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Author Archives: Teri J Pieper

Life Goes On

Despite the smoke.

Today the smoke has cleared out of much of the valley leaving blue skies in its wake! It’s forecast to return but for now, what a relief. Here are a few images I’ve made the last few days when I ventured out into the gloom.

This hibiscus is a recent gift from a friend. The flower’s colors are amazing.

It will soon have to find a room in our house as it is not hardy in our winter.

Shaggy mane mushrooms have popped up around our backyard.

Some people eat them. They don’t appeal to me.

This moth was on the outside of the window while I was inside

French pumpkins.

Our growing season isn’t always long enough or warm enough for them.

A sunflower gazes into the murky sky

Smoke Gets in My Eyes

Forest fires have been wreaking havoc on everything in north central Washington for the last two weeks. Most were started by a lightning storm that roared through the region the night of September 8. One was human caused. For a few days our area was spared the heavy smoke but that soon changed and this has been a common late afternoon sight, if we get to see the sun at all. Official air monitoring by the state has listed our air as ‘unhealthy’ for the last few days. It could be worse. In Wenatchee and Cashmere, it has been ‘hazardous’. The good news is that the hard-working fire fighters are starting to get a handle on most of the blazes with strong lines built by hand and machine and with the help of many aircraft. Some of the interior parts of the fires will burn til the snow falls. And there is no precipitation in sight.

This image is from last Friday. I was photographing a wedding at Sun Mountain Lodge.

Photos from the wedding will be posted at my other blog before the end of the week.

Twisp Art Walk

Tonight’s Art Walk featured gallery openings, open studios, artists’ demonstations and lots of activities for folks of all ages. Passports were offered to anyone who asked and if a person managed to get to all the stops and do an activity and get a stamp, there were prizes to be had! There was big fun as kids and adults went from one end of Glover Street to the other and over to Door #3 and other venues one block over. I confess to only getting to a handful of the fun stuff and I did not even pick up a passport knowing it was unlikely I’d make it all the way around. Lots of people did. I really missed getting to TwispWorks where folks came back with their own handmade hula hoops!

Here are a few of the images that I saw.

Some of the wildfire smoke cleared out to make a nice sky later in the evening.

 

Yazzi wasn’t sure what to make of this art walk event.

 

 

 

Don McIvor, one of our many local artists, demonstrated wood turning as the sun finally peaked out from the smoke. Don’s work was featured at the last Confluence Gallery exhibit.

 

He says that he spends most of his time making sawdust.

 

 

Animal skulls were prominently displayed at the Pelligro Gallery

 

This one is a pelican

 

Shoes as art

 

Accordian dreams

Rusty Blue Truck

This rusty blue truck has seen better days. I imagine it could tell you some stories. Now it’s a tourist attraction.

 

 

Fall is Slow to Come

The calendar says that fall is only days away. The forecast shows a high of 90 tomorrow. Smoke from forest fires changes the reality of everything. Colors from a distance are muted and without depth. Up close they seem brighter and illuminated. Nights are cool but by late afternoon the oppressive smoke held down by high pressure gives everything a cooked feeling. Maybe it’s just the ever-present smell of charred forests. Initially it’s like a welcome campfire and then you realize it’s not going away. Most likely, some of these fires will burn til the snow falls. And in the long-range forecast there is not even a drop of rain. Normally weather like this in September would be welcomed with open arms.

This morning I took the dogs and my cell phone for a walk and this what we came back with.

 

This soft image has a painterly feel to me. Patterson Mountain is in the distance. On a smoke-free day, you’d see the mountains of the North Cascades beyond it.

 

The chokecherries have lost most of their leaves while the serviceberries have turned yellow and orange in recent days.

 

There hasn’t been a frost on our hill yet. I think the bushes are doing this because it’s been so dry for so long.

 

There’s a chokecherry that has not yet dropped its leaves. Looking up, early in the day, there is some blue sky.

 

Maybe I prefer this in black and white…….