autumn gold & reds

Senderos de guardería-cueva del medio-cueva chica-silla del diablo.
Monumento Natural Cueva del Milodón - Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (mayo de 2016)

High deciduous beech / Nothofagus pumilio / Lenga.
Senderos de guardería-cueva del medio-cueva chica-silla del diablo.
Monumento Natural Cueva del Milodón - Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (mayo de 2016)

autumn light

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (mayo de 2016)

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (mayo de 2016)

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (mayo de 2016)

stieglitz inspired clouds

Shooting clouds & thinking about Alfred Stieglitz, photography, and falling in love.

When I first met James 11 years ago, the topic of our 23 year age difference was discussed. At that time, I was 28 and he was 51. He jokingly assured me that he had the mentality of an 18 year old.

On a more serious note, he said to me, "Do you know the photographer Alfred Stieglitz?"

"Yes, of course." I answered, thinking about the series of cloud images that Stieglitz had made. He was one of the photographers who had inspired me to start shooting.

Then James asked, "Are you familiar with the artist Georgia O'Keeffe?"

"Yes," I said.

"Did you know that Stieglitz and O'Keeffe were lovers?"

I remembered seeing a few Steiglitz portraits of O'Keeffe, but did not realize they were intimate. I shook my head no.

"Well, they were," he said. "They had 23 years between them and they had a historical love affair."

After this conversation I looked at all the images Stieglitz made of O'Keeffe. In the days of film and silver gelatin prints, he had made over 300 portraits of her. I was sold.

Sunrise from Aurelo Rozas
Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Sunrise Aurelio Rozas
Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

low tide canal señoret

Canal Señoret, Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Canal Señoret, Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

rocodromo natales

Rocodromo Natales - Pasaje Luis Cruz Martinez 178
Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Rocodromo Natales - Pasaje Luis Cruz Martinez 178
Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

drama in the skies

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

huerto sunset

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

lenticulars

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

huerto horses

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

school for cowboys

When we asked Raivo (at age 5) if he was ready to go to school, he told us that he wanted to go to school only if it was a school that would teach him how to ride horses. The only time Raivo had been on a horse was when I was 3 months pregnant with him, riding up the trail along Chile's Cochamo Valley. He had been able to approach and touch the horses on Isla Navarino, but never mounted one. 

Thanks to Tomas Marusic, the kids' first riding lesson in Natales was bareback, on the horses living on his huerto.

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

sunset skating natales

Crazy Clouds
Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Red rubber boots on longboard.
Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Beautiful T.
Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Cerro Dorotea & Natales
Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

tw at 6 days

Tarzán William at 6 days old.
Camino 1, Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Tarzán William at 6 days old.
Camino 1, Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Tarzán William getting blessed with sunshine and farm land grasses.
Camino 1, Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

eberhard estancia

Feather in the field.
Estancia Eberhard. Puerto Consuelo - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (abril de 2016)

Estancia Eberhard. Puerto Consuelo - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (abril de 2016)

Big chain links.
Estancia Eberhard. Puerto Consuelo - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (abril de 2016)

arrival home

Arrival at home - 48 hours after delivery - into the arms of Tormentina.
Puerto Natales - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (abril de 2016)

Puerto Natales - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (abril de 2016)

hospital augusto essmann, puerto natales

In Auckland, New Zealand, I gave birth to Pearl in the Ponsonby home of my mid-wife Tina Patrick, and we returned home to Anasazi Girl in the Viaduct in less than 24 hours.

My first two children were born in Jackson, Wyoming where patients are released within 24 hours of observation. With high altitude there is higher risk of jaundice in newborns.

For a normal delivery in Chile, hospitals require 48 hours of observation in the hospital before patients are released. 

I spent two nights at the Augusto Essmann Hospital, in a shared room with six beds, all with women in different stages of pregnancy/childbirths. During my stay, there were 3 women who had experienced normal births and one who had a c-section. Two women were there for observation for early contractions and one was just about to give birth. 

The new hospital, slated to be completed within the next year, will allow more space in the maternity ward along with more capacity for equipment. Due to the lack of space, no children under age 12 are allowed to visit the maternity ward, but the midwives on duty made an exception to allow my wild ones in for two brief visits as being separated from them for two whole days was too much.

Tarzan 3 hours old.
Hospital Augusto Essmann, Puerto Natales - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (abril de 2016)

 TW at 4 hours after birth looking like a little Buddah.
Hospital Augusto Essmann, Puerto Natales - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (abril de 2016)

Tarzan & Mila Perez - Matrona, Hospital Augusto Essmann,
Puerto Natales - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (abril de 2016)

Above: Even after a long and intense overnight shift in Maternity/Obstetrics at the Augusto Gussman Hospital, Mila still wears this stunning smile. She is one of the reasons we came to Natales to give birth to #4. One of four midwives at Augusto Gussman, she made me feel instantly at ease about being able to have a natural birth in Natales when I visited the hospital last October.

tarzán william

At 40 weeks & 6 days, #4 finally arrived into our world. Anatomical scan in October had us thinking we had a girl, but when the baby slid out we were surprised to see Tarzán William swinging from the cord!

Thank you to my mid-wife Alejandra Beatriz Bonacic Gonazales and to my nurse Kary Ojeda Canumán for delivering a healthy little boy into our lives.

Now to figure out how to fit a fourth crew member aboard Anasazi Girl! I think we need to get a multi-hull!

Tarzán William, April 6th 2016 at 9:52 am, 3.5 kgs.
Hospital Augusto Essmann
Puerto Natales - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (6 de abril de 2016)
Photo by Kary Ojeda Canumán

ABOVE:  Mouth & nose wiped clean for the first breaths of LIFE outside the womb. Impossible to describe in words the intensity of emotion felt at this beautiful moment. So fortunate to have experienced this immense joy not only once, but four times in my life. 

Thank you to my nurse Kary Ojeda Canumán for making images for me in post-delivery.

ready to pop

Discomfort. Camera phone self portrait at 38 years. End of the last trimester carrying #4.
Calle O'Higgins. Puerto Natales - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (abril de 2016)

relaxed

Relaxed. Hot water.
Pearl during her last days of being the youngest in the family.
Calle O'Higgins. Puerto Natales - Provincia de Última Esperanza, CHILE/ Region XII (abril de 2016)

lenticulars

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

sleeping beauties

One of the last few mornings alone before the arrival of baby #4.
Puerto Natales, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

the incredilble beauty of puerto prat

View of the Eberhard Fjord from the hillsides.
Puerto Prat, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Pastures & Fences
Puerto Prat, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Found Feathers.
Puerto Prat, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Running through the pastures of Willy & Alicia Ruiz's campo.
Puerto Prat, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

Majestic
Puerto Prat, Provincia de Última Esperanza, Region XII CHILE (abril de 2016)

hospital augusto essman, puerto natales

My first 3D ultrasound and consultation with an OB-GYN since I became pregnant with baby #4 in Chile was at 37 weeks pregnant. All previous consultations were done with a "matron" or mid-wife on Navarino Island.

The "old" hospital, with b&w photos of the indigenous tribes of Tierra del Fuego in the waiting area.
New Hospital is currently under construction and due to be completed in another year.
Hospital Augusto Essmann -  Puerto Natales - Provinicia Última Esperanza - CHILE / XII Región (marzo de 2016)

Doctora Alexandra Maldonado Tover, Ginecología y Obstetricia. Alexandra is one of two
OB-GYNs working in Natales - big responsibility for this little mountain community.
Hospital Augusto Essmann -  Puerto Natales - Provinicia Última Esperanza - CHILE / XII Región (marzo de 2016)