one of Hank completely up off the ground--he's flying!

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  11. Phenomenal light and a happy horse makes great photos!

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  12. BEAUTIFUL series of pictures. There is NOTHING more beautiful than watching a horse play.

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  13. Cool and I love seeing any animal, like Hank, showing its happiness by rolling over, running around and more. Those pictures perked me up just now. Great shots!

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  14. OK, these are wonderful photos! You should put 4 or 5 on Equusite's Photo of the Day or send in both! Amazing quality, and the dark sky behind Hank is spectacular.
    KarenTX

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  15. ......and therefore we love monsoon season too.

    It brings joy to my heart to see Hank enjoying himself with such reckless abandon!

    Would you put the one with him rearing up on "for you"?

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  16. Wow Hank looks sooo happy, and even better in that cooll light.

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  17. Hank is a real beauty and it puts a smile on my face to see him play. :-)

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  18. Linda, your photos of Hank are absolutely GORGEOUS! We are having monsoon weather here, too. Unfortunately, however, our rain evaporates before it hits the desert floor! Up in the mountains, at the horse ranch, however, it poured right as the owner was out feeding the horses one afternoon! It is humid and cloudy already here this morning...probably another thunderstorm due this afternoon.

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  19. Wow Carson. Gorgeous. The light is perfect, Hank's happy, you're happy. Life is good. :)

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  20. Beautiful photos. It is also my favorite time to be in Tucson. The added advantage to being in Tucson then is so many other people are not.

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  21. RAIN! We need rain SOOO BAD!!
    I love that sky. Beautiful, especially the rearing Hank.

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  22. I can't think of anything awesome to say that hasn't already been said - Hank is phenomenal, and your photos are incredible!

    Nancy in Iowa

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  23. Gorgeous, stunning light - the light tells the story!

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  24. I'm so glad that Hank has been featured on the blog. He is such a handsome, handsome boy! I know what you mean about seniors and their infirmities .... Sun's suspensory ligaments are all but gone, still, to see him rock up into his big canter makes me smile a worried smile. To know they are happy means everything. I think Hank could be a centerfold... I mean, really....

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  25. Are you sure we both live in New Mexico?
    It's fascinating that the weather can be so different all over the state. We've yet to have any monsoon rains up here...only a few drizzles, but mostly just thunder, lightning and dark clouds....and that gorgeous New Mexico evening light.
    I hope our monsoons come soon.

    The photos are beautiful, especially the one with Hank's airs above ground.

    By the way, over at WNCR, one of the old arthritic race horses was moved into a paddock with the young colts and he is thoroughly enjoying acting as teacher and uncle to the little guys.
    They respect him as an elder and it's given him a new lease on life.

    Do you think you might consider a situation like that for Hank, so he can have a buddy and possibly have the opportunity to be a teacher, too?

    ~Lisa

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  26. Tell those clouds to back up and come dump on us. We've gotten no rain. I would LOVE to have some rain right now...

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  27. Gorgeous!! Such a beautiful sequence of shots!! I was listening to Native American flute music as I was looking at your pics and it went together seamlessly.

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  28. Gorgeous as always, Linda! : )
    Ahem...despite our never ending rain over here, spring (and sometimes summer) is one of my favorite seasons, because of the contrast in colors between the sky and the land.

    That bruised-sky color and vibrant green make for a beautiful back drop. Of course, Hank helps spruce up the picture quite a bit too. ; )

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  29. What absolutely beautiful pictures! The colors are so vivid. Hank is lookin mighty fine too!

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  30. Looks like Hank is loving monsoon season too! Time for you both to play!

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  31. I just had one of those monsoon downpours. The horses stood out in the rain and as soon as it was over, they rolled and rolled and rolled. Then Scout did a bucking exhibition that would have made a rodeo horse blush.

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  32. OK, that did it. I'm moving to New Mexico along with my horses. The state should pay you commissions for doing travel and relocation enticement. ;-)

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  33. I'm lovin' it too!

    Exquisite pics, Carson.

    Thanx for always sharing the best! :)

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  34. WOW! How beautiful is that?!

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  35. LOVE,LOVE,LOVE this entire series of "Monsoon" photos, especially Hank looking at his own reflection. If it weren't for the fence running behind him you could almost imagine he was a free roaming Wild Horse in that magnificent setting. WOW !

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  36. Thank you for sharing photos from south of the Manzanos. We finally got a great roaring rain with thunder and lightening over the Sandias last night. Love the monsoon season! Hank looks magnificent!

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  37. OK everyone reading the 7MSN site....can I have a group "ahhhhhh" please?

    There ya go!

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  38. Yes, that lighting is gorgeous! Go Hank!

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  39. Wooo, that storm looks scarey! Not sure I'd be out waving a metal object (the camera) around in an open field! Haha.

    I'm so glad to see Hank happy again after he's had such a sad time recently :).

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  40. Gorgeous photos of Hank. Well done!

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  41. Hah! Guess what? I spoke too soon. Just a few hours after I posted my comment about not having any monsoon rains yet....boom! We got hit with a doozy! We had wind, sideways rain and torrential downpours and hail!

    Be careful what you wish for, eh?

    Ever since that night, we've been having our daily monsoon rains...finally! Relief for the desert. :)


    ~Lisa

    word verification: morab

    How cool is that?

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