Scenes from a rainy day
Posted: September 11, 2010 Filed under: Earth, Fire, nature, Photography, Summer, travel, weather | Tags: Boulder, Colorado, Fourmile Canyon, rain 6 Comments
One morning during our first few days in Boulder, Colorado we experienced a deluge of rain. It came down pretty heavily for about an hour or two. One section of the hotel — not the section where we were staying — had signs stating the area was prone to flash floods and advised evacuation and moving to higher ground during heavy rains. I could see why.
Boulder could use some of that sort of rain now. They have had a serious wildfire (known as the Fourmile Canyon Fire) this past week. The complete coverage by the Daily Camera (Boulder’s newspaper) can be found here if you’re interested in reading about it. A lot of people have lost their homes. As of the latest news I heard this morning, the fire is now 50% contained and some folks are being allowed back to their homes.
M the Younger, when he emailed us about the fire, said it smells like a campfire around there. Having lived in Huntington, West Virginia during a bad wildfire season and visited San Diego while the smoke was still clearing from one of their fire seasons, I know what he means. (For those concerned — for which I thank you! — M the Younger and Merdi live well away from where the fire is located.)
I do hope they get some rain soon.
(On the road to Gold Hill.)
On our last full day in Colorado, M and I drove through the area where the fires have been blazing, going through Gold Hill so we could have a look at where M’s sister and M the Younger went on their big bike ride. M’s sister is a better woman than I am. One look at those gravel roads and steep hills and I would have turned around. But she did it, even though she had to walk her bike for a little while. And now she has a great story to tell about her grueling mountain bike ride to Gold Hill.
Life in the Bogs 
It’s raining now, so I am appreciating your rain photos. Thinking of dry areas of the country burning in wildfire season, and pondering how nature balances things out–but necessarily in areas how we wish it would be. Have visited Colorado a couple times and really liked it. Think it would be fun to go with Barry and cruise the backroads. I think he would really enjoy it. Don’t know when a Colorado trip would happen though!
Kathy: The back roads of Colorado are an adventure, that’s for sure. One of the roads we didn’t take in that area pictured was one that warned of steep uphills and downhills (and believe me, they were steep!). We weren’t sure the rental car (not a 4-wheel drive) could handle the steepness. I’m not sure our hearts could have handled it either.
I often wonder about the way Mother Nature balances things. I believe she knows what she’s doing but sometimes it doesn’t seem that way. I have to remind myself that it all works out eventually, in some way or form.
Wow! That is a flood of rain, for sure! Beautiful “On the road to Gold Hill” capture. Bike ride? Whew!
Thanks, Anna. 🙂
Love the mood captured/created by the rain. And – the mountains are absolutely beautiful!!!
Thank you, Marcie. 🙂