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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…….

 

Bugs

When summer turns to fall, these bugs show up everywhere. Where do they spend the summer? They squeeze into every little crack and end up all over the house in unexpected places. This one was walking along the newly painted deck before flying off for a more private locale.

 

 

 

Fall Comes to Tiffany Mountain

Yesterday I hiked to Tiffany Mountain again. You may recall that Luna and I walked that trail back in July. Pictures are here. This time, my friend Marcy and her dog Guthrie went along. It started out fairly chilly with Marcy wearing a wool sweater but soon we were warm and enjoying the trail. It was good to be at a high elevation. Our valley is full of smoke from forest fires burning in various places throughought north central Washington. It looks like some will burn til the snow falls. Right now, there is no rain in the forecast to dampen them.

Tiffany looks much different than it did in July. At that time the snow was newly melted and the ground was moist and wildflowers were coming in to bloom. Yesterday, the trail was dusty; most flowers were dried and the grass was crisp. The verdant greens were gone replaced with dusty yellows and oranges. The first larch trees have turned yellow.

 

Exuberant dogs, happy to out of the car and on the trail

 

Stopping for a break in the sun, Guthrie expressed interest in my snacks

 

Layers of forest fire smoke fill the valleys and obliterate the views

 

A cool rock

 

If there’s an edge, Luna will stand next to it and look down

 

Tiffany Lake in the distance

 

Lunch away from the edge and sheltered from the breeze. The smoke is getting higher.

 

Looking back at the mountain top

 

Lots to photograph along the trail

 

We both enjoyed this red leafed plant with tiny leaves.

 

Fall colors

 

And still some paintbrush in bloom!

 

The first yellow larch trees

 

We were late for the fireweed flowers

 

The seedheads are pretty interesting and still colorful

 

An old burned forest.