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Grand Lake, CO, Forest Fire Aftermath

3/25/2021

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Picture
In mid October, 2020 a massive forest fire quickly engulfed the area around Grand Lake, CO, the western side of Rocky Mountain National Park, then jumped the continental divide heading for Estes Park, CO, burning nearly 200,000 acres and destroying or damaging hundreds of homes and buildings. You can do a Google search for Grand Lake forest fire to find many articles about the destruction.
In the aftermath of the fire blanketed with snow there is an strange silence in the forest. Most of the trees are incinerated to only the trunk standing. Others still retain their pine needles but are completely scorched. In some places the heat and strong winds caused trees to fold in half bending to touch tops to the ground. There is almost no underbrush in the forest and it seems to be devoid of most wildlife. In some areas the barren trees create interesting shadows on the snow in the early morning and late afternoon. All of these photos show some of the burned and scorched trees on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. [Click the images to see larger.]

More Rocky Mountain National summertime photos.
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A Frosty Morning

1/4/2021

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Jack Frost painted his magic across north Iowa again last night. What a beautiful day. With thick fog and below freezing temperature the frost grew on everything. We drove around for many miles and there were thick frosty trees, shrubs, grasses and fences everywhere we went. I don't usually post a bunch of photos at one time, but I couldn't help myself. Click or tap to flip through the images. Enjoy. [Click Images to see larger]
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Fall Colors in La Crosse

10/27/2019

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Picture
We took an afternoon drive up to Grandad Bluff in La Crosse, WI to look at the fall colors and weren't disjointed. Lots of bright colors in the leaves.
[Click images to see larger]


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Fall Colors

10/24/2015

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Picture
Mississippi River at Pikes Peak State Park, McGregor, IA
We recently took a drive over to the Mississippi River near McGregor, IA  to look for Fall colors in the trees. The colors weren't as intense as we had hoped, perhaps because of the dry weather, but we did find some pretty trees. The image above and the first three below were at Pikes Peak State Park. Left to right below - wild ginger and trees, a dry gulch, Bridal Veil Falls (not much water flowing), and last - colorful trees at Effigy Mounds National Monument north of Marquette, IA. (Click the images to see larger)
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Super Moon and a Lone Tree

9/28/2015

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Super Moon and a Lone Tree
(click to see larger)

I drive by this tree nearly every day. It stands alone in an old fence row, this year among soy beans and other years among corn, its brethren trees long ago removed to make way for larger farm equipment. It stands alone. I wonder why this lone tree was spared? I have often thought that it would be great to share a sunrise or moon-rise with this tree. How many has it seen? How many sunsets or moon sets? It soaks up the sun, the rain, the sleet and snow, all alone, among the beans or corn. On this clear, cool September eve', I joined it in watching the full super-moon as it slid out of the horizon on its arc across the clear night sky. We watched together, that tree and I. Its spindly branches seemed to be reaching, touching, caressing the moon, an old friend, as it passed in to the night to shine down from above.  We'll meet again some day, but for now, I am glad that we could share this moment together.

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    Bruce's Blog

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