Debra Hoodies

Cuchara is a charming, mountain village tucked away on the scenic byway 12 aka The Highway of Legends. There’s a quaint, one short street downtown area, consisting of several colorful shops, some lodging and a couple of restaurants. The town was established in 1883 and is at an elevation of 8,650 feet, situated on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in south-central Colorado. Cucharas Pass, at almost 10,000 feet, is just a few miles south of the town. The town is surrounded by the San Isabel National Forest where my husband and I have traveled and explored numerous scenic forest service roads in the area. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Galleries/Collections: "Colorado" "Signs" 20210915-D...

Majestic Young Eagle by Debra Martz For me, even at a young, sub-adult age, this Bald Eagle appears majestic. It became the highlight of a day of bird watching. We had decided it was time to head home but why not make one more drive by the lake area behind the cabins? What a great decision! We were turning right into the parking area and stopped quickly at the sight of this Eagle on the bare tree branches. I very quietly exited the truck and was so appreciative that this regal beauty stayed at the top of this dead tree long enough for me to snap about a dozen images. Beautiful end to the day of bird watching. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Feathered Friends 2" 20211101-DSC_8259.ED Captured at...

I was walking around the south spillway area of the Great Salt Plains State Park when I noticed a number of Irises. I crossed the parking area to get to the first one and saw that they were growing at a number of the campsites. Created from my origianl photography using Topaz Studio and Impressions. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved 20210429-DSC_3403.NEF

Newly Opened Coneflower by Debra Martz The first of my white Coneflowers to bloom this spring. The deep green foliage seems to illuminate the white flower that much more. Digital enhancement applied to bring out the details. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Galleries/Collections: "Flora" "Digital Art Photography" 2021-06-12ConeFlower-3582

Common Whitetail Dragonfly by Debra Martz The Common Whitetail dragonfly is seen across much of North America, with a striking and unusual appearance. The male's chunky white body (about 2 inches long), combined with the brownish-black bands on its translucent wings, give it a checkered look. The white on the abdomen, found only in mature males, is displayed to other males as a territorial threat. I saw several different dragonflies this day while actually out bird watching along the Eagle Roost Trail in the Salt Plains National Wildlife Reserve in northern Oklahoma. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved 20210622-DSC_4038-dng

Towering Sunflower by Debra Martz While spending a week in La Veta, Colorado in late September, I passed this sunflower a number of times. I had never seen a sunflower taller than the roofline of a house! Finally, drove intentionally there to stop for a photo. On private property, so I shot from the sidewalk from my eye level though it would have been neat to shoot from directly under it. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Flora 20210919-DSC_5337.NEF

Jewels From the Sun by Debra Martz The sun flare on the trees looked like jewels to me. Captured along the Goose Creek Trail outside of Red River, New Mexico. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved 20200629-DSC_0748

Santa Claus by Debra Martz Santa in front of lit Christmas tree. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved 20191215-DSC_6137.NEF

Just one of several varieties of coneflowers in my backyard. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Galleries/Collections: "Flora" "Digital Art Photography" 20210801-2021-08 Backyard Pink Coneflowers-Edit.tif

Abandoned in New Mexico Near Capulin Volcano by Debra Martz I was traveling west on highway 87 in New Mexico, when I saw these abandoned buildings and windmill. The rising mountain in the background is Capulin Volcano National Monument. You can see the road cut into the side which winds to the other side to the top. There is a trail at the top with views of portions of Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collections: "New Mexico" "Digital Art Photography" 202220210906-2021-09-06-IMG_5326 Converted my original photograph to black and white and added several textures for the finish.

Displaying Wild Turkey ©Debra Martz It was early morning and we were just starting our day of bird watching. Could not ask for a better start when this male gobbler appeared just off trail and went into full display. Captured at the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in South Texas on March 3rd. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: Feathered Friends 3 20230303-DSC_7227.NEF

Flower Power by Debra Martz While visiting the Beaufort National Cemetery in South Carolina, this bouquet stood out so boldly among all the white grave markers/tombstones. They powerfully spoke...we were here, you are not forgotten, memories of you still brighten our day. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Flora"

Pops 66 Soda by Debra Martz Travel along route 66 in Arcadia, Oklahoma and you will find this 66 foot tall soda structure weighing in at 4 tons. The stop includes over 600 varieties of soda displayed on a glass wall, restaurant, gas station and curio shop. Maybe some day I will pass by when the multi-colored neon structure is lit. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved

Snowy Egret Performance by Debra Martz It might look like a performance but it's their attitude about territory that gets them up in the air and running sideways like this. Incoming one wanting to take over the fishing spot where the other was being successful. If there are several in close proximity, you will most likely get a show like this! Captured below the spillway at the Great Salt Plains State Park in northern Oklahome. Some digital enhancements have been done in Topaz Impressions but masking out the birds about 90% to keep them true to form. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Galleries/Collection "Feathered Friends2" 20201015-DSC_1157-Edit-2.tif

Sweetums Muppet Show inspired illustration

What can I say? There are times that you arrive when the bird departs. I made it to the bottom of the spillway where the Great Salt Plains Lake flows into the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River in N. Oklahoma; a place that many birds like to fish. And though this Snowy Egret flew away, I was happy seeing it and others that had returned from their winter migration to the south. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Feathered Friends2" 20210429-DSC_3623

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Walking the New Orleans Riverwalk, taking in the scenery and finding unique things such as this gate to a pier covered with love locks. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved 20210512-DSC_4746-Edit.tif

Official Debra Lamb "Friendly Creep" merch of Without Your Head!

Posing Turkey Vulture by Debra Martz There is a sidewalk and stairs along each level of the spillway that I walk while bird watching. Rarely are there birds on the railings with the exception of the Turkey Vultures especially during fall migration. There were 4 here together but 3 flew immediately upon seeing me. This one, howeve, decided to just hold its own spot which allowed me a few closeup up photos. Great Salt Plains State Park is located near Jet and Cherokee, Oklahoma. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Feathered Friends 2" 20211001-DSC_6624.NEF

Great Blue Heron In Flight Over the Spillway by Debra Martz I go to the Great Salt Plains State Park in northern Oklahoma quite often for bird watching. The spillway is usually my first stop as more than likely birds will be either in the water fishing for food or in flight as they head downstream to the river. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Feathered Friends 2" 20210622-DSC_3997

In folklore, the full moon in May is known as the flower moon because it occurs as spring blossoms in the Northern Hemisphere. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved 20210525-DSC_3823.JPG

As if the Sandhill Cranes were not loud enough, from the field beyond the bay arose a very loud Murmuration of Starlings. European Starlings use murmuration to confuse predators and to keep warm. And it could have been either one on this morning as it was 24 degrees when we arrived and while watching mainly the Sandhill Cranes we witnessed about 10 Bald Eagles flying over the water and the grassy areas. Captured along the Eagle Roost Trail from the bird blind at Sandy Bay Creek in the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in northern Oklahoma. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Feathered Friends2" 20201210-DSC_2312.NEF

Pops 66 Station by Debra Martz Travel along route 66 in Arcadia, Oklahoma and you will find a 66 foot tall soda structure weighing in at 4 tons. The stop includes over 600 varieties of soda displayed on a glass wall, a restaurant, gas station and curio shop. This image is a partial section of the glass wall where the sodas are displayed as seen from the outside. Maybe some day I will pass by when it is lit at night in multi-colored neon. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved 20200602-DSC_0552-Edit-Enhanced.dng

The San Miguel Mission in Socorro New Mexico had fallen into such bad shape that it was closed in 2010. In November 2013, the Conrad Hilton Foundation awarded a $1.1 million grant. It is now restored, beautiful and an active Catholic Church. Missions were important parts of the trade routes traveled by Spanish and Indian alike. During the Spanish colonial period in New Mexico, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior), was the major trade route between Mexico City and Santa Fe in New Mexico. The Royal Road passed the village of the Pilabó, home to the Piro Indians which is near today's Socorro, NM. The Piro met Spanish settlers when Oñate's expedition stopped there, and later a Franciscan mission was started in ...

American White Pelican Early Morning Blues by Debra Martz I had been watching the Pelicans at the spillway for over 45 minutes with some fishing together and others alone like this one. The morning light plays an important part of the colors of the water. Only 18 minutes earlier the water was all solid gold during the golden hour; now only parts of the ripples are still reflecting that gold. Captured at the Great Salt Plains in northern Oklahoma during fall migration. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Galleries/Collections: "Feathered Friends 2" 20210929-DSC_6303.NEF

Frog in the Sunlight by Debra Martz As I walked the trail along the stream frogs were jumping into the water. I came to a bridge and looked down when I spotted this one with the sun shining brightly upon it. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Wildlife" 202220160304-DSC_3072

Just a Sliver of the Moon by Debra Martz Heading out for an early morning of bird watching and watching the moonset. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved 20211202-DSC_9350

Pelican Togetherness by Debra Martz These two appeared to be paired together and still looking a bit dreamy eyed on this early morning. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Feathered Friends 2" 20211003-DSC_6958.NEF

I saw my very first Red-headed Woodpecker after moving to northern Oklahoma in late 2019. Since then, it has been my dream to capture an image of one. That dream happened in just a split second when this one landed along the Eagle Roost trail and just as quickly disappeared deep into the trees. I slowly made my way closer to where it landed in hopes it might return but after some time of waiting, I continued on my hike. Someday I will get that close-up shot of my dreams. But this image shows just how striking this woodpecker is. "The Red-headed Woodpecker has many nicknames, including half-a-shirt, shirt-tail bird, jellycoat, flag bird, and the flying checker-board." Quoted from AllAboutBirds.org ©Debra Martz, All Rights R...

Hostiles - A Day on Set No1 by Debra Martz While spending a few weeks in Chama, NM during September 2016, a filming/studio crew arrived in town. For a week or so, we would go by the Chama train depot to see the design crew at work. They were painting signage for buildings and revamping some older train/passenger cars for what would be a day on set of filming for the movie Hostiles. From early morning until the end of the day, these extras repeatedly did their parts in staging for the scene. Finally, January 2018 the film came to the movie theaters! After going to see the movie, I came home and went through some of the pictures I took that day of filming. The train depot portion is at the end of the movie and while weeks of prep and an ...

Graceful Flight of a Herring Gull by Debra Martz While the activity of birds was heavy on the water, I took to watching this young Herring Gull making lazy and graceful circles in the sky each time coming just a bit closer to me. In a few more years it will be a white gull with a yellow beak sporting a red dot. Captured at the Great Salt Plains State Park in northern Oklahoma during fall migration. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Feathered Friends 3" 20211107-DSC_8586.NEF

Red River of Northern New Mexico by Debra Martz The Red River of New Mexico is a short river which flows from the north slope of Mount Wheeler in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It flows west through the towns of Red River and Questa and then south where it converges with Rio Grande. Within the Norte Del Rio Grande National Monument ( a Bureau of Land Management property) one can take in the view of the convergence from the Lajunta Campground. This scene, however, is from a foot bridge which crosses the river just behind the Eagle Rock Lake between Red River and Questa. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection "New Mexico" 20200629-DSC_0772

Eye to Eye With A Damselfly by Debra Martz After a full morning of bird photography, it was back to the campground to rest for awhile. So, I put my camera with the long lens away and got out my camera with a macro lens and began looking for smaller things in nature. This blue damselfly presented itself to me but I had to get down on its level; down to the ground I went and it waited for me! ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved In My Gallery/Collection: "Butterflies Bees Insects" 20211002-DSC_5445

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Some Bunny Loves Flowers by Debra Martz This little cottontail rabbit had been on the other side of my backyard enjoying my Petunias. It ate a number of the blooms before hopping across the yard making stops along the way to check out other flowers. I had a good laugh when it checked out this yellow flower and frog which is the base of my birdbath. ©Debra Martz, All Rights Reserved