Tag Archives: wine

art, photography, random thought, travel, writing

the fourth

this year, the fourth of july was really special.

the day started by walking up early, the giant san juan mountains surrounding us.

i was with good friends, my wife was on her way, and a day full of festivities awaited.

we started with fresh washington state oysters and bloody marys at 9 a.m.  thanks to jw…

then we all headed to main street to watch the parade!

we were quite festive…

the f-16s are always a crowd favorite.

and then the vets came… and i assure you that not one eye was dry.  these men sacrificed so much for all of us.

needless to say, they received a standing ovation from the multitudes.

not a bad backdrop to a fantastic day…

unreal.

and you can’t forget the “men without rhythm”.

once the parade ended, we all headed to the patio at rustico, one of our favorite italian restaurants in telluride (or anywhere for that matter).

my big “pouty” lips…  okay, so they’re not that pouty…  just really chapped.

then it was on to town park to throw some horseshoes!

it’s good to take a nap in the grass in between matches…

we all retired for a few hours to get a little rest before the fireworks that night.

and as always, the fireworks display is unbelievable in telluride.  i guess, just like everything else in this idyllic little mountain town.

it’s hard to go back to dallas and work when you’ve spent a dreamlike week in a place like telluride.  it always happens that way.

so, to combat the shock of such a harsh contrast of realities, Elle and i decided to head up to wyoming for another week starting july 5th!

good philosophy, i think.  but i have to admit in hindsight, it didn’t make the transition any easier…

all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2011

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art, photography, random thought, travel, writing

preview: july 4th, telluride

i can’t think of a better place to be for july 4th.  and of all the time i’ve spent in telluride, i’ve only experienced the 4th once… and it was 11 years ago when my friend john and i lived there.

so john invited us back this year to relive all the glory that is independence day in telluride!

and since i had the opportunity to spend some time in the southern san juan mountains of colorado, i of course had to work a little…

so here are some landscapes i shot during the week leading up to the celebration….

…4th photos to come soon…

all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2011

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photography, random thought, travel

tELL(E)uride

well, it’s that time of year again; heading to telluride for my best friend’s birthday… no complaints here.

and this year, it gets even better.  i was able to share telluride with Elle for the first time!

wilson peak is beautiful, even socked in with snow.

the wine started flowing as the birthday celebrations kicked off…

we took the gondola from the mountain village back to town for some late night fun in telluride.

blurry telluride from high up on the mountain…

the next day i got to spend some quality time with one of my old friends, kona, a gorgeous chocolate lab.

it was a great time as always, and a refreshing quick trip up to the mountains for both Elle and me.  it feels like it’s been too long.  i’m really looking forward to the mountain trips planned for the summer and fall…

all images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2011

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photography, random thought, travel

ah… telluride

i made the 30 hour round-trip drive up to telluride, colorado at the end of february to celebrate my best friend john’s 30th birthday…

there are not many places i’d rather be for any occasion.  we enjoyed great wine, great friends, and equally great scenery…

on the way home, i took a route i’ve never taken before.  vast landscapes, towering earthen spires, and telephone poles dominated my field of vision.

maybe pointing my camera out the car windows while driving is not the smartest or safest practice, but it kept me busy.

all in all, i think i spent as much time driving to and from as i did in telluride…  but as willie sings… we wouldn’t have it any other way.

all images © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2010

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photography, random thought, travel, writing

not just another new year

elle and i decided to go camping for new years this year… big surprise.

we wanted to go somewhere near austin so we could have a fun night in the city, and have an excuse to see my brother and his family.

so it ws decided that we would go to pace bend park, a small but secluded city park on lake travis.

elle found a comfy spot high up in a cedar tree with her shiner.

we sat out on a bluff that overlooks lake travis for a good while…

then we played a little frisbee.

we each modeled for the camera…

then it was time to get down to business…

we made a stop at whole foods before heading out to camp.  on the menu for the evening; stuffed, organic jalapeños wrapped in bacon as appetizers, all-beef organic cowboy burgers for the main course, and a decent bottle of spicy shiraz.  mmm mmm  MMMM!

best camp food i’ve ever had.  and i must say that i was pretty proud of my fire too…

elle got a little trigger happy with my camera… i love it!

after a short afternoon shower, the temperature dropped to a brisk 37 degrees, and a beautiful rainbow appeared.  we stood in awe.

our little friend, either a kit fox or a gray fox visited our camp that night and the next morning.  he was a welcomed guest, and we felt lucky to get a glimpse of an increasingly uncommon creature.

i can say enthusiastically that 2010 started off right… already a lot to be thankful for…

all images © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2010

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