VOTE. VOTE NOW. VOTE FOR CONSERVATION.

IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW.

How did we switch from “Doing” to “Being?” Taking in the gorgeous fall here in New Mexico has been all about just being enchanted.

Maximilian Sunflowers at my cousin’s house. ©Connie Bransilver

Our “doing” was taking two intensive acting classes and signing up for Background, Stand-in and minor acting roles. Connie has two on the acting resume, and Nicholas one. You may know that Netflix has been filming in NM for a number of years. “Chambers” is being filmed now, starring Uma Thurman. We are in Episode 8, and they are still filming so there may be more. The ten episode series will be out next year. Some of you may know that Netflix is buying Albuquerque Studios and pledging millions of dollars in production and local hiring, so . . . stand by! Photography strictly forbidden, so you will have to wait.

To be ready for anything, and just to have fun, Nicholas and I are horseback riding. I was once quite a cowgirl, so for me, it’s a tune up. For Nicholas, it is learning experience, sometimes quite bumpy. This photo was made when my sister, Roberta, and I went on a trail ride in the foothills around Cerrillos.

Two Riders in the Sandia Foothills ©Connie Bransilver

I have not yet latched onto a new conservation project. I believe the right project will appear when the time is right. Agua es Vida calls, but I need to define a goal. Anyone have ideas or suggestions? Nicholas is just getting back to painting and presenting his work to galleries.

Acequias in Color and Light. ©Connie Bransilver

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has come and gone and will return again next October. Come!

Balloons Ascending ©Connie Bransilver

The New Mexico State Fair with the rodeo and races was a walk through memory lane. The rodeo was spectacular. Obviously, I loved the barrel racing and roping best, but the photos were best on the bucking stock. Emily and Mary Darnell invited me to help give the trophy to the winner of the 6-1/2 Furlong Casey Darnell Futurity, and join them and friends in the Jockey Club. Was that ever a blast, and a wonderful re-entry to the NM rodeo/horse racing world. Friends and their families. For Nicholas, it was seeing the real deal up close. These are not movie cowboys!

Not Connie Barrel Racing ©Connie Bransilver

Come to The Land of Enchantment. Adobe, clean clean air, hot summer days, cool evenings, and now, a piñon fire in the fireplace at night. Magical light.

The View From Acoma Pueblo ©Connie Bransilver

Ballooning Over the Rio Grande River Video ©Connie Bransilver

Buddy Cockatoo enjoying one of the last warm days in his favorite cottonwood. ©Connie Bransilver

Nike PR Features Lea

Please check it out.  Many of you are curious about my daughter, Lea’s, work at Nike.  Here it is in Nike’s latest PR about the multi-year effort to improve working conditions in their Asia factories, and further, to coordinate with other manufacturers to do the same.  https://sustainability.nike.com/making-product-responsibly

Glorious Spring in New Mexico

Sandhill Cranes have long since left our rural neighborhood and rattled north.

Bearded iris in the garden - Mother’s fine, approving of our new digs.

Acoma Pueblo, Sky City, dates back to 1100 AD. View of Katzimo Mesa, the original pueblo site.

Acoma today

Hands of Acoma potter Gary Louis with our new horsehair pot.

From our balloon to another.

Middle Rio Grande, achingly dry this year.  Our house, upper middle.

Gathering of Nations PowWow - 500 US & Canadian nations.

The Land of Enchantment IS:

We have been nesting since January in our new 50-year-old Nat Kaplan adobe house and studio and making it ours. Now it’s time to celebrate the joy of a desert spring and the warmth and friendliness of neighbors and friends. We will continue with direct sales of oil paintings and photos, but Nicholas will also be talking with galleries in Santa Fe and elsewhere to market his work. We will also be marketing the Guardians of the Everglades portraits and accompanying stories. I will find another conservation project, and what is screaming for my attention is the increasing drought and the fights over water. Agua es vida.  Simple as that.

From Paradise to Enchantment

An Exit and an Entrance

We began the Guardians of the Everglades® multi-media project with great hopes of reaching and educating a broad range of individuals in the benefits of Everglades conservation.  We are very grateful for the eleven Guardians who, together, stand as role models for various ways of serving conservation.

As you know, and as our web site states, the purpose was “To introduce the public to the fragile beauty of the Everglades and its unique ecosystem; to honor today’s leadership in conservation and restoration through great art and compelling human stories; and to encourage the public and policy makers to participate in the protection of the Everglades.”  GuardiansoftheEverglades.com

Sadly, our efforts to secure financial support to bring the project to the public through exhibitions, a documentary film and book, or even any of those, were insufficient.  Thus, we have had to conclude that we must abandon the project, at least for the time being, and focus our efforts elsewhere. 

We welcome the opportunity to discuss with you what efforts we have made to raise funds through grants, auctions and individual donors. If you want to know more or offer other sources, please contact us. We will always be open to bringing the Guardians’ extraordinary stories, and our love of the Everglades to the public.

Land of Enchantment

Sunset across the valley and volcanos to Mt. Taylor

Balloon Capital of the World

Chile Capital of the World

Desert Rose

Devotion at Chimayo

El Rancho, Santa Fe County

Navajo Code Talkers

We will be moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, January 17.  We will be living in an adobe by artist Nat Kaplan, big enough to embrace us, our cockatoo, a studio for each of us, and plenty of room for friends. If you plan to use the mails or visit us, contact us and I will send you the street address in the village of Los Ranchos, NM. Phone numbers and email will remain the same.

New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment — big sky, embracing mountains, supporting earth in soft greens and tans, clear air, multiple cultures, comfortable and familiar. We chose a home near the bosque, alongside a major acequia with walking trails through our cottonwood forest.  When we first arrived at the house a covey of quail scattered through the yard, sandhill cranes rattled as they lifted off, and robins scolded from a big cottonwood. We saw a road runner, too, and each day a plethora of balloons.

The magical light is eternal. 

From Connie:  In NM, we embrace our varied cultures completely. When you come from a place whose history is as rich as New Mexico’s, as I do, you can’t deny it or hide from it.  Who we are in relation to this place compels us to move forward, somewhat exposed, regardless of our personal circumstances.  And that makes for some serious creative energy. New Mexico allows — encourages — eccentricity. Aldous Huxley chose New Mexico for his maybe-not-so-fictional non-conformists in ‘Brave New World’. Yea!

Nicholas “got it” first visit, years ago.  We hit the ground, visited my parents’ graves, then headed straight up the tram to Sandia Crest to have a look — 100 miles west across the valley to Mt. Taylor.  The Sandia Mountains are named for the watermelon color they wear reflecting the setting sun.  He loves the space, the freedom, the painter’s light, and the changing seasons. 

This may seem sudden.  It is not.  For five years or more we invited friends, colleagues and strangers to visit and to help bring Guardians of the Everglades to a greater audience. We wrote dozens of grant applications, proposals, and knocked on many doors. Several stepped forward to help and we thank:  Sandy Cannon-Brown, The Mamdani Foundation;  Lighthawk;  Puffin Foundation;  Franklin Adams, Deb Jansen, Mary Barley, Lee Tiger, Ed Carlson, Nat Reed, Clyde and Niki Butcher; local newspapers, NPR, Naples Illustrated, Gulf Shore Life, and most recently and exuberantly, éBella Magazine for its Arts Edition feature of Guardians of the Everglades. There were many, many, many others who offered support, guidance and encouragement. Thank you.

In my opinion, it matters not whether you “believe in” climate change or have drunk the Kool-Aid of denial.  For 20 years I have seen, photographed, talked about, written about and understand that the changes are well underway all over the world, with south Florida especially vulnerable. It is not a pretty picture.  We are moving from flood to drought, but we all live in the extremes. We see it coming. With great regret we leave a fractured more violent world to our children and grandchildren. 

My dear friend, Amb. Cinnamon Dornsife, has the last word:  “Keep upbeat, dear Connie - the negativity is intense, but all that you are doing is too important to let languish - or to allow circumstances and political climate to make you feel like it is too hard to succeed.The negative forces win, if you let that happen...hard as it is to keep positive, you must challenge yourselves to do so.”

We will.

Season's Start in Naples

iLCP WILDSpeak Electrifying

We come from 28 countries, joining to share our conservation projects and explore current critical issues.  All 108 of us have earned the title of “Fellow.” I am proudly a Senior Founding Fellow and current Board member. We represent the world’s leading nature, wildlife and cultural photographers and filmmakers. At WILDSpeak we join with scientific and conservation organizations as well as interested individuals to explore shared goals. WILDSpeak 2017 comes at a time of major policy shifts and in the environmental landscape, when foundations of historical, hard-fought wins in conservation feel as if they are disintegrating, causing opinions to rage. As the emotional stakes are high, it is crucial that we discover sound solutions and ways to push our shared conservation goals forward.

WILDSpeak 2018 is planned for Washington, DC, November 13 & 14, 2018.  Subsequent venues are being considered for India and Germany. Everyone is welcome.

“On the left, Fellow Jeff Orlowski, Director of Chasing Coral, which can be downloaded on Netflix.”

“Public Lands are under political threat.  You own them.  They are ours!  On the left, Caroline Niemczyk of the Trust for Public Lands.”

“South African Ranger Peter Chadwick exposed the complex human/animal challenges in supporting Africa’s Conservation Ranger Force.”

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We’ve Been Scouted — Again this Season

The Scout Guide Naples is a city guide that highlights the premier independent businesses in Naples, FL, and its surrounding areas. We are honored to be featured in this prestigious publication. Stop by for your free copies.

As seen in The Scout Guide.

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Note:  We are still digging out from Hurricane Irma, seeking roofers, landscapers, fence builders and all.  The pain does not stop when the film crews move on, but at least we now have power, clean water and a dry, sturdy house and studio.  The Everglades ecosystem is still under very high water.  How the changes such as the salinity balance will affect the flora and fauna is still unknown.  What Caribbean seeds may have been blown into our sub-tropical paradise?

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AOL is OUT. 

PLEASE DELETE bransilver@aol.com & PetrucciNicholas@aol.com

NEW BUSINESS EMAIL: nicholasandconnie@gmail.com

CONTINUING BUSINESS EMAILS:
connie@ConnieBransilver.com
nicholas@NicholasPetrucci.com
GuardiansoftheEverglades@gmail.com

Home Again After Hurricane Irma

The eye of Irma went right over our house, according to a neighbor who stayed. We followed mandatory evacuation orders and fled to Orlando till yesterday. Both house and studio fared well. Lots of downed trees and trashed garden as well as torn screens which we are cleaning up. No power for another 10 days. No gasoline which makes me love my Prius even more. No ice but we have plenty to eat. Hot. Hot. Hot. We will report more when we can. Till then think cool thoughts. I love the rainforest but not this!

Connie & Nicholas

Buddy is happy back home too

Good News. The docks survived the 5 1/2 foot surge.

My mangled mango tree