August 2015
Photo courtesy Sandro D. Vogel
A yin black sky threatens. Expressive sculpted clouds–like the swirls and rugged lines reminiscent of the American painter Thomas Hart Benton’s dramatic creations—scoot across the sky.
Simultaneously– I remember bobbing at anchor in Southeast Alaska and similar dark clouds racing—and us stuck in sea for it was too rough beyond the bay to boat back home.
If these Oregon clouds break and explode with water—it will seem, for a few minutes, like a normal season—not this drought-parched sunstroke of a summer.
It’s always rained hard here in August.
Annual great gusts followed by pounding drops — scouring the landscape to reveal base-scent of rich earth, flowers of all kinds, shapes and colors, and Bruce’s ripening blackberries.
A few days later …
It rained softly last night for five to ten minutes while we sat under the porch and listened. No downpour like I imagined might come last Thursday but didn’t.
Instead.
Sunday’s moisture-dusting brought forth the everywhere smell of pungent clay and over-ripe cantaloupe, and it wasn’t quite what I hoped for.
Mule Springs 
Can you see the smoke from Mt. Adams fire from your farm? Paula
Can you see the smoke from Mt. Adams fire from your farm? Paula
Hi Paula:
So when I look down the canyon toward town all I see is smoke, so I think that must be the Mt Adams or Canyon Creek Fire, and then when I look up the canyon here toward Mt Hood, I can also see some smoke forming, and I suspect that is from the upper end of 5 mile fire that is burning near Camp Baldwin. Of course, for us that is the one to watch. I actually already loaded my horse trailer and it is on the back of my truck up at the house. Trying to be ready. Looked at the fire hoses too–depending I may lay those out later… This is like living in hurricane country, but for us it is fire country. Sigh.