Some say the world will end in fire

On Sunday we finally got up into the canyon (helping to slightly calm down the frantic urgency I feel this time of year--knowing there are so many beautiful things to see, and not wanting to miss ANY OF IT).  Once we got up there, it was so peaceful.  We drove way up (the colors are not too bright down lower, yet) and found a beautiful place for a picnic.  A bit hard to climb into holding babies and cakes and so forth, but worth it for its seclusion and wildness.

The late afternoon light was perfect.  It made the gold leaves even golder.  (Golder?)

It looks like Sam is performing some strange and sacred baby-centered ritual here.  Blessed by the sun god.  I love the underbrush around the rocks---so colorful!

Pointed toe

Yum

Distant colors, too (only noticeable when the sun on the closer ones had retreated)

This light green color is so unearthly.  I kept exclaiming over it.  Bright and nearly phosphorescent, like one of those African beetles that seems like it can't be an actual living thing.

So many warm shades. (Shades?  There should be another term for the warm colors.  Warm tones?)  I store up this fiery color in my head to remember in the grey winter.

Then when we drove home we watched another kind of fire.  Scary, but fascinating.  We could see the flames surging up and swallowing things.  We (especially those of us with delicate constitutions . . . ) were coughing all night, even inside the house, from the smoke.  But thankful we were still able to BE in our house.