A photographer's paradise...

You will think you are in the garden of Eden when you gaze upon, and walk through what we have for our next safari.  Thanks to Gennean, we have the opportunity to go to the our own little paradise  just a few miles East of Town.  Her friend, Joanie, has a historic ranch with luscious gardens complete with lots of beautiful flowers, a windmill, a chapel, and many other buildings.  It is a treasure trove of photo ops.  Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 12.  We will meet at Roswell Livestock on East Second at 6:15 pm.  You will be kicking yourself if you miss this safari.

Bring: a tripod

For reservations:
Please call Sue Ashby: 575 208 2197 or 575 910 0124 or email her at: scsilverturtle@gmail.com

Safaris...

"If you seek creative ideas, go walking.  Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk." -Raymond I. Myers

We have a couple of safaris scheduled in the last remaining days of May.  The first one is this Friday, May 23 where we join the astronomy club, and take in the wonderful meteor shower called Camelopardalids.

photo from Earthsky.com

  The astronomy club plans to go out about sunset to set up telescopes, but we are not planning on leaving until much later.  So if you want to document this amazing event...there are supposed to be about 200 meteors in an hour...notice I said supposed to be.  We will meet at the Wal-Mart parking lot behind Chili's at 11:15 PM.  This is at night...but we ask that you do not come in your pajamas.  We will then car pool out to the old missile site on Twist Flower Road just off Highway 285.  It's about 10 miles out north of town.
Bring: a flashlight, or headlamp
           chair
           insect spray
           camera gear
           tripod
Also, there are no bathroom facilities way out there...just the cover of dark.  So if you have a weak bladder, bring some TP.

If you plan to attend, please email Sue Ashby or call her: 575 208 2197 or 575 910-1024.

Rain is forecast for that day, but they are wrong 90% of the time.

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The next safari will be on Saturday, May 31 for the Carrizozo funky door, and gates photo op.  (If they are open).  From there, the group will head to White Oaks for a stop at "No Scum allowed Saloon."  Hmmm.  Sounds interesting.  Wonder what qualifies as "scum."  This safari doesn't end there...the tour goes on to visit another Ghost town.  This is a jam packed, photo filled, good time Saturday adventure.  Plan to join in.  We will be meeting at the Bureau of Land Management on west second at 8 AM.  This is late enough that you should be out of your pajamas.  Bring a lunch...the Scum Saloon may not have food.

If you plan to attend, please email Sue Ashby or call her: 575 208 2197 or 575 910-1024.

Our photo challenge for June is Diffused light.  Look at the beautiful photo Sue Heaton got early in the morning.

photo by Sue Heaton. Visit her website here

Today was a wonderful day to get a photo with diffused light since it was cloudy most of the day.  No rain though...rats...or should I say, "Snakes."  Look at this monster rattlesnake Sue Heaton found today.  Head, tongue, and rattle on in the pictures.  I would have been scared to death.  Sue is brave.  So now she has two diffused light photos.

photo by Sue Heaton: http://www.sueheatonphotography.com

Don't forget to contact Sue Ashby if you plan to attend either or both safaris.
Get Clicking...

Up coming Safaris

Get out your cameras, put on your walking shoes, and gear up for some wonderful photo opportunities.  First stop will be the ghost town of Yeso in DeBaca County on Highway 60 between Ft. Sumner and Vaughn.  Check it out here.  This safari will be Tuesday, April 29th...If you want to participate, meet in the Wal-Mart parking lot at 9 a.m., and be sure to call or email Sue: 575- 910- 0124, or scsilverturtle@gmail.com.  After visiting the ghost town, the group may go to "funky" downtown Ft. Sumner, and the Billy the Kid museum.

Next stop, will be Saturday, and Sunday, May 3-4, The Roswell Old-Timers Balloon Rally at Cielo Grande.  You've got to get up early to catch this one...6:30 a.m.  This will have tons of colorful balloons, interesting people, and who knows, you may even be able to get a ride to get some "bird's eye-view" photos of the greater Roswell area.

Our third stop will be the famous Iris Farm in the Hondo Valley.  Their big day is Mother's Day, May 11.  Sue will be watching the paper for their notice, "The Irises are Blooming."  We hope to sneak up there before their big event...stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Not scheduled yet, but in the planning phase are some nature outings in Lincoln, Oliver Lee State Park, and Cave Creek.  Watch for the notice (email) from Cliff.

If you have ideas for some safaris, please contact Sue Ashby.  (contact info in the first paragraph).
Hope to see you at one or all the safaris.

Feb. 22 Safari...

Hello intrepid safari seekers.

I am hoping you're up for a little architectural history. I learned the oldest churches in Roswell were all built within a few years of each other. Three of them still have parts of their original buildings intact. I thought there might be some opportunity to compare and contrast the architecture as well as the sanctuaries of these houses of worship. In the hope that you might be interested in exploring that possibility, I have made arrangements for us to tour St. Andrews Episcopal Church, First United Methodist Church, and First Presbyterian Church, all in Roswell's historic district.

We sill start at St. Andrews Church, 505 Pennsylvania, at 9:00. We've been invited to their monthly pancake breakfast and it would be gracious to attend, but not required. We'll tour the church right after eating (about 9:30). From there we will head over to the Presbyterian Church, where we will be met my Lynetta Zuber, the church secretary. Mr Armstrong, at the Methodist Church, will admit us there around 11:30.

This should be an interesting morning. If weather is good, we can explore outside as well as inside the buildings. And if you're really ambitious, you might take a walk around the historic district to see what else you might discover.

Please let me know if you are interested in this trip, or if the times need to be tweaked. We could start earlier, but the breakfast starts at 7 and ends at 10, so I thought there might be fewer people milling around if we go toward the end.  Date: February 22.  Questions? call Sue Ashby 575.208.2197

The Dean Baldwin safari photos...

We had a small group go out for the tour of the Dean Baldwin Plane painting facility.  The tour in and of itself was fascinating.  I was so impressed with their work standards, how they motivate their employees, and reward them when they perform or learn their skills.

Our tour guide, and some of our group.

Bill Flynt

They all look like they are on a scavenger hunt.  

The group except for me (Rob). 

Here I am in a motor well.  (Photo by Bill Flynt)

When you walk in the building, you find yourself surrounded by walls painted with various slogans, and skies filled with planes and clouds.

The painting of the planes is amazing.  Can you imagine taping and sanding one of these, then painting it?

Don't miss the person on the lift.  He kind of looks like an alien.

After our tour, we were allowed to go outside where the planes are parked and explore.  That was very fun!

We have an open invitation to come back in the fall when they have more planes in the hangers to paint.  I think we should definitely take them up on that.  This was a very interesting safari.  Thanks for arranging it for us.

Dean Baldwin safari...

Arrangements have been made for our photo club to tour the Dean Baldwin Painting Company located at the Roswell Industrial Air Center.  The company specializes in painting all types of aircraft from commercial to military.  It is an excellent opportunity to see and possibly photograph the painting process of these large airplanes.  After the tour, we will go to the observatory tower and have the possibility of getting some good vistas.  We need to arrive as a group due to security issues. We will meet at the Convention Center on Tuesday, July 9th, at 10:30 a.m. and carpool to the facility.   Please contact Sue: scsilverturtle@gmail.com or Barbara: scheerassoc@yahoo.com to let them know you will be attending.

Painted airplane from the Dean Baldwin website Indiana facility. 

Chisum Cowboy Safari...June 2

Several members saddled up their cars, and motorcycles to head out to the Chisum Cowboy shoot.  They shot guns, we shot photos.

They start them young!

Real Cowgirls...

Hate to meet these ladies in a dark alley.

Clearing the gun.

Lots of belts, guns, knives...

Competing.

Our own Bobby Goode

Ammo

boots, and spurs

All guns are single action

Entrance

Here are the members who went  on the the safari. 

Barbara Scheer

Anthony Concepcion

Rob McKelvy

Sue Ashby

We all had a rip-roaring good time, and we got some awesome photos.

Safari at the Chisum cowboys shoot...

Howdy Parnters,

Bushwackin' Bobby has invited our Photo Club to come out for a rip roaring photo shoot at the Chisum Cowboy (http://chisumcowboys.com) shoot on Sunday, June 2 at 9:00 a.m. It goes until you are plum tuckered out, and have your heart's desire of photos.  You might even shoot a rifle or a gun as well as your camera.  They require eye & ear protection on the range. Safety or sunglasses will work & they have ear plugs if you need them.

If you do not know where the Chisum Cowboys shoot, then meet us at the Convention Center at 8:30 a.m., and we will carpool out there.  Please contact Barbara to let her know you plan to attend:  

Phone: 622- 6456, email: scheerassoc@yahoo.com

All photos were taken by Bobby Goode.   Mark your calendars, grab your camera, and come on out for a good photo taking time.  

UFO Billboard Safari...May 18...

"E.T. phone home!"  -from the movie E.T.

On Saturday, May 18th, several members of the photo club traveled to the newest UFO sighting in Roswell.  It is south of town on U.S. 285 right before the Dexter turn off.  Muralist, John Cerney, http://www.johncerney.com, famous for his giant sized, ply-wood art work, has graced Roswell with his latest piece of work depicting humans hospitably welcoming the aliens with a freshly baked pie.  The aliens look like they are afraid they might be baked into the lady's, (Dorrie Faubus from the Chamber of Commerce) next pie since it is shaped like a flying saucer.

The artist has done a wonderful job of bringing interest, and detail to his mural.  Notice the child alien has an E.T. doll, and the human little girl has a Raggedy Annie.

The aliens in the spaceship look equally distressed, and one is holding a map of New Mexico with a star in the location of Roswell.

The mural sits on property owned by farmer/rancher, Bill Marley.  His son is the kind person offering to give the alien's spaceship a jump start from his old green pickup truck.

Of course, member of the photo club had to get in some of the photos.  We had to document we were there at the lastest UFO sighting.

Rob McKelvy making pals with the aliens

Tom Lancaster checking out the engine

Travis Meidinger tries to get a bite of pie

Travis Meidinger resting on the truck

Anthony Concepcion aghast as the alien

It never fails on a safari that some members find other things to photograph other than the intended subject.  It does add interest and sometime drama to our safaris.

 Doesn't this Horned Toad kind of look like it could be an alien.  It was probably checking out the alien spaceship for long lost relatives.

Travis Meidinger and Anthony Concepcion and their little Horned Toad friend

This creature brought so much joy and entertainment to the group.  You all should have been there.

A good time was had by all, and we wished that pie was the real thing.