There is nothing that brings up visions of toughness, romance and beautiful scenery like the American West. Thanks to old movies and TV shows, those visions are world wide. I have known (mostly on the internet) people from England, India and Japan who have a romantic relationship with our west, despite never having been there.
I could easily share with you 20,000 images of mine from the American West, but being lazy, I simply grabbed whatever I saw from three old photo folders. Pictures that spoke to me as the “being” the west in one fashion or another. They were of course all made in the west.
Pronghorn, Colorado. Iconic with the west.
Famous bird of the southwest, the Roadrunner, New Mexico
The high desert red rock, and snow capped mountains. Colorado on the Utah border.
Elk, Wyoming
Bison on the road, Yellowstone N. P., Wyoming
Bison and the Grand Tetons, Grand Tetons N. P., Wyoming
Water and rock, The Black Hills of South Dakota
At the roadside, New Mexico
From the mountains above the roadside at sunset, northeastern Utah.
Devil’s Tower National Monument at sunrise, Wyoming
Canyonlands N. P., at sunset, Utah
Sunrise in Valley of The Gods State Park, Utah.
The Cowboy Lives
I have been remiss in not sharing with you the images of my Flickr friend Connie Maassen. He uses the moniker Ducky Pipeliner for his photography but whether it be Connie or Ducky, his imagery embraces the spirit that being a cowboy embodies. The word cowboy also means cowgirl, and is as much a state of mind as it is where you live, what your job or hobbies are, or how you dress.
Ahhhh rodeo!! Bucking broncos and cowboy style chariot races. Outstanding!
The best part of my life was when the hippie in me morphed into a cowboy of sorts. My horses, saddles and hats are now gone, but the cowboy lives on.
Let there be a cowboy in each of you and let the cowboy be free.
I’d lot rather die standing up, than live on my knees. Unknown
Happy trails, Wayne
Earth Images Blog by Wayne Nelson 