It's been hot lately, but there have been lots of clouds and even little rain showers to make it all feel more bearable. Last year at this time temperatures were in the 100's and we were smothered in smoke from the Oregon and California wildfires, and when you went outside it felt like you couldn't even breathe, the heat and smoke were so oppressive. Of course, I was 8 months pregnant at the time too, which I'm sure didn't help matters! This year's temperatures, in the high 90's, seem totally bearable (if you're inside an air-conditioned house all day, which I am, so I realize I have no claim to any real fortitude here). And the storm clouds have made for some wonderful skies and sunsets!
Of course we haven't been fire-free. This was from an enormous wildfire just over the mountains in Tooele. The smoke cloud was huge and ominous!
The smoke made all the sunlight orangey-pink
And I thought this was cool—even the shadow of the smoke on the mountains was red!
Our neighbors' daisies are out in force right now. They look so good all through July! Even they turned gold in the smoky light.
This was another day when the smoke was gone. Such a huge, amazing storm cloud over the mountains!
Seems like every evening we all end up on the hill watching the sunset. One person will go up and then everyone else follows…even if they are or ought to be in bed by then. But I don't mind it too much. :)
Our poor hill is so spiky right now. The HOA landscaping company is not doing a great job. The parks haven't been well-watered at all this year, and there are so many weeds! Our girls finally got fed up and went out with shovels to dig up the prickly weeds on the hill, but even after they pulled about 100 of them, there are countless more. Grrr. So, there's inevitably a bit of tiptoe-ing and ouch-ing involved when anyone runs up the hill!
One evening there was the prettiest double rainbow!
I've never been in a place where I can see one so unobstructed before! It was HUGE!
The rain was warm, but still felt so nice in the hot air. Junie was happy to get to use her birthday umbrella!
This was a night when the clouds were so big and towering, they caught the last of the light long after everything else in the sky was dark. It was almost like this cloud had a lamp glowing inside it. So beautiful!
And for some reason, the fading light on this night made the sky glow a strange bright cerulean blue!
And a lovely little halo of light right above our house!
The cloud formation looked very threatening when you looked at it from the hill. Apocalyptic, even.
Look at that looming storm! It never really turned into anything, though.
We had another double rainbow just a day or two after the first one. This one was even brighter, if anything!
My girls think gymnastics are the proper thing to do beneath a rainbow, apparently.
Though they wouldn't do them while holding a baby, of course.
Or would they?
The light was really golden and bright, which is why the rainbow was so bright, I suppose.
Clementine, blinking bemusedly at the raindrops falling on her face
More gymnastics
Quintuple rainbows?
Such varied, dynamic, fascinating skies! We are so blessed to live in this beautiful world!
Makes me think of "signs and wonders in the heavens" ; just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThose pictures with rainbows and little gymnasts on the hill are my favorite!
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