#Colorado Rocky Mountain high I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

since--1999 · 6 years ago

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Oregon + Las Vegas 2019

A year ago, my friend and I went to Colorado for spring break. We both wanted to go back, but we decided to do something new and head to Oregon this year. We planned everything within just a few months, and were soon at Dallas Love-Field Airport, waiting in line at security.

After a 5 hour flight, we walked off the plane and were greeted by Oregon’s cool and windy weather. The sun was out, despite weather predictions of rain. We ordered a Lyft and were dropped off in downtown Portland by Powell’s Books. We walked in to get a quick look since we were already there, but soon left to walk around the streets of Portland.

We walked around the Pioneer Square area and soon became hungry when we smelled the food coming from the food trucks. We somehow ended up going to a Chinese place inside a plaza. We sat on high chairs where we could watch the chefs cook, and ate chicken, pork bbq, and dumplings. When lunch was over, we walked out and it was just beginning to sprinkle. Luckily, I came prepared, so we had an umbrella to squeeze under.

On our way to the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, we crossed the street where the smallest park in the world was at- Mill Ends Park.

At the Waterfront Park, we looked out at a darker sky. We could see the Hawthorne Bridge from there and made our way to walk across it. It started to rain more and feel the bridge move as the cars drove past quickly. Then we walked down to a small pier where we could see the Tilikum Crossing Bridge, similar to a bridge in Dallas.

The rain had stopped by now, and we were pretty wet, so we took a break to dry off at Starbucks. Afterwards, we walked to Old Chinatown and saw part of the Lan Su Chinese Garden before it closed. We made our way back to the iconic Powell’s Books and spent our time walking the whole store. At first, I didn’t understand the big deal everyone talked about how it was a must to go to, but after walking through all the color-parts of the bookstore, I understand. It was huge. I lost count how many floors there were and the different branches of each category a floor was divided into. My favorite section was the architecture books. Afterwards, we walked past the “Keep Portland Weird” mural and Voodoo Doughnuts. Before we left downtown, we made our way to another iconic sign of Portland with the jumping deer by the Co-op.

It was the golden hour at that time, which meant it was time to walk to the Greyhound Station to catch our bus to Cannon Beach. After 9.5 miles of walking, we were exhausted and rested on the way to the coast. We watched the sun set as we drove away from Portland and the silhouette trees. After an hour and a half or two, the bus stopped and the bus driver said our destination- Cannon Beach. We were the only ones who got off, so the rest were probably headed to Beaverton. It was almost fully dark when we got off at the bus stop. It was quiet like a small town would be. We crossed the street and saw a small convenience store, and then, for our convenience, our hotel! Luckily, it was just steps away from where we were dropped off. We were welcomed by the staff and checked in. We walked to our hotel room nearby and were surprised by how beautiful it was. We quickly settled in and then walked back out to a nearby restaurant for dinner. We made the mistake of ordering some fancy fish tacos, which were too rich for us. That night, we slept in the most comfy, and spacious bed to prepare for the next day.

When I was finally able to get my friend up, I opened the curtains and was fascinated by the gigantic view of Haystack Rock just from our room.

It was a dark blue outside before the sun was going to rise. Our room was just minutes away from the beach. We were soon walking on sand, and getting closer to Haystack Rock. We sat on the beach waiting to see the sun rise. Unfortunately, all the clouds were blocking it! However, it was amazing being right next to the rock and seeing the birds fly across it. The sky became a bit brighter, and we saw the beautiful beachfront houses and mountains in the distance.

We went to the cute small town of Cannon Beach and had some breakfast at a wonderful cafe. After a generous amount of bacon, poached eggs, and fried potatoes, we went back to our hotel and rested before we had to check out and start the day’s adventures.

We walked a little more through the town’s shops when it started hailing out of nowhere. Fortunately, we were right by a covered area when it happened, so we sat and waited for it to stop. After a while, we walked down to the snow-covered beach. Our view looked out to the light waves and white beach. We wanted to get across to the other side of the beach, but a deep amount of water was blocking our way. So, we ended up hiking through a bit of a muddy and complicated trail.

On the other side of the beach, we walked and walked until we reached a huge rock formation on the shore. The sun was out and the weather felt much warmer. We saw some cute dogs, a ton of birds walking on the beach, and some seashells. After a long afternoon walking the beach, we decided to go back to town and get some lunch. We realized there was an easier way to get back to the other side of the beach connecting to the town through a neighborhood street.

Shortly, we went to the closest food place and got pizza. We warmed up again by having some hot chocolate. Before our beach day came to an end, we shopped for some souvenirs before catching the bus back to Portland. As we walked to our bus stop, we watched the sun set until our bus arrived at dark. When we got off in Portland, it was dark and felt pretty sketchy. We made our way to a nearby bar to wait for our Lyft. As we waited, I heard what made me confirm Portland was weird. A car had ran over a glass bottle, making a cracking noise, and everyone there was pretty entertained by it. Most of them were probably drunk, but what was weird was what this woman said about it: “It’s not the car’s fault.., it’s the bottle’s fault!” The way she said it was pretty weird too. By then, my friend and I were tired and wanted to get the hay out of there. The hotel we stayed in that night was a decent, old-fashion place by the University.

The next day, we were picked up to go on a tour. Our first stop was the tallest waterfall in the country- Multnomah Falls. It was mesmerizing seeing how tall this was. Just from afar, you could smell the coffee from the stand before hiking up to the bridge. It was very slick and crowded with visitors on the way up. Many times, I almost fell, but I had the rail to keep me up. From the bridge, you could see the water falling below and the people at the bottom.

Then we headed to a fish hatchery and some some cool fish and the huge Herman the Sturgeon measuring almost 11 feet long.

The next destination was Starvation Creek. As we walked through, there were tall green and snowy trees. It was beautiful. It felt very different than the parts of Oregon we had been in. It was quiet and calming to be away from all the visitors.

For lunch we drove to the town of Hood River. It was another cute town with houses and shops on hills. My friend and I had some Mexican food, but they didn’t have chicken, nor beef! Our pork tamales weren’t impressive, but dessert made up for it when we had our bunuelos with a generous amount of whipped cream. We walked around the town a bit before our drive to Rowena Crest.

On our way up, the scenery became a vastness of snow. Everywhere was just snow. It looked pretty amazing. When we got out of our van, we were at the top of one of the most beautiful viewpoints I’ve seen. On one side, it overlooked the whole snowy town, and on the other side, a cool picture-worthy loop road.

Our last destination was the Mt Hood National Forest. Unfortunately the visitor center was closed due to an excessive amount of snow, but we finished it off by playing in the thick and flaky snow on a hill. Just getting up the hill required climbing up 4 feet high snow. The view of the snow blowing off the trees and a glimpse of Mt Hood was perfect to end the tour. We ended up falling in a deep chunk of snow and feeling like it was impossible to get up. Walking down the hill, I completed my annual streak of falling down. Last year’s fall was in Colorado.

Back in Portland, we rested before getting some dinner nearby. We went to a sushi place which we didn’t know was a sushi train style. We were completely confused about how to order/if we were supposed to order. At that point, we really thought Portland was weird. It ended up being an interesting and pleasant meal to end our last night in Portland.

The next morning, we had some breakfast at our hotel before walking across the Tilikum Crossing Bridge. It was bright and sunny out. We went down to a pier where the USS Blueback Submarine from the US Navy was at.

We headed to Mt. Tabor next to get some hiking in. There were views of Portland and the reservoirs around it. There were tons of trails to go walking on a nice and sunny day.

Lastly, we went to Rocky Butte, which overlooked the town and a nice view of Mt. Hood. When it was time, we said goodbye as we headed to the airport.

After a short flight, we landed in Las Vegas for a layover. Walking outside, we were already excited after seeing the pink sky, palm trees, and part of the High Roller. We were dropped off by the Flamingo Hotel and cut through an alley leading right to The Strip. Immediately we were high fived by 2 dudes and our eyes were looking at all the sights Vegas had to offer. We saw it all (almost). We probably walked 8 miles of it. It was very cool seeing all the lights and famous hotels and restaurants. We were able to see the end of a fascinating fire show and I ended up ziplining for the first time through the Linq Promenade.

Before it was time to leave, we watched a quick show of a spray-painting artist and bought some souvenirs. At the airport, we were surprised to see gambling machines inside. Our flight was a half hour delayed, so by the time we got on the plane, we fell straight to sleep after all that walking. Arriving early in Dallas, we were still exhausted and I slept the whole 30 minute drive back home and jumped into bed once I got home.

When I woke up, I was for once in a while, done with the excess traveling. With a few days off work, I spent the rest of my spring break resting. This trip I kept in mind the Costa Rican phrase and philosophy of Pura Vida- enjoying the simplest pleasures of life and living life to the fullest. I am so very grateful to be able to really live, discover other parts of the US, and meet new people.

#oregon #cannon beach #portland #mt hood #las vegas #the strip #pura vida

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dragonturgy · 5 years ago

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“I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky.” Rocky Mountain High, indeed. Probably one of the best that I’ve seen. #johndenver #sunset #rainingfire #denver #denvertography #igersdenver #mountains #skyporn #colorado #coloradosky #beautiful #friday #friyay #june #rockymountainhigh #fireinthesky https://www.instagram.com/p/BzRwHB2F8O4/?igshid=utg38flrdxgs

#johndenver #sunset #rainingfire #denver #denvertography #igersdenver #mountains #skyporn #colorado #coloradosky #beautiful #friday #friyay #june #rockymountainhigh #fireinthesky

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47burlm · 6 years ago

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Herbie’s cousin Herman-favorite song is Rocky Mountain High

He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below He saw everything as far as you can see And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun And he lost a friend, but kept the memory

Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the streams, seeking grace in every step he takes His sight is turned inside himself, to try and understand The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake

And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high

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nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri · 3 years ago

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Rocky Mountain High - John Denver He was born in the summer of his twenty-seventh year Coming home to a place he'd never been before He left yesterday behind him You might say he was born again You might say he found a key to ev'ry door. When he first came to the mountains his life was far away On the road and hangin' by a song But the string's already broken, and he doesn't really care It keeps changin' fast, and it don't last for long But the Colorado Rocky Mountain high I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky The shadow from the starlight Is softer than a lullaby Rocky mountain high (Colorado) Rocky mountain high (Colorado) Lyrics continue below He climbed cathedral mountains He saw silver clouds below He saw everything as far as you can see And they say that he got crazy once And he tried to touch the sun And he lost a friend but kept his memory Now he walks in quiet solitude The forests and the streams Seeking grace in every step he takes His sight has turned inside Himself to try and understand The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky Talk to God and listen to the casual reply Rocky mountain high (Colorado) Rocky mountain high (Colorado) Now his life is full of wonder But his heart still knows some fear Of a simple thing, he cannot comprehend Why they try to tear the mountains down To bring in a couple more More people, more scars upon the land And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky He knows he'd be a poorer man If he never saw an eagle fly Rocky mountain high Colorado rocky mountain high I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky Friends around the campfire And everybody's high Rocky Mountain high (Colorado) [Repeat 5x] #JohnDenver #RockyMountainHigh #Lyrics John Denver wrote this after an experience camping out and watching a meteor shower; hence the lyrics I’ve seen it rain fire in the sky. From Pinterest Max Seigal Photography saved to Night Photography Perseid meteor shower at #DreamLake, #RockyMountainNationalPark. Night sky photograph with the Milky Way shining bright. https://www.instagram.com/p/CSAJO10rlHG/?utm_medium=tumblr

#johndenver #rockymountainhigh #lyrics #dreamlake #rockymountainnationalpark

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themirthfulroadrunners · 3 years ago

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Rocky Mountain High

Bayfield, CO

We’ve slowed down on stopping to take pictures of every wow moment, this being our 4th or 5th trip to Colorado and the New Mexico region, but not on repeating WOW! to one another. Our house-sit to Bayfield, Colorado was the best yet in terms of comfortable, clean home, easy pets, and centricity to hikes and sightseeing. We missed being able to watch their horses. They were pastured at a neighbor’s, saving us the hassle of seeing to them. Grrrr!

We hiked a mountain creek during pour-off in New Mexico before we ever reached our destination. In a very quaint and picturesque cemetery in Cimaron, New Mexico, there was a marker stating that the inhabitant, a preacher, was assassinated in 1875. Being a large monument, I trust he was respected.

Our first day in Colorado, we drove to a true ghost town, Pagosa Junction. Being in the Ute Indian land probably accounted for its unmolested condition – not even any graffiti! We were respectful. The route also took us to the community of Allison, giving us a couple abandoned churches to add to our collection.

Our last Colorado trip was to Gypsum with two major fires not only consuming nearby forests but smoking the place up and restricting us from several travel experiences. This house-sit in Bayfield, we received extensive instructions regarding potential evacuation in the event of a new fire: move 5 vehicles to designated area, watch for neighbors and relatives to come get vehicles and equipment, crate up the pets (expect resistance), make phone calls, meet at … blah, blah, blah. It’s a 42-acre horse ranch at the 7000’ elevation mark in a pine forest.

The biggest difference among our several house-sits in Colorado was the heat wave in place when we arrived in Bayfield. Yikes, it’s famously fabled that drier and higher air is more comfortable even when the thermometer spikes, but that’s just not true, folks, and I wonder who started that vicious rumor! This high-elevation, dry heat envelops, melts and assaults. But in the early morning before the day of 99 degrees, the temp was in the 50s! Good luck with your wardrobe, travelers!

On the Continental Divide Trail: “It’s perfect weather for a hike,” Wayne said as they neared the 11,000 feet elevation mark. “I’d like it to be 5 degrees warmer,” Debbie replied. Wisely, Wayne said nothing. We let three male hikers pass us. The two younger ones were carrying openly. We wondered if they were taking the third, an oldster out to shoot him. Wayne, unwisely, piped up, “You never know when you might wanna shoot somebody.”

And speaking of graves and cemeteries, one of our eccentricities, we found where Bob Ford was buried. Yup, the Robert Ford. Recall in past blogs we found Clifton Clowers’ grave on Wolverton Mountain, William Bonnie at Ft Sumner, Kit Carson in Sante Fe, Buster Brown/Tom Thumb in the Missouri bootheel, and Absalom Fowler in the locally famous Holly Cemetery in Little Rock. And of course, we’ve been to JFK’s eternal flame in Arlington as well as Abraham Lincoln’s tomb in Springfield, Illinois. But even after all our graveyard treks, we still don’t know who’s in Grant’s tomb. Oh, and Bob Ford? “Well that dirty little coward,” (to the tune of ??) “that shot Mister Howard, he done laid poor Jesse in his grave.”

Crossbucks are a “thing” out in the wild wild west. Every style, from humble to grandiose.

Creede, Colorado, a town named after a man who bought the right, was a mining town that survived the ore: silver, copper, lead, zinc, amethyst. Bat Masterson was a deputy for a bit there. Returning to modern times, the move The Lone Ranger was filmed, in part, in Creede, particularly the train scenes. At the start of the Bachelor Loop, a drive through the mining region, you pass the local fire department where they park their vehicles inside the mountain in old mines. The cavities are huge. The ghost town of Bachelor, the city in the clouds, where over a thousand people lived is but an empty meadow, the remains of one lone fallen-down building at the forest’s edge. There’s a plaque with a photograph of the once-upon-a-town. Amazing that it’s just gone, as are so many of the west’s ghost towns. Some exist only as residential neighborhoods, the town no longer to be. Some, like Peppersauce in Calico Rock, Arkansas, are completely surrounded by the new town, the old abandoned structures still in place.

Silverton and Ouray were just as fun as our last trip there, though not as picturesque due to the smoky sky, the result of fires further west, California, Idaho, Oregon. What we do know for sure is that it appears that Texans have annexed the Rockies, but who can blame them? (besides Wayne)

The Four Corners Monument is controlled by the Navajo Indian Nation, since it’s on their land. Covid-19 restrictions limit visitors to 50% capacity causing an hour, or longer, wait. Wayne’s been there, Debbie not, but since both have been all around it, we opted to pass on standing on the exact dot at the cost of $20 per car after a 2-hour drive. A modern, more sophisticated survey would prob’ly move it a mile or so anyway.

We hiked the Colorado Trail, well, part of it, enough to have enjoyed it a lot. The views were, of course, fabulous.

On a second trip to Silverton, with much better visibility due to recent rain and the Oregon/Idaho/California fires smoke blown on a different course, we travelled to Eureka, another ghost town where there were huge mining operations. The Animas River is beautiful, as well as the many streams feeding it. I have to wonder, though, how clean they were during the peak of the mining days. Environmental concerns were decades in the future.

Walking the dog Zoey on the property (42 acres of pasture and pine), a flock of wild turkeys made their way up the hillside not fifty feet from us. They seemed half again larger than the Arkansas wild turkeys. The squirrels appear different than Arkansas red fox or grays. These are sort of mottled with a silverish belt around their neck area. And I don’t believe I’ve ever seen an Arkansas squirrel sit/stand erect like a ground hog. Research indicates it may be a ground squirrel.

We found a really exciting, back-of-the-mountain road, two actually, that led through ghost towns, naturally. Colorado is truly wondrous, especially when you can get away from the tourists, a difficult process in mid-July.

We found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, one of our favorite travelling pleasures. The Blue Sky Café in Bayfield. Not being able to decide among the foo-foo descriptions, Wayne settled on a hamburger and sweet potato tots. They were AMAZING! Telling the waitress brought the owner/cook to us – she whispered that she added a mild cajun seasoning. Never had any like it. Their breakfast menu extremely enticing, we were there the next morning at their posted opening time. Nope – a brand new handwritten notice stated that they would be closed on Saturdays. Disappointed, we slunk back to the house for bowls of cereal.

Thus ended our most recent foray into a beloved area of the country. I cannot imagine tiring of this land of exceptional beauty. It’s the eye-candy state!

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jessiqvalentine · 8 years ago

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"🎶And the Colorado Rocky Mountain High, I've seen it raining fire in the sky. The shadows from the starlight are softer than a lullaby. Rocky Mountain High, (Colorado) Rocky Mountain High...🎶" #Scenery #JessiQValentine #JessWeWill2017 (at Pueblo, Colorado)

#jesswewill2017 #jessiqvalentine #scenery

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xoxfranzyxox · 6 years ago

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He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below, saw everything as far as you can see. And they say that he got crazy once and that he tried to touch the sun, and he lost a friend, but kept the memory. Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the stream, seeking grace in every step he takes, his sight is turned inside himself, to try and understand, the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake. And the Colorado Rocky Mountain High, I've seen it raining fire in the sky You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply. Rocky Mountain High, ....in Colorado.... Rocky Mountain High. #country #countrysongs #rockymountainhigh #italy #sky #landscape #clouds #wonderfull #amazing #walking #amazingdays #cool #photography #photo #piemonte #nature #love #naturelover (presso Sarezzano) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnYhCCznT4d/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1hia2r2azeuq7

#country #countrysongs #rockymountainhigh #italy #sky #landscape #clouds #wonderfull #amazing #walking #amazingdays #cool #photography #photo #piemonte #nature #love #naturelover

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kansascityhappenings · 7 years ago

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Joe’s Weather Irma: Irma now a Category 5 (for now) + record lows? (TUE-9/5)

Good morning. Over the weekend I was banging the weather drum about all the smoke in the air from fires burning in the western part of the country…yesterday it seemed folks were surprised that it was in the air. I get that…not many meteorologists were talking about the situation over the weekend at least…plus with it being a holiday a lot were doing other things…but IF you follow me on twitter I probably had about a dozen references to the smokey conditions. In all my years here I don’t remember seeing as much persistent smoke out there as I have over the last few days…it actually goes back to last Friday.

Forecast:

Today: The smoke should fade a bit more today, as cooler air now takes over the region. Temperatures will be cool for September with highs in the low-mid 70s

Tonight: Fair skies and very cool with lows down into the low-mid 40s. The record is 43°. I don’t think we get that low…but we may get close, and some of the outlying areas may dip to near 40° north of the KC metro area.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny and cool again with highs approaching 70°

Thursday: Sunny and cool with highs near 75°

Discussion:

Let’s start with the smoke…getting smoke wafting through our skies in the KC region isn’t that unusual really. It’s more or less tied to the amount of smoke being created from the seriousness of wild/forest fires in the western parts of the US and up into Canada. We’ve actually had some thin smoke out there off and on this year already. The amount though from SAT>yesterday though was compelling to see on the satellite picture.

IF you watched me or followed on @fox4wx this weekend…the smoke that most are talking about now was mentioned numerous times…JL pic.twitter.com/FHhfM5G0jB

— Fox 4 Weather KC (@fox4wx) September 5, 2017

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Incredible #wildfire smoke sweeping coast to coast today. #GOES16 (prelim, non-op) maps dense smoke from #Oregon thru #Montana to #Colorado. pic.twitter.com/pBfzmrDq6n

— UW-Madison CIMSS (@UWCIMSS) September 4, 2017

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Also of note was the scope of it…going from the NW to the NE part of the country with even some drifting into the SE part of the country.

Here was a picture I took of the smokey sunset, one hour before sunset…

A look at a smokey #sunset in KC pic.twitter.com/b1lS0HJO3y

— Fox 4 Weather KC (@fox4wx) September 4, 2017

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You may have noticed not only was the sun very “orange” but the rising almost full moon was rather “orange” as well. There’s a lot going on with that but the simple reason is that when the sun and moon are higher in the sky…the light from the sun and the illuminated moon are going through “some” smoke (in yesterday’s case). BUT when the moon and sun are lower in the sky…like towards sunrise or sunset the light coming from the sun, at least, is going through a whole LOT of smoke and other pollution in the atmosphere so the light is being filtered considerably compared to when the sun is directly overhead.

There is actually good information from Stephen Corfidi from the Storm Prediction Center on all this…

“At sunrise or sunset, sunlight takes a much longer path through the atmosphere than during the middle part of the day. Because this lengthened path results in an increased amount of violet and blue light being scattered out of the beam by the nearly infinite number of scattering “events” that occur along the way (a process collectively known as multiple scattering), the light that reaches an observer early or late in the day is noticeably reddened. Thus, it could be said that sunsets are red because the daytime sky is blue. This notion is perhaps best illustrated by example: A beam of sunlight that at a given moment helps produce a red sunset over the Appalachians is at the same time contributing to a deep blue, late afternoon sky over the Rockies (Figure 1).”

“Now what happens when airborne dust and haze enter the view? Typical pollution droplets such as those found in urban smog or summertime haze are on the order of .5 to 1 um in diameter. Particles this large are not good Rayleigh scatterers as they are comparable in size to the wavelength of visible light. If the particles are of uniform size, they might impart a reddish or bluish cast to the sky, or result in an odd-colored sun or moon (it is this effect that accounts for the infrequent observation of “blue suns” or “blue moons” near erupting volcanoes). Because pollution aerosols normally exist in a wide range of sizes, however, the overall scattering they produce is not strongly wavelength-dependent. As a result, hazy daytime skies, instead of being bright blue, appear grayish or even white. Similarly, the vibrant oranges and reds of “clean” sunsets give way to pale yellows and pinks when dust and haze fill the air.

But airborne pollutants do more than soften sky colors. They also enhance the attenuation of both direct and scattered light, especially when the sun is low in the sky. This reduces the total amount of light that reaches the ground, robbing sunrises and sunsets of brilliance and intensity. Thus, twilight colors at the surface on dusty or hazy days tend to be muted and subdued, even though purer oranges and reds persist in the cleaner air aloft. This effect is most noticeable in an airplane, shortly after take-off on a hazy evening: A seemingly bland sunset at the ground gives way to vivid color aloft as soon as the plane ascends beyond the haze. When the haze layer is shallow, a similar effect sometimes is evident at the surface, as shown by the sunset sequence in Figure 2. The photographs show a sheet of billowed altocumulus that erupts into a blaze of fiery oranges and reds once the sun has dropped far enough below the horizon that it no longer directly illuminates the thin veil of surface-based haze present below the clouds. The haze layer appears as a dark band just above the horizon in the last (enlarged) view.”

Here is the complete article with additional pictures.

So there you go…

Our weather is quiet for the next 5-10 days or so. It may not rain at all in that time frame. Temperatures will gradually come up but overall average to below average temperatures are expected for awhile it appears. Actually in terms of late summer days go…it’s going to be tough to beat. One note…after soooo much rain over the summer (especially during the flood situations) we’re going into a rather prolonged dry spell. It’s getting dry out there from a topsoil point of view at least. With the combination of dry air…ground…warm sunshine etc…we actually could use some rain for the grasses etc. You may need to start dragging the sprinklers around over the next 10 days.

Onwards…

Irma:

Yesterday Irma really started to get cranked up. Over the weekend it seemed every time it would start strengthening it would sort of whimper again. Yesterday though…that changed. Winds steadily increased from 115 MPH to 140 MPH to now category 5 strength…175 mph!

That is one nasty beast of a storm.

#GOES16 captured this visible imagery of Hurricane #Irma's eye earlier today. For the latest on Irma, go to https://t.co/cSGOfrM0lG. pic.twitter.com/JcKBXcl0Ws

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) September 5, 2017

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Category 5 hurricanes are still somewhat “rare”. Only 35 have been recorded in the Atlantic Basin. Granted though the the better records of said storms only go back to the 70s and the more modern satellite era. Last year Matthew was at one point a category 5 storms. Before that you have to go back to 2007 when there were 2 category 5 storms.

#Irma is now a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Here's a little more on what that means. #HurricaneIrma pic.twitter.com/05ZGybO64A

— NWS (@NWS) September 5, 2017

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Irma is the 17th Atlantic storm to have winds of at least 175 MPH…

The latest track is for it to rake the Turks/Caicos and the Southern Bahamas (see the previous blog for additional details on the Bahama Islands).

A primer on the islands in the way of Irma…

a bit farther to the SE of there are the US Virgin Islands…

Then as we head towards the weekend…it should be somewhere off the S/SE coast of Florida. There will be some land interactions occurring and I’ve seen numerous hurricanes get weakened by these interactions with the mountainous terrain of the Caribbean. As the wind flow of the storm gets interrupted by the mountains of Hispaniola and to some extent Cuba…the hurricanes circulation can get somewhat interrupted. Right now out over the warm oceans it’s more or less a perfect engine firing on all cylinders and sucking in mostly premium gas (warm water). When it gets into the Florida Straits…other factors can make the “engine” run a little rougher. Also of important note…the errors in the day 4/5 forecast positions on average are between 175-225 miles…hence the cone of uncertainty. The “cone” is always the same size by the way…it’s all related to average errors in tracks over the course of years. These errors though are getting smaller and smaller as more accuracy comes into play.

On the plus side of that though is the water temperatures of the Florida Straits between Cuba and Florida…they are toasty…upwards of almost 90°! That is a lot of “gas” that the storm may try and use to overcome the land effects.

There are questions about how long the storm stays in over the water over the weekend. Does the storm cross over land and rake through Cuba (weakening the storms structure) before turning northwards at some point? Does the storm stay over the open waters and just have it’s circulation disrupted?

Notice the difference in the two operational forecast models…EURO when sliding the bar to the right…and the GFS when sliding left. The pressure is represented in millibars. The GFS is nutty low the EURO weaker since the storm is going through Cuba and the core is away from the “gas” of the warm sea waters.

https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/juxtapose/latest/embed/index.html?uid=2b1feb7c-923b-11e7-b263-0edaf8f81e27

Various other members of the GFS model (the ensembles) all forecast a HARD right turn (north) at some point…where exactly does that occur? Is it going up or off the east coast of FL…up the middle of FL…up the west coast of FL?

Another model…the Canadian which typically doesn’t do well with tropical systems in my opinion at least…has it more or less off the west coast of FL…

The EURO model has a varied solution…really showing both outcomes possible…an outcome off the west coast and one off the east coast or near the east coast of FL.

It is all connected to the TIME of the turn northwards…a 6-12 hour delay OR advance in the timing over the weekend can dictate which part of the coast in FL gets raked by the potential of 100-120 MPH winds. Good luck forecasting that from 4 days away…any forecast would be merely an educated guess at this point.

Florida obviously needs to take this VERY seriously and they are. A solution off the east coast of FL then brings the Carolina’s into play…a solution farther west off the west coast of FL then brings the FL Panhandle and westwards into play somewhat.

This is going to be terrible storm whoever gets slammed by it. When Matthew skirted off the east coast of FL last year…damage was “relatively” light along the east coast of FL. A 50 mile difference farther west of Matthew’s track would’ve been terribly worse for the east coast of Florida.

Recon aircraft is peppering the storm right now…getting information about a variety of features of the storms structure.

So right now it’s really a “perfect” hurricane. Textbook case.

When looking at the bigger picture there is some data that may suggest some increasing light shear as the storm moves farther east towards the NE leeward Islands…not sure if that will be a deterrent or not though…but when hurricanes are “perfect” it can be difficult to maintain that perfection for more than 24-36 hours or so.

There is a lot more I can write about but the blog is now teetering into epic word length…so I better stop. Our feature photo comes from Sharon Holloway showing the smoke in the skies yesterday.

Joe

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2017/09/05/joes-weather-irma-irma-now-a-category-5-for-now-record-lows-tue-95/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/joes-weather-irma-irma-now-a-category-5-for-now-record-lows-tue-95/

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emmacateee · 8 years ago

Text

He was born in the summer of his 27th year Coming home to a place he'd never been before He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again You might say he found a key for every door When he first came to the mountains his life was far away On the road and hanging by a song But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care It keeps changing fast and it don't last for long But the Colorado rocky mountain high I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullabye Rocky mountain high (Colorado) He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below He saw everything as far as you can see And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun And he lost a friend but kept his memory Now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams Seeking grace in every step he takes His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake And the Colorado rocky mountain high I've seen it raining fire in the sky You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply Rocky mountain high Now his life is full of wonder but his heart still knows some fear Of a simple thing he cannot comprehend Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more More people, more scars upon the land And the Colorado rocky mountain high I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly Rocky mountain high It's Colorado rocky mountain high I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky Friends around the campfire and everybody's high Rocky mountain high Rocky mountain high Rocky mountain high Rocky mountain high Rocky mountain high Rocky mountain high

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milehighcity-rp · 8 years ago

Photo

“Chapstick and mascara is all a girl needs to get through these trying times.”

Name: Elody ‘Eddy’ Bray

FC: Alycia Debnam Carey

Age / Birthday: 24 / 22 May 1992

Job: Florist

Apartment: 704

Personality traits:

+ Amiable, Courteous, Felicific, Warm

- Secretive, Closed Off, Insecure, Hesitant

Elody went to a small high school in a small town. You know the type - everyone knows everyone else and has for their whole lives. And even then, Elody managed to fall right in the middle. Not exceedingly smart, not a talented musician or athlete. Strictly a mainstream nobody. This was worsened by her older brother, the football captain and everyone’s best friend. Even if Elody had been exceedingly anything, the shadow cast by him was far too tall for her to step out of.

That was okay. Elody had a small group of close friends, average grades, and she stayed out of trouble. The small size of her high school kept her from being entirely unmemorable in a sea of people who were all very much the same. There was something that set her apart, although she wouldn’t be caught speaking the words, as much as they rose and crashed inside her like a tide, threatening all the while to burst through and destroy the life she called her own, leaving nothing but debris and rubble in it’s wake. See, while her first kiss was in a toolshed with Mike Miller, a linebacker who had drooled on her so badly that she felt like she needed a shower just to get the rest of his saliva off of her, her next kiss had been an entirely different story. That kiss was at a basement party in the closet (the irony was not lost on her), with Samantha Pike. Maybe it was the cheap vodka or the fact that Samantha’s lipbalm tasted like strawberries or maybe it was just the secrecy of it all, but that felt like the first time Elody Bray had been really and truly kissed in her life.

It was just one kiss, but it sent her world into a tailspin. Suddenly average Elody was clutching a secret like a tightly balled little fist. So often she thought she would let it go - send it flying off into the world like a boomerang, just to see what happened. She knew her parents would never, could never, accept the possibility that their only daughter was anything but perfectly straight and perfectly, well, average. She’d tested the waters, just tipping a foot in to test to temperature before she made the dive, but she had never felt it to be right. She pulled back. Even for her first year of college, Wright State College, she lived at home and kept her questioning to herself. But as her second year rolled around, Elody suddenly felt time threatening to roll over and consume her. To just fold her into it, leaving nothing but a small, crushed girl. She would be doomed to this life in Ohio with the same people doing the same things and perpetuating the same cycles. The thought alone made her lose sleep. She knew she needed to break out. Even her brother, the boy who had always been such a bright and shining line, had submitted himself to a life with a white picket fence, a mini van, and three kids. Elody researched, spent hours and hours pouring over colleges and universities in states that weren’t her own in desperate hopes of living a life that could be.

The story of how the then 19-year old girl happened upon Denver was one she would gladly embellish, if she were given the chance. She would tell a grand tale of how she wanted nothing more than to find herself in the bigger city. What would remain her little secret was how a song led her to call Colorado home. She found herself sitting in her car, letting the soft sounds of John Denver wrapping her tightly of visions of a better life in the Rocky Mountains. “When he first came to the mountains, his life was far away on the road and hanging by a song. But the strings already broken and he doesn’t really care, it keeps changing fast, and it don’t last for long. And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky. The shadows from the starlight are softer than a lullaby. Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high.” Nothing sounded so perfectly far away from Dayton, Ohio as that fire in the sky. She was accepted to University of Denver, even if her degree in Elementary Education now does nothing more than hang uselessly about her antique desk in her one-bedroom apartment. It was her chance, she was sure, to be a new Elody. To be a girl who wasn’t afraid to take risks, go on spontaneous trips, go to bars, kiss girls without feeling the heat of a thousand eyes on her. A chance to be her.

She packed her bags, loaded them into her tiny bright yellow Volkswagen Jetta, and did the bravest thing she ever managed. She left the nest. The new Elody didn’t arise as quickly as she’d hoped, however. Instead, the petite girl found herself slipping comfortably into her familiar behaviors. Average behaviors. It was a disappointment she wore with a bright smile. Somehow, she had been ready for the change to happen suddenly. She would suddenly be brave and unapologetic. Instead, she was still the same old Elody. Optimistic, bright, average Elody.

That’s not to say the Ohio-native didn’t find her place in Denver, and wasn’t still the happiest she’d ever been. While she hadn’t yet given up her hope of teaching, she happened upon her job at the flower shop by chance. Her own small apartment had always been full of life. An apartment without fresh flowers and potted ivy always felt stuffy and dull to the girl, and her weekly visits hadn’t gone unnoticed by the owners. She started working there during the first semester of her junior year - and never got around to quitting. She would make use of her degree, someday, she told herself. Like so many other things in her life, the hesitant girl was waiting for the right moment.

#npbio

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