FIRE!

A forest fire is raging about 30 miles south west of here on US64 between Raton and the Enchanted Circle.  Just last Friday we rode through the area of Ute Park, the beautiful Cimarron Canyon, the town of Cimarron--where we enjoyed our malts,and the Philmont National Boy Scout Camp (see Enchanted Circle II blog). The town of Cimarron was being evacuated by lunch time.  Last night and this morning the sun was a beautiful orange.  I was unable to capture the true color with my little camera, but just imagine that the sun itself is just as dark orange as its corona.  The sky is not cloudy.  That's smoke. 

It's a good thing that we decided to forego any touring today and take care of the laundry.  After getting the wash done we decided to stay in town for pizza for lunch.  The wind was blowing toward the mountain which is obscured by smoke.

Toward the fire the smoke was much denser.  We enjoyed a really good pizza at a place called Bruno's Wings and Pizza then headed home through a light sprinkling of ash.

The ash was evident on our doorstep.

All afternoon the smoke obscured the skyline and going outside was unthinkable without a mask. 

This view is of the mountains across the interstate. 

This is a view of the opposite direction.

Fortunately, by 5 pm, the smoke had all blown away.  

This is the same view of the interstate

and the view out the back with the mountains just visible between the trees.

Around 6 pm the sun was bright yellow in the blue sky and the air smelled sweet, but smoke was building again in the south.

We have no site seeing planned for the immediate future.

Louise and Duane