Prescribed Burn

 We drove to Moab for a couple of days exploring while Todd and family were engaged in their normal routine. I will generate a post or two based on our experiences there after I have time to work on the photos. The return trip to Salt Lake City provided one unique experience. 

As we drove, we could see one ominous plume of smoke rising in the distance. For some reason, I concluded this was a coal-powered electricity generation facility. As we got closer and closer, I thought it might be a fire, and soon signs on the roadside said: "Prescribed burn - do not report."  

We eventually reached a point at which we could view the fire and interpret what seemed to be the point. They were burning the material near the top of a ridge line.

I now take most photos with my iPhone, but I did have one of my cameras with us and I used the telephoto to get a closer look. If you look in the lower right-hand corner of this photo, you should see a helicopter. I was a little late in catching the copter in action, but it was carrying some kind of tank of flammable material that it would shoot out to start the burn and it was leaving to refill as I took this photo. 

Aspen

There is a drive I frequently take in the fall between Danbury and Webster, WI.  There is  one hill that is all yellow, and I often try to capture the image without a result that I think reflects what I experience in person. Fall colors in Minnesota and Wisconsin are brilliant, with the bright red of maples and other deciduous trees. The mix of the evergreens and trees with brilliantly colored leaves mixed among the lakes is impressive. 

The yellow trees I always find so impressive in mass are Aspens. 

We are visiting Todd, Jess, and Porter in Salt Lake City and now have the opportunity to view the fall colors with the mountains in the background. They don't seem to have reds at this altitude, but the Aspens are spectacularly bright in color and density.

Washington Game Night

Seattle is a great place to visit, but one story before any comments on the gam

Cindy, Greg, and Lauri took an Uber for breakfast to try out a local eatery. I stayed at the hotel because my feet were sore, and I knew it would be a very long day. Cindy has a special bag she one of those cross-body purses she likes to use on our trips. To buckle her seat belt, she took the bag off. Yes, she forgot the bag when they got out of the vehicle. For drivers, forgetting things is common, but for riders, it can be pretty scary. Greg booked the ride, so he could contact the service, and the driver located the bag and shared a photo so everyone knew it had been found. Getting it back was a challenge and took over three hours. Although they had a phone number, Greg couldn't reach the driver. It all made sense afterward. The driver didn't understand English, so trying to communicate by phone was useless. At some point, Cindy sent a text message and this brought responses, sometimes in Chinese. Both Cindy and the driver were relying on their phones to translate and that was productive. Another part of the experience: Cindy had an Apple tracker in her purse. So we all could watch the driver move about the area in real time. Hopes would rise when he was close to the hotel and sink when he headed off in a different direction. Eventually, he indicated he was on his way and the purse was returned. 

The trip to the game was unique. We went by boat and spent several hours on Lake Washington. Tailgating near the stadium is evidently a theme. Part of the tour included a pass by of the homes of the rich and famous - Bezos and Gates.

It turns out not all stadiums are built like the ones we have experienced. This one was not that old but a real challenge. It was huge and you had to trek up what amounted to a road that wound back and forth just to get to your level. Then there were the very steep stairs, with gaps between sections where there were handrails. The rows were separated by very little room, and getting to the middle of the row to our seats was tough. People's shoes extended nearly to the next row which made getting past even friendly people a challenge. No leaving at half time for a hot dog.

The trip home was quick compared to the trip out - jet stream makes a big difference. The plane was even painted in recognition of the U of Minnesota. Game score - Minnesota 24 Washington 21 in an upset. 

Seattle - Gopher - Washington Game

 We are in Seattle with Greg and Laura to attend the Gopher vs Washington game. The charter was for Thursday through Sunday so we had a full day to explore which provided me to take some photos and have some new experiences.

We split our free day visiting the Space Needle and the Chihuly Garden and Glass. We have been in Seattle quite a few times with convention trips and I know I have seen the Space Needle, but maybe not spent time at the top. The Chihuly Garden is new to us and quite spectacular. 

Space Needle

Chihuly

Chihuly was a famous artist who fashioned his from blown glass.  Large and spectacular this exhibition has influenced Seattle and you see images referencing his work in our hotel. The garden area also included glass blowers demonstrating the complicated process of making even smaller pieces. For the larger pieces, the weight of the glass alone could require modifications of the building if the structure was to appear as part of the ceiling or suspended as a chandelier.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

 Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore stretches for more than 40 miles along the shore of Lake Superior. The area was established as the first National Lakeshore in the United States in 1966. 

The park's name comes from its colorful sandstone cliffs. Over thousands of years, mineral-rich groundwater has seeped through the rock, staining the cliff faces with vibrant streaks of red, orange, green, blue, and brown. 

We had viewed the colored walls on a previous visit, and this time it was from the water, which allows a closer and more varied view. A 40-mile trail runs along the edge of the water, and hikers were often visible. Four days was reported as the typical time frame for those willing to make the effort. 

Hundreds of kayaks followed the shoreline as this is another popular way to view the walls and caves.

This formation, consisting of multiple extensions from the shoreline, is called battle ship row. 

This tree is interesting. It grows on the rock without soil. If you look carefully, you can see the root system stretching to the left across the open area to the soil on the shore. The limestone is continually giving way, creating the caves and arches that attract the attention of folks like me looking to collect photos.

The contrast between the green (shallow) and blue (deep) water is evident here. This color change may indicate a steep 40 foot difference.