Sunday, July 28
Fires again in the area. It has been named the Colockum Tarps fire. I have been collecting data from MODIS Imagery Hot Spots to share with people nearby. We are in touch since last night with our friends at the White Heron Cellars winery where John volunteers time in the spring pruning grapevines. They are downriver on the opposite side from the fire. It is being pushed by 30 mph winds uphill toward us, but well to the east, and we are downhill and 13 miles straight-line distance away, in the valley, and not in danger. I have been making maps as the satellite thermal imagery changes every 6 hours. Here’s an example, when the fire was still advancing southward. The yellow pin in the middle of the left side of the photo is our home.
central Washington
[Click photos for larger image.]
This afternoon and evening, we took some photos of the plume. The other photo below is from MODIS imagery showing the plume from the nearby fire and a second one farther to the south, but still in WA. For more on that one see “Mile Marker 28” fire.
“Colockum Tarps” to the the north
“Mile Marker 28” fire to the south
The MODIS image (above) – north smoke is from the “Colockum Tarps” fire; south smoke is from the “Mile Marker 28” fire near Satus Pass. The photo (above) with the orange Sun is from late afternoon on 7/27 from White Heron Vineyard – note the grape vines. The fire is on the opposite (Wenatchee or west side of the Columbia Valley) from the vineyard. The distant ridge line and slope is called “the Colockum” with a drainage and a “not-much-of-a-road” going up and over. The fire started near the intersection of the Colockum Pass Road and another close to the river called the Tarpiscan Road – a much better and well traveled route. The locals pronounce this name as beginning with “Tar” as the vigneron explained to John, with emphasis on the second syllable. John’s western Pennsylvania hills-English had it as “Tarp-i-scan” – but Tar it is and the fire’s name (according to John) ought to be the “Tar-Colockum.”
Here is one showing fire on Colockum Ridge with White Heron grapes in the foreground. Distance to the flames is approximately 8 miles due west.
Today for lunch, John made a fantastic Belgian waffle type pancake, with a side of bacon. The pancake had our own blueberries and strawberries sugared on top (John picked earlier and I fixed), covered with a couple small scoops of vanilla/raspberry swirl ice cream. Here’s a picture to make you drool.
Monday, July 29
Today we left about 9:15 and returned home at 4:15. The main reason for going was to an appointment with Dr. Pham, at the Yakima Heart Center. It was about my heart, specifically my implanted cardioverter defibrillator device, seeking advice from a nuclear cardiologist (officially an electrophysiologist). My regular cardiologist requested the other specialist evaluate me and my device (and condition). Reason — consideration of putting in a second wire into the other part of my heart (left side). I have one already in the right side. I was not happy with the prospects of having another surgery, when I have been doing so well. GOOD NEWS. I do not qualify, because I only am borderline on one of the four decision tools for having it done. Phew.
Meanwhile, we waited an hour to see him, spent an hour with him, had lunch, and went to Costco, for gasoline and groceries, and all that kept us gone a long time, especially with coming back through Ellensburg for a few items.
Regarding the wildfire NE of us. I made a newer map and see that our friends at White Heron winery & vineyard had quite a fireworks show last night looking across West Bar (location of ripples from the Glacial Ice Age Floods). There even was a fire on the east side of the Columbia below Babcock Bench.
Tuesday, July 30
Slept in and then spent the morning on the computer and cleaning the dishes piled in the kitchen.
John helped me take a neat photo of a small (1.5 inches) Praying Mantis today, by moving her to a grape leaf. Lighting and focus is not the best, sorry.
After lunch, I drove to CWU to the music building to meet a fellow from Issaquah, to exchange my violin bows. He had the oldest for re-hairing you’ve already heard about last week. It was glued shut at the frog and not worth the cost of repairing. I took him my newer bow, for re-hairing and he brought a loaner for me. After seeing the condition of the one I had and hearing it would cost $70 to re-hair it, and it was only a $25 bow, I decided to buy a new Revelle, carbon fiber bow. The action of the bow and the sound produced from my violin was amazing, comparing to my old (but best bow). A shot of my new Revelle bow with its Abalone frog.
And here is just the close-up; click for a better view.
Wednesday, July 31
Off today to Food Bank music, SAIL, and to the dentist, carrying yellow squash to share. We are getting fine ash from the fire (not embers). It is moving away from us and from our friends’ cabin in the hills east of us. I think I finally have an idea on the 6 hr lapse between MODIS flights. It seemed to change between 9:00 and 9:30 am PST — so I will check (over) 6 hrs later when I get home from town, and again at 10:30 tonight.
The fire has calmed down and never did threaten us, but scared the breath out of me today when I went into the AAC after the Food bank music and my teacher said it was in Coleman canyon. That’s 2 miles east of us, and while I really didn’t think it was, based on my looking at imagery in the morning, it was still alarming. When I went to the dentist and heard of an evacuation in the vicinity, I became concerned and called John. He grunted and said “relax” or “chill” – maybe both. Once home, I convinced myself the rumors were in error. As it turned out the evacuation was from Cooke Canyon farther over north and east (I had known about the fire’s approach to this high-up hillside).
Thursday, August 1
Today is the day for playing at Royal Vista. My new bow worked well yesterday at the food bank, and I much appreciated it today when I was the only violin in a much bigger room. I needed to be heard, and I am positive it is louder, and has a better bounce and grab of the strings. I spent the morning looking at the new hot spots imagery and sharing fire-info with people. We are not in danger, but the hot spots did reach the crest of “the Colockum” and thus technically into our valley at the north edge of Parke Creeke road, 15 miles east of us. The winds have changed this morning and our valley at the moment is not as threatened.
John is working trail near Snoqualmie Pass with a Washington Trails crew on Friday and, so, was searching tonight for his Northwest Forest Pass. This one has “volunteer” (= free) on it and was sent via WTA about 5 months ago. We can bury an elephant in clutter in that length of time. John ended up bringing in the whole contents of the glove compartment, which I proceeded to sort through and toss stuff no longer needed, about 95% of it. I also found some receipts I needed to file. I found the current registration, insurance, papers on the new tires on the car, and the motor club road insurance that both our Subarus have. A wad of paper napkins had found their way into the compartment too. The Forest Pass was on the hutch in the dining area.
We made a berry (blue & black) pie and a pecan pie to take to a dinner tomorrow night. Usually we would try to bake pies so they are still warm when we arrive at such an event but John will be going to Snoqualmie area to work on the Snow Lake trail and plans to change clothes there and come directly to the event.
Friday, August 2
John’s headed to the hills 7:00 a.m., and it started drizzling here within a 1/2 hour. I had planned to go to the AAC for a potluck and exercise afterwards. I decided I had scheduled too much for the day, and stayed home, but will go by for my INR in town on my way with the pies to dinner. The dinner tonight is with my former two students, the LaBars, along with another CWU Geography faculty member of the past, and the gals’ parents. I also loaded some crackers and canned smoked salmon, given to me by one of my Native American students in the Resource Management program at CWU.
My INR was 2.4, which is a good reading.
We visited and ate around 6:00. The roast (BBQ) beef was from their own pasture, with rice, salad, fresh veggies, cherry tomatoes, bread, and our pies. They also had peanut butter cookies, brownies, and ice cream. We had a lovely evening, and wished Bekah a safe trip to her next job in Wellington, New Zealand, as a meteorologist.
Saturday, August 3
Today, John took off early for WTA work – needing gas he left at about 6:40 A. M. – as the crew leaders (blue & orange hats) try to arrive about 8:15, ahead of the 8:30 scheduled arrival time for the green hat folks. They’ll finish for the day between 3:30 and 4, and he’ll be home about 5:00. I stayed home to work on chores and to work on the blog and on a letter to the editor about losing our spot in the Kittitas Elementary School for the annual WOTFA workshop. Meanwhile the weather has been helping with fire suppression and the expansion has stopped at about 125 square miles. The bit of rain and Mudjekeewis, our west wind coming over the Cascades from the Pacific Ocean, has cleaned our air of smoke. The week ended on a good note. Connection – new bow, good notes!
Hope your week was good.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan