Month: April 2021

Just Peachy

In need of a spring fix I recently headed north to Palisade Colorado, where they grow the biggest, juiciest and most delicious peaches in the world! Accompanied by my husband Brent, it was just a day trip, 2 hours there, 1 hour of looking and shooting and 2 hours back … give or take. I could have spent more time there but you know how it is when you are with a non-photographer … you have to compromise! We found the area to be quite charming with houses nestled among the orchards, and I got the dose of spring I needed. 

Here’s a little history: The first settler began raising fruit and vegetables here in 1882. Protection from the Palisade Cliffs, and morning winds from DeBeque Canyon, meant the orchards were better able to survive spring frosts. Diverting water from the Colorado River with a series of canals and dams transformed the dry desert into a bountiful land of orchards and vineyards.

Mount Garfield makes a striking background for a peach orchard in bloom in Palisade.
‘Palisade Peach Blossoms’ © Denise Bush
Rows of peach trees look beautiful with their bright spring blossoms.
‘Peach Blossom Row’ © Denise Bush
Peach blossoms against the sky create a striking design.
‘Blossoms & Blue Sky’ © Denise Bush
A peach orchard glows bright pink in spring.
‘Blossoms Below The Mesa’ © Denise Bush

Wintry Mix

This post is an assortment … an array, medley, potpourri, etcetera, of recent images I decided to process! It includes some that didn’t fit into previous post themes, and others that I found reviewing folders from the past 2 months. Spring arrived on the calendar but it doesn’t feel like it here in Colorado. March is typically our snowiest month and it’s no surprise to us if we get some in April. We’ve learned to hold off putting our shovels away until late May! It’s all good … we just need to be a little more patient and appreciate what the snow brings to our forests and rivers. It’s a gift that will slowly melt off the peaks now through summer. Although ready for a change, once gone I will undoubtedly miss the unique photo opportunities the snow creates.

A fresh coating of snow coats a mountain in Ouray County, Colorado.
‘Frozen Landscape’ © Denise Bush
Three gambel oaks are a frequent subject for this photographer ... in all kinds of seasons and at sunset and sunrise.
‘Tree Trio’ © Denise Bush
An old fashioned barn graces the mountainside in a nostalgic winter scene.
‘Picturesque Barn In Winter’ © Denise Bush
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In the mountains of Colorado one of the first signs of spring is the willows waking up with vibrant yellow, orange and red.
‘Vibrant Willows’ © Denise Bush
A stand of aspen trees stand out in in a winter scene of white
‘Aspen Row In Winter’ © Denise Bush
A line of bare aspen trees with only sky behind them creates a beautiful winter statement.
‘Wintry Row’ © Denise Bush
The day comes to a close with its last light upon the north end of Cimarron Ridge, near Ridgway Colorado.
‘Days End Over Ridge’ © Denise Bush
A barn in the mountains makes an idyllic winter scene.
‘Serene Scene’ © Denise Bush
The Turrets are a ridge of smaller pinnacles and spires in the Cimarron Range, a subset of the San Juan Mountains and Rocky Mountains.
‘Turrets To The East’ © Denise Bush
A line of trees on a distant hillside stand in mornings warm light while the mountains remain in cloudy shadow.
‘Morning Line-up’ © Denise Bush
A ranch gate acts as a frame for the distant mountain in this winter scene.
‘Gated Sunset’ © Denise Bush