Random Friday

1.  While fellow bloggers Lori and Mary Ann are cooling off, we have been back to triple digit heat this week.  It was pretty warm at work Thursday --

We have tried to avoid being outside but that didn't work out too well for Brett.  We had a large stretch of fence come down so he had to fix that.  Our neighbor, Marv, was helping and Marv suggested that they also remove two dead pine trees while they were at it -- pine trees are dying right and left up here due to the drought.

2.  We also had the farrier out this week.  He and Brett worked out of the sun, inside the barn, where it was "only" 98F.  The horses were all well behaved -- probably too hot to be silly.  Except for Lucy who kept arching her neck like a giraffe in an attempt to reach the bucket of carrots sitting by Brett.  Pistol has shoes now so she's ready for regular work -- once the weather cools and the smoke clears.

3.  There is a large fire south of us and east of Jackson, the Butte fire.  Fortunately for us it is burning in a southeasterly direction, away from us.  Unfortunately, it is the largest fire in the State right now.  Wednesday when we went to bed it was 4,000 acres and 30% contained.  Thursday morning it was still 4,000 acres but down to 20% contained.  Thursday night... 14,700 acres and 10% contained.  Nine homes have burned, numerous evacuations are in place, and there is no estimate for containment.

Butte Fire, Sept 10 @ noon; photo by Shannon Prieto posted on YubaNet

Our community is covered in smoke; the sky is dark with an eery evening feeling all day -- eery because there is an orange tint to the air and the sun is a bright reddish orange ball; looking more like the moon than the sun with its brightness muted by the smoke.
This morning, Friday, the fire is still only 10% contained -- and grew overnight to 32,000 acres.

This photo was taken by our neighbor earlier in the day; before the smoke settled lower to the ground; thick and dense

4.  I stopped at Hooverville Orchards on my way home from work and picked up some fruit.  There are only a few varieties of peaches left but the apples and pears are starting to come in strong.  I loaded up three bags -- plus a pie -- and headed home.

Apples

The last of the peach varieties

5. Kyle, his girlfriend, and her family had been planning to stay in Jackson this weekend and do some wine tasting.  The family cancelled their original hotel reservations since Jackson is fairly close to the fire (the lady at the hotel was happy for the cancellation in the midst of all the fire-related chaos in town) and made new ones closer to Placerville, away from the fire.