My Everyday Photos

Weather has assisted fire fighters in the containment of the Twisp River Fire during the last few days. After a week of smothering smoke cloaking our valley, a couple of cold fronts passed through over the weekend, clearing the air with breezes and some rainfall. It’s a great relief. Yesterday brought blue skies and cool temperatures and a smoke-free atmosphere to the Methow. I hope the same thing is happening with the rest of the fire-ravaged landscape around the west.

Many homes in the Twisp River valley were saved by dedicated fire fighters. Our friends’ house is one of those. They live near the river and they asked me to come by to photograph their home and surroundings to preserve the memories of this event. Yesterday we joined them for a tour of their burned property. While much of the garden was burned, there is still food to salvage. The tomatoes, despite their scorched skin are still good on the inside! Corn cooked on the stalk tastes like corn cooked on the grill. Rhubarb is already coming back and the zucchini plant has new blossoms! This garden is a fire survivor!

Last year we were some of the fire survivors. This year, with the devastating fires in North Central Washington, there are many more fire survivors.

Flowers and herbs near the house remain lovely and inviting.

Garlic chive flowers

Gate to the path to the garden

Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Peppers

Zucchini blossoms

Zucchini is a hardy plant

Burnt apples

The rhubarb is already unfurling new green leaves!

Partially cooked apples from a big old tree

View down to the river

Looking back at the house

Cottonwoods by the river, with the leaves prematurely yellow

Cottonwood trunks

It burned very hot in the shrub layer near the river killing most of the trees.

Cottonwood bark

Fire burned to the river’s edge

Burnt bitterbrush

A new hose to replace the burnt hoses going to the vegetable garden and fruit trees.

Perennial non-native grass returning quickly