It started quietly enough. The lightning that came through on August 17 made little thunder here where I live in Quincy, CA. The sky was merely overcast, no big cumulonimbus clouds with anvil tops, no gusty winds or rain or hail, no brilliant flashes from lightning bolts. But Mother Nature can be subtle in Her appearance and movement yet devastating in Her strength and punches.
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow.
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The next day I went out for a bicycle ride. This was the first hint of what lay in store:
By the following day we were getting socked in by the smoke:
Nasty as it was, it did give me an opportunity for some experimental photography:
On the morning of the third day it was becoming merely ob-noxious:
The fire spread fast, coming up out of the Middle Fork of the Feather River and moved north and east, devouring dry timber and brush and anything that would burn. Mandatory evacuations for sections of Quincy were ordered.
By the fourth day:
I didn’t even go out on the 22nd. Ventured out one block away from the house on the 23rd for this shot:
On the 24th a tiny bit of relief came in the way of rain, but it didn’t help much:
For the next few days I just stuck around the house, going out only for groceries. Who would want to go out in this?
Lo and Behold! There did come one day of clearing:
Alas, the clearer days lasted about that one day.
By yesterday it was pretty much yucky once again:
So…. yup. It’s still smoky this morning and who knows how much longer it’s going to last? Maybe weeks, but for certain not much more than that. So, take advantage and take a photo of an orange moon.
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Now It's Your Turn
What have you noted happening in your area or travels? As usual post your observations as well as their general location in the comments.
Thank you.