Broken Rainbow

...my view this morning out the living room windows.  It's very warm, humid and suffocating today, I'm thinking because the clouds are pressing the heat down--like a steam iron.  This rainbow was beautiful as it struck one of the hidden valleys, lighting it up like a beacon, but more interesting to me were those odd streaks that broke up the arc...

Two Views

...forest fires continue to rage, the air heavy with smoke, a choking reminder of what's happening out of sight and out of control.

This is a shot I took in late May, across the valley below my mountain...

The smoke-filled valley this afternoon, so thick it completely blocked the sun, making the day seem perilously close to dusk...

La luna

...I was out on the front deck last night looking for shooting stars.  During the height of the Perseids over the weekend, the smoke was so thick from the fires, I couldn't see a thing.  Last night, instead of stars, I was captivated by the moon, half full and beautiful in the sky.

I'll take the moon over the sun any day...

Across the River

...I spotted a perfect little opening in the dense foliage along the river this morning whilst walking the dogs.  Though the underbrush is thick and lush in the fullness of Summer, I was able to capture this quiet moment...

Sunset...

...and the view from my back garden of the last sunset before the valley was filled with smoke from the forest fires raging in southern Oregon.  The air is tainted and harsh.  It has been a brutal Summer of heat, lightning and no rain...

My Back Garden...

...where a beautiful, mysterious bloom has burst out of the soil, wedging itself between a dahlia and a wildflower.  I love the amazing adaptability of nature.