Took the bus this morning to coffee and also to drop off my ballot at the drop box located on campus. Taking the bus is much easier than driving and finding a place to pay to park. I also need the walking. I took this image as I stepped off the bus. It has been several weeks since we have been able to see Longs Peak due to the smoke from the fires. A cold front brought in high winds yesterday that cleared the air, blew leaves into Kansas and also brought much needed moisture to the Cameron Peak fire. More wind is predicted for today, both a curse and a blessing. It was nice to not smell smoke this morning.
This past Sunday evening, because there wasn’t have much smoke in the air, I made a quick run out to Reservoir Ridge. Just as I pulled up the sun began dropping behind the mountains. I grabbed the camera and got in 6 images before the scene was gone. The wind changed Sunday night, coming from the north-northwest, causing the smoke to drift over the city and front range. We expect more of the same today with a light foggy look to everything.
Anyway, after taking the 6 images I did a walk to the bridge and back, about 3 miles. I had eaten a burrito earlier so I left my camera and journal behind and focused on the walk, jotting down what I experienced later. I’m noticing it is getting colder now that we’re in the first week of October. The humidity from the irrigated hay field next to the trail makes it even cooler for the first quarter mile. As I approached the pond I could hear the chorus of red winged blackbirds and yellow-headed blackbirds among the cattails. They sounded louder than usual and seemed like there were more of them. A sudden lull in their chorus caused me to stop walking, ears perked, but they quickly started up again. I then heard mallards calling out and watched as they made their landing approach onto the pond for the night. I watched milkweed follicles being released from their pods, floating across the open fields, clinging to leaves, cattails, rabbitbrush, natures velcro. Trees were showing their fall colors and releasing leaves for their fall descent. Even with cooler weather the mosquitoes buzzed around me but I don’t seem sweet enough to bite. When I returned to the car I couldn’t help but smile at the beauty I experienced in that short hour, even with the fires burning. Then a question crossed my mind from something I read this past week, does nature also seek “to be love” as Cedric suggests?
An image of the sun about to set at a local park on Tuesday evening
Thursday and Friday of last week were very smokey over the city. The smoke filters the sun and changes the colors and shadows of everything, bringing on an otherworldly look. It has an affect on peoples moods, adding stress to the pandemic and our countries unrest. On Friday evening I drove out to one of the natural areas because I thought I may find an image to show just how the smoke looks from here. The top image was taken about an hour before sunset, all is dark and gloomy and the sun has a deep red color.
Thankfully, not everyday is like this. Saturday was a nice reprieve, winds blew in our favor so we enjoyed blue skies and not as much soot and ash falling on us. I’m wearing my mask practically all of the time and have my windows and doors closed just because of the snoke. It’s a good time to stay inside. Our Colorado sunsets are just not the same.
Milkweed seeds ready to be released into the wind from 4 days ago
orange veiled moon above eastern horizon forest fire ablaze
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Yes, I know the title does not match the image but it’s my blog.
While on a walk yesterday evening I notice the eerie color of the moon and the above haiku popped into my mind. Wrote it down as soon as I got back and then tried to take a photo of the moon. I was not happy with how the images turned out so all you get is the haiku and a milkweed image. 😊 The smoke does act as a decent filter to alter the color of the moon but I was not able to satisfactorily capture that.
This morning the smell of smoke was the first thing I noticed as I stepped out the door. You could look down the street or across the pond and see the smoke from the Cameron Peak Fire as it casts its haze everywhere. The fire is now over 125,000 acres but has tapered down some due to a good freeze last night. Their update this morning is positive news. We see and smell it constantly, a reminder the fire is still ablaze.
Happy Sunday morning to you. Will have a busy day starting with laundry, lunch with my friend Dan and then meet up with Tom and Kathy Dills. Could be one of those days I eat too much. No hot dates scheduled, yet. 😊
Very pleased to see a lot of blue sky this morning. The Cameron Peak fire is still burning but winds are sending the smoke north of us. Yesterday, a storm system brought gusty wind conditions from 15-30 mph which promoted fire activity. Today, firefighters will add depth and expand fire lines around the 237 mile perimeter. Windy conditions and possible thunderstorms today will serve as a test of existing firelines. That’s from the Inciweb report this morning.
Found these mushrooms outside Mugs at the Oval this morning. Knelt down for a couple shots, then felt my age as I stood back up. I sure ain’t as limber as I was last week. But, I’m confident there are enough young college kids around who would help an old man up.
They are using the open field north of the CSU Research Center as a helicopter staging area, which is next to the Reservoir Ridge Natural Area. The above image was taken last night as one of the helicopters was ending their day. I think there were six or seven helicopters on the ground, fuel trucks and mechanics waiting for them. As you can see the smoke sits atop of us, no blue sky. Very little wind. Even after receiving 14 inches of snow the fire smolders. As the fuel drys the fire burns a bit more each day and is unfortunately making its way towards Red Feathers Lake and Crystal Lakes where there are several homes and cabins. They are unincorporated communities and census-designated places and of course a post office. They have been under a voluntary evacuation for a couple weeks now. The smoke is visible this morning and makes the throat tender.
Sunset at Reservoir Ridge during Cameron Peak Fire
I had my first encounter with a rattlesnake at the nature area between taking these two images. It was nice having several people warn me about the snake and where it was located. Once I approached the snake it made sure to shake it’s rattlers and let me know it’s physical distancing boundaries. I admit it was difficult to see it but easy to hear it. It was coiled about six inches off the trail and ready to strike if anyone dared to cross it’s boundaries. I wasn’t in a daring mood so I respected those boundaries. I even began a dialogue with it hoping to help it relax a bit, it seemed rather tense. Told it I was only passing by and to have a good night.
French Press brewing and waiting for Irish Oats to finish cooking
It’s a cool 33 degrees with light snow falling. I most likely will not be sitting on my porch this morning to journal and read. Sitting in the recliner wrapped in a blanket sounds more enticing. The latest report shows the high winds yesterday helped the Cameron Peak fire to grow to over 100k acres with more mandatory evacuations. Made a French Press and ate a bowl of Irish Oats, now off to the recliner. 😊
