Give Thanks...Clear Skies

 I'm no scientist. There's so much I don't understand. Case in point...where did all the smoke go and why did it only take one day to clear it out?

Like much of the country, smoke from wildfires have invaded our little valley the past couple of weeks. Actually, it's been off-and-on for the past couple of months. We're lucky enough to get smoke from west coast fires, Idaho fires, Nevada fires, even Utah fires. The day before these pictures were taken, you could not see the mountains to the east. 

Then, the next morning, I took a couple of pictures of an incredibly beautiful cloudy sky, pretty much smoke-free.

Where in the world did that smoke go?

Did it go east to Colorado, or south to Arizona? I don't think it went north or west, but I could be wrong. All I know is it was no longer polluting the air and damaging our health. I'd like to think it went away so no others had to deal with it.

I'm thankful for the beautiful skies, and in a way, I'm also a little bit thankful for the smokey skies because that makes the smokeless skies that much better. I'm thankful to live in such an incredible place with stunning views. I'm thankful for God's handiwork and that another fire season is coming to a close.

Still...it would be interesting to know where that darn smoke went.

Just What I Needed Tonight...A Beautiful Sky

 It's been a day. I took off work to attend a funeral and spent about seven hours in the car. It was a long, emotional day, and I'll need to take another day off (or switch days...) next week for another funeral. Today, we drove straight through home so we could water the gardens.

As the sprinklers offered relief to the thirsty plants, my wife and I sat in the backyard. Above us was another beautiful sky. I snapped a few pictures and even caught a few good shots of the half moon.

I've blogged several times about the skies where we now live. I think it's because we have so few trees. Don't get me wrong--I love trees, especially tall, majestic, regal trees. We live in a new neighborhood, that's barely a decade old and the trees are small. They allow us to see the entire sky.

I never know how the sky pictures will turn out. Tonight, they were beautiful.

It was just what I needed after a long, tough day.

Just A Few Photos Of Clouds...

 After work, I went outside to do some yard work. It needs doing, and truth be told, we're a little behind schedule on our projects. One nice thing about this afternoon was cloud cover. We're not close to the hottest part of the year, but even now, a sunny afternoon is still a bit warm. Another thing cloud cover provides is...

Amazing skies.

I've lost count how many times I've blogged about our skies in Northern Utah. I'm consistently blown away by the beauty, the overwhelming grandeur of the scenes overhead. Tonight, while taking a break I took out my phone and just aimed it up. I snapped a couple of pictures and here's what I saw.

Except, it isn't. Cameras are limited and many times they cannot capture the brilliance I see. Imagine instead of a photograph with borders and limitations, a sky stretching in every direction.

I wonder if I'll ever stop taking random pictures of the clouds above. I can tell you this, as long as they're as stunning as they were this afternoon...

I'll keep shooting.

Give Thanks...For Beautiful Skies.

I'm constantly amazed at beautiful skies. 

And, since the move three years ago, it seems we're offered a daily feast.

I know it's all about perspective.

Before the move, I bemoaned the fact we would be leaving our cottage on the hill. I loved living there because of the sunsets. There was a time when we had views of Antelope Island and Farmington Bay surrounding it (back when water completely surrounded the island...). I was in awe of the incredible beauty as the sun set behind the western mountains.

I was convinced no place--or very few--offered such vistas.

I was proved wrong.

I admit, our sunsets here cannot match those of our Farmington home...just not possible. However, because we live in the middle of a valley, in between mountain ranges, we see the entire sky, from the east to the west, and to the south. I've given up sunsets for beautiful skies the rest of the day. I now marvel at the clouds, the clear blues and brilliant whites, of a myriad of birds canvasing the air above. Just heavenly. 

Each time I look upward, I wonder if I appreciated the skies where we used to live. Were they as colorful, as beautiful, as spectacular? Did I just ignore what was before my eyes? There's no going back, of course, but if I could, I'd check the skies to see how they looked.

I'm thankful for the beauty of the skies. I'm thankful to be able to appreciate it. I'm thankful for the almost daily show.

Give Thanks...The Birds In The Air

 I thought I knew a lot about Northern Utah. After all, except for three years, I'd live in Northern Utah all my life. Yes, I lived "north," but not as north as I am now.

I had no idea.

Especially about the birds.

We lived just east of a bird refuge for decades. As a kid we used to ride our bikes to the wastelands that were West Farmington. I say "wastelands," because back then there was nothing there except farmland and a few homes. I remember the bike rides, but I don't remember any of the birds. To be honest, we were more interested in the bike ride than the birds.

I knew there was a huge bird refuge near Brigham City...it's one of the city's claim to fame. Last year we visited it for the first time. We saw some cool birds, but what I've loved is seeing the birds fly over our house. At our old home, we lived next to the mountain. Yes, we'd see birds, but not like where we live now. It's as if we live under the flightpath.

Tonight, it was seagulls. The California Seagull is the Utah State Bird. They're kind of ordinary, mostly because they're so common, but up close, they're fascinating (as are almost all birds...). Unfortunately, the birds I saw tonight were not close, but they still flew before an incredible backdrop.

I'm grateful for where we live. I'm grateful for the open skies and the marshlands to the south that play an important part in the lives of the migratory birds that fly in and fly out. I'm grateful for the beauty of nature and that I'm fortunate enough to see it, to experience it, to have it become part of me.

I thought I knew what we'd be in for when we moved. I'm glad I didn't because it's been a wonderful and eye-opening adventure that I hope continues for many years.

What Do You See...When You Look Up?

 This morning, before my day properly began, I went outside and looked at the sky. Last night, high winds beat against the house. For decades when the winds blew at night we wondered how much damaged was caused in the neighborhood. This morning, I expected little damage and was pleased that's what I found.

The sky, however, was brilliant.

Clouds gathered above the hills. Sadly, they disappeared shortly after. We're hoping for rain this weekend...we need all the rain we can get.

All those years where wind did so much damage, we lived on the side of a mountain. I always loved the mountainside because of the western views. The sunsets were stunning. We loved being able to see Antelope Island, the shrinking lake, airplanes circling then landing to the southwest.

But, I have to say, when I look up now, it takes my breath away. We live at the top of a great valley. To the south, the land opens up, a natural floor that extends hundreds of miles. There are mountains to the east and to the west and to the north. We live where the Ogden/Salt Lake/Provo valleys begin. When I look up now, I have no mountain blocking half our view. The sun hits our house earlier in the day as it rises.

This morning, the skies were full of beautiful clouds, replaced an hour later by blue sky. Tonight, a storm is moving in and we're praying for rain...we need all the rain we can get. I used to look up and see a mountain and tall trees. Now, I'm seeing that incredible sky.

Flocks...

 We've spent a lot of time outside this spring. That's interesting (for me...) because most springs I usually spend inside. Last year and this year we've had several projects that need doing and those projects are outside.

Funny the things a person can see when outside.

Sure, when you're inside, you can watch a million hours of videos of nature and natural things. You can also do interent searches and pull up pictures, articles, and videos of nature and natural things. Yesterday, I spotted a single bird. Unfortunately, it was far away. That didn't stop me from taking out my phone and snapping a picture.

A few minutes later several birds flew overhead. Once again, they were too far away to identify (for me...). If I were a bird expert or knew the species better, I might have been able to say, "Hey--a bunch of _____!" Or, if I had binoculars I might have determined those in the flock and the one that few solo.

As the days get longer, many people spend more time outside. My history is just the opposite. When it get warm and then hot outside, I retreat to the comforts of an air-conditioned environment. But, just as the past two springs I've spent more time outside than usual...maybe the summers will change, too.

If so, I might see more birds...

In person.

Those Beautiful Big Puffy Things...

One of the things we've noticed most this spring and summer where we live are the skies.

They've been spectacular.

I think because we live in a new neighborhood and there's not a lot of trees. Don't get me wrong--I love trees. We had so many trees at our last house that it made us feel closed in by comparison. The trees at our last house were beautiful. Right outside the master bedroom window were huge pine trees, trees almost fifty years old. It made us feel like we lived up in the mountains, but it blocked the view.

Here in Northern Utah one thing we've not seen much of in the sky were clouds. That changed last weekend. Big, huge, puffy, water-filled clouds gathered above us and let loose. We did get some much-needed rain and we can use a whole lot more.

I went outside and snapped a few pictures hoping to capture some of the awesomeness above our heads. They're okay pictures, but they can't do justice to the real thing. It's a rare photo that comes close. I think because when we see the real thing, there's an emotional connection to what is seen.

Yes...the skies are beautiful up here...even a cloudless sky is breathtaking. But, when the big puffy things show up, that's when the show really begins. 

Sunset...Sunrise

Yesterday, I had the rare (as of late...) opportunity to see beautiful skies not only in the evening, but also in the morning.

The skies were incredible--my little phone camera can barely do it justice.

Back when I commuted to and from work, there as a time during the year when I'd see sunrises when I either climbed into my car or while I was driving to work or was on the bus. Then, another colorful sky met me as I journeyed home. Ever since I began working from home, I've missed almost every cool sunrise. I'm sad about that, but not enough to return working in an office.

I snapped another picture as well, one of the house with an incredible sunset behind. I've taken maybe hundreds of photos of our house over the years. It's something I never tire of doing (even though many may be tired of seeing it...).

I got lucky yesterday to see the sky as it rose and as it set. It's something I don't get to see very often nowadays.