92 F/ 33 C

Without the smoke, it
would be a beautiful day
with sunny, blue skies

~carliewired

Yesterday afternoon a wind came up and lifted most of the smoke out of our valleys. At bedtime, the skies were looking good. 

A friend who lives on the south shore called just as I was rolling into bed. The region just south of her has been put on evacuation alert due to the Ross Moore Lake fire. It has doubled in size to 1800 hectares since Friday evening. (about 4500 acres) My friend asked if she could evacuate to my house should she be given orders. I've said I can always find her a bed and she can call me anytime - day or night. 

This morning the skies were looking grim again. Smoke had filtered back in overnight making the sunrise very hazy.

I dawdled a bit, then left the house just before 8. I drove off to Mission Flats to see what I could see. 

I stopped near the railway crossing to take a panorama of Rabbit Island looking across the Thompson River. 

When I drove down the road further, I saw a mature eagle perched just over the river. It looked glorious as it faced the morning sun. I waited to catch its takeoff over the river. It soared just above the water making straight for a long line of gulls on the far shore. They saw the eagle coming and all rose up together to fly off to the east. The eagle coasted down to the beach, then up and over the trees along the river and was gone. 

I got a shot of the river shore by Brocklehurst and the far view down the river to the delta. All is looking a bit fuzzy this morning. I can smell and taste the smoke when I'm outside my vehicle.

It will be another day with my sore feet up.