Weekend Showcase: Cold Ruru

Recently, I put a call out for guest posts on the Braymere Custom Saddlery Facebook. One of the people who responded was Cold Ruru. A resident of the French Alps, Ruru is one of the hobby's best photographers. I am constantly amazed by the pictures she posts of her model Appaloosas in front of mountains, castles, oceans and European landmarks. When she asked what I'd like to see in a guest post, I said: Mountains, water, castles, Appaloosas! In hindsight that was probably a ridiculous ask, but Ruru was more than up to the task. She sent me not one but two beautiful guest posts. This one is mostly focused on mountains, but there's also a little bit of water and a whole lot of spots. Thank you, Ruru!

First of all, Mountains

by Cold Ruru

It might be difficult to believe, but I come from a country with no mountains at all. Belgium, as Jacques Brel sings, "Le plat pays qui est le mien." The flat country who's mine.

"Does that count as landscape?"
photo taken at Atomium, Brussels, Belgium

I moved to the mountains in another better known country than mine, France. Some of my pictures come from the French Pyreneans...

but most are from the French side of the Alps.

This side is drier, wilder and more impressive to me. The Unesco Géoparc of the Haute Provence Alps is filled with natural curiosities, that push me into a photographic frenzy. I want to take pictures of everything! If the mountains are curious looking, that's because a large part of it is made of Black Earth. This can be seen in several places, but I do not dare to climb there. It is very fragile.

taken at Dourbes, France

The earth also can be very colorful. This is the ochre quarry that can be found in Provence.

taken at Rustell, France

Other unexpected colours are found near hot water sources, which are rich in sulfur and create amazing patterns. 

taken at Mt Dauphin, France

There are so many natural and beautiful shades of earth and stone!

taken at Mt Dauphin, France

If you want to travel in fantasy lands, you can found Hoodoo (or fairy chimney) that, typically consists of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements and erosion.

taken at Pontis, France

Which leads me to the Petrifiying Fountains, in places where water is too rich in limestone, that creates such out of the world landscapes.

taken at Réotier, France

Speaking of which, there is a  very short and constricted canyon in the Alps called "les Clues (de Barles)". Transverse valleys form a water gap where, during the course of earth history, the erosion of a river cuts a path through a mountain.

taken at Barles, France

My favorite one is at Les Mées, which owes its notoriety to the narrow rocks rising up more than one hundred metres behind the town.

taken at Les Mées, France

In all the varieties of landscape, I see wild horses wandering... 

But it's not just the beauty of the landscape that catches my eyes, it's also the weather. Sunshine is an obvious choice...

taken at Céüse, France

but I must admit... I do prefer clouds and mists,

taken at la Pierre Percée, France

Storms!

taken at Selonnet, France

and even, snow.

taken at Col Fanget, France

That's what I love about mountains. They are ever changing and filled with challenge, but also, a good place to let your horses play,

taken at Mt Dauphin, France

struggle to found their path,

taken at Chabanon, France

face the weather,

taken at Col Fanget, France

brave the elements,

 taken at Grand Serre's Waterfall, France

amaze us...

taken at Pré de Mme Carle, France

And watch the sun go down!

taken at Selonnet

And I hope you do not like the sea best!

taken at la Mer du Nord (north sea), Belgium