We have the most amazing fog here in the mountains. It comes with force and sneakability and frosty mysteriousness. It's my daughter's absolute favorite weather and she asks for it every year for her birthday! hehehe

So, I had been waking up and seeing all this amazing fog just coming to say hi in the morning. I got all ready, dressed, gonna go walk in the fog! See!!! for #sublimesunday- fog showed up! and here I go!

• Pants - check (because I don't.. nevermind)
• Warm earband thingie - check (because the ears cannot be cold or else the jaw will freeze and lock and pain will ensue)
• Mittens - check (because I have never met a glove that can make my hands warm. Mittens FTW!)

I was readyyyyyyyyyy.

Foggy day - walk here I come!

Except. One step out of the house told me heyyyyyy! 😒 Dat not fog. That's smoke, you idgit.

And one would think that one would NOT choose to walk out for a nice healthy walk in a smoke filled outsideness. One would think that. But one is not the one who put pants on for this, mmmkay?

Now before you get all judgy and healthy on me.... It was SO pretty. LOL
I loved the contrast between the life and death (my impending one, as I hacked up my post-covid lungs. LOL) all around me. You could see some trees that were sacrificed before the fires came - so that we could have some breaks. (See them in the pile there?)

And then you could see some trees that were alive and well and still fighting the good fight! And then clearly, you could see some that had seen better days and were barely hanging on. The smoke was low, and clinging to the ground. Moving in this serpentine pattern. But then above was this bright sun climbing into a blue sky overhead. It was really pretty profound. (cough, cough)

At some point, maybe? (we never really know) Some crews will come back and do controlled burns on these wood piles that were left behind all over the forest. Or... maybe they will become the home to some interesting creatures. I do not know. But I do believe that the INTENT is that they will be burned, if budgets allow?

Here is where you can clearly see where the forest was just razed in order to make some breaks between where the fire was intended to go. and... they worked well!

Here is another view - where this "forest" is now more of a little field? Don't worry! You won't believe how fast more trees grow up in here. In 10 years, this whole place will be filled again - so thick with trees, you'll never even realize that this damage happened. It's quite remarkable actually!

And then this.

I absolutely LOVE rays. Through low-hanging fog, or rainclouds, or even smoke! I. LOVE. RAYS. They are so very special to me! Like God is reaching His fingers through the space to come touch me. I love it. love it. love it.

And this one .... look how beautiful :)

Don't you just want to run through the forest and bathe in all the sunlight? I mean - pretend that its fog. and not smoke. hehehehe but isn't it just so beautiful???

And this... is my very special log.

nope. not kidding. it's mine.

I met this log over 2 years ago. We had a very special moment. 😊 Every time, I go on a walk, I stop by this log and say hi. The bark beetles have been having a field day with it. and now - some other growth is happening there (as you can see in the picture) In my imagination, I pretend that its growing those scales - like a dragon, to protect itself from the evil bark beetles!

As I walked closer to the location of my special log, I worried. Because as you saw from the previous pictures, where the crews came - nothing was left behind. Would my log still be there? It had been vulnerable, on the side of the road? Would it be pushed aside with others, lost to me forever?

Worse... had it been burned and charred??

And then, I came up to it. and smiled.

My log, still there, waiting for me to say hi. You have to hold onto these special things in life, you know? ❤️